| IT WAS UGLY! TIM WHITFIELD IS LEAD BULLY IN EMBARRASSING COUNCIL IN COMMITTEE |
| Monday, October 20 Council Chambers became the venue for an inquisition led by Councillor Tim Whitfield as Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes tried to get answers to questions she had about the Economic Development and Tourism Corporation. In a style reminiscent of U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy who used the term "point of order" to harass those he thought were "unAmerican," Tim's Rage-o-Meter went to overload as he leveled his vitriol against a colleague. Ann-Marie questioned a "directive" she became aware of on Friday that advised that a "new board policy" dictates that inquiries to the EDTC must be made through council members on the board (Mayor and Annunziata.) Ann-Marie wanted to know why council members are being locked out of the process; why the board of the EDTC is hand-picked and that any meetings of the EDTC are not open to the public or the press. (Interject Tim Whitfield yelling, "Point of Order!" several times.) Ann-Marie also wanted to know if the Town of Fort Erie is the sole customer of the EDTC which is a separate corporation funded through taxpayer money. Again, she was interrupted and finally told by the mayor, "We'll get back to you on that." She was also asked by Annunziata if she was aware of the EDTC policies and she adamantly replied that she did not know the policies as no one will tell her. Whitfield and Martin continued to bully and insult Ann-Marie until she finished her list of questions. When it was all over, the faux newsman and Annunziata smirked. It was a disgrace and a shameful display of school yard type bullies trying to shut down the voice of dissent. As an observer to this, I can only say that such behaviour can and will not go unpunished. Perhaps the bullies thought that the lack of television cameras gave them the green light to go on the attack on one of their colleagues. But it didn't even stop with Ann-Marie's questions about the EDTC. Whitfield went on the attack again when Ann-Marie wanted to add an amendment to the report to say the "Council has not decided one way or the other that any of the Bay Beach Properties be sold." That was voted down, of course, the usual 5-2, Bob Steckley being the only other "yea" vote. |
| Ann-Marie wanted to add an amendment to the report to say the "Council has not decided one way or the other that any of the Bay Beach Properties be sold." (It was defeated.) |
| The meeting started off with civility. Crystal Beach Improvement Area Chair, Winnie Swalm, started off by thanking council and staff for their assistance in designing a Business Improvement Area model that is "unique to Crystal Beach." She recounted the enthusiasm expressed by new business owners to the BIA and they are joined by established business owners and a budget levy has already been approved for 2009. She announced that an open meeting for BIA members will be facilitated by Jim Thibert of the EDTC and that the current board has recommended that the current boundary of the BIA be expanded to include the Bay Beach Properties in case of lease of parts of the property for commercial use. Winnie spoke of the beautification efforts by her committee and the community-wide investment towards planting through funds collected through Footsteps for Flowers, a yearly garden walk in memory of original CBIA Chair, Lorraine Murphy. To date, the project has collected close to $14,000. In the difficult transition to a full BIA in the near future, Mrs. Swalm fears that the beautification efforts will be put on the back burner for the more pressing needs of setting up the BIA. She is asking council to create the Crystal Beach Beautification Committee, a separate group that would partner fully with the BIA. It would be chartered for two years, to be revisited after that to see if it needs to be kept active going forward. According to Winnie, this would give the beautification committee a chance to "share the load" with the BIA board and keep Crystal Beach in the running for more awards for its beautification projects. Mrs. Swalm stated that there are many members of the community who are not eligible to be on the new BIA but who want to contribute to making Crystal Beach a more beautiful place. A really good idea that was warmly received by council. And then things turned ugly .... Budget and Assessment discussion was the start of the slide into rudeness. Once again, Ann-Marie Noyes was being shut down because she was asking staff and council to find ways to keep the projected 4.3% tax increase lower. The mayor condescendingly explained that the town was a "service provider" and the choice is to cut programs or raise taxes. No middle ground. You want your streets ploughed? Pay higher taxes. |
| Councillor Steckey mentioned that last year, the budget guideline was 4%, but there was the so-called "supplemental budget items" that brought the percentage up another 6%. He wanted to know if this was going to happen again. He was told by Harry Slange that the results of the new assessments, due in early December would determine that. Further budget meetings are scheduled in November and December. Noyes brought up the previous dependence on lottery funds to finance assets like the Friendship Trail; the purchase of the Bay Beach Properties; the Health and Wellness Committee; the gaming corporation and the EDTC. These programs and those they hired are funded with slot revenue; all are still in place - covered by the supplemental budget. She said that she thought "we can find efficiencies; we need an operational review." Belt tightening needs to be implemented. She was talked down from that by the mayor threatening to cut services to save money. (Guess the mayor doesn't use the Obama analogy: use a scalpel to trim the budget - not an ax.) |
| Then came the main event: The Bay Beach Properties issue as contained in Report cds-079-08 Crystal Beach resident John McCarthy spoke on behalf of "no group or organization other than the McCarthy family." McCarthy could not understand why staff and council wants to sell portions of the Bay Beach Properties despite an overwhelming majority of area residents wanting the properties to remain in public ownership. The answers he received did not assuage his concerns that the property, except the sand beach itself, could be sold to a developer. The assurances coming from the mayor and council that a "randomly picked focus group" would be included in the process, did not mollify McCarthy or other Crystal Beach residents in the audience. Tim Whitfield asked some pointed questions that gave the audience the impression that he was berating all those against the possible sale of the properties as obstructionists. The avuncular Rick Shular offered that a group in Simcoe who opposed a large lakefront development took their case to the OMB and lost. Now the developer is seeking legal costs of $3.2 million. This is what is called a SLAPP lawsuit. (John Papdakis recently prevailed in a similar SLAPP-like attempt of the Town and the region to recoup legal expenses when John and another resident appealed an OMB decision and lost.) But then, Rick offered a challenge: "There are no sub-plots regarding the Bay Beach issue. If there is a subplot that comes to light that I'm not aware of, I will vote whatever you like." |
| "There are no sub-plots regarding the Bay Beach issue. If there is a subplot that comes to light that I'm not aware of, I will vote whatever you like." -Rick Shular |
| THEY DANCED AROUND THE ISSUE, BUT THE BAY BEACH PROPERTIES ARE FOR SALE. |
| "There are no sub-plots regarding the Bay Beach issue. If there is a subplot that comes to light that I'm not aware of, I will vote whatever you like." -Rick Shular |