EDHS - More than a High School

Over the last year I became more familiar with the threat of the potential loss of Elmvale District High School. The closure appeared to be driven by the Simcoe County District School Board's search for efficiency and cost reduction. I had not been aware that the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC), a group mandated by the Ministry of Education, had spent over a year of work and 26 meetings to file its report. To then have the board's bureaucrats simply ignore the report and propose a totally different solution, was quite shocking. The education of students, length of travel and effectiveness of the schools themselves appeared to be secondary in their deliberation. It seemed that the ARC exercise was lip service and the board already had decided the direction it wanted to take. To become better informed I attended three of the meetings at the Board in the late Spring and early summer. Since then I attended an information night at EDHS in October and more recently a SERVE meeting in Elmvale in early December.
Currently I see two perspectives amongst the former ARC members and the SERVE group that is attempting to retain the high school. Some have been encouraged by the Board's decision to delay the decision, whereas others are quite suspicious and are keeping guard on developments.
It is surprising that the thought of closing a local school in a community such as Elmvale would be even considered, as it goes against everything the province is attempting to do in its approach to having complete communities which is clearly outlined in both their Places to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement documents. In Springwater Township, Elmvale is the closest you will find to being a complete community as defined by the Province. The only thing that it lacks is public transit. Part of the Provinces vision is already fulfilled by Elmvale with the fact, that because of the good design and layout of the village (built around a centre core), you can walk or bicycle everywhere. Elmvale, in its present state, could be used as a model for the building of new communities. Removing the only high school in the Township, would actually dismantle this model of excellence. It is unfortunate that this council saw fit to build the new administration in the middle of nowhere, rather than in Elmvale, as it would have further enhanced the complete community concept. To me the local school board either is out of sync with the province or think they know better. Like we saw with the County of Simcoe and Site 41, the elected School Board officials are being misguided by out of control bureaucrats.
I have been pleased that the Township of Springwater has stepped up to the plate and are actively involved with providing solutions and assistance to the SERVE group and are taking a lead role. The concept introduced by the Mayor at the Board meeting back in the early summer, speaks well to the matter. The vision of a Campus approach with Elmvale is a creative and thoughtful way of swaying the minds of those short sighted Board Trustees. It will hopefully bring the support of the higher levels of government including the province. By partnering with various stakeholders such as business, agriculture and manufacturing, new opportunities of learning may be brought to the Elmvale Campus and facilitated by EDHS attracting more students to enhanced learning offerings.
The school board's distorted view and misdirection certainly applies to more than just our beloved Elmvale District High School. The City of Barrie, our neighbor to the south seems to have a dysfunctional growth plan and continues its urban sprawl which is contrary to the provincial policies. Having spent time in Europe, it was interesting to see the rebuilding of city centres with the desire to attract new residents with the vision of reducing sprawl and traffic. The City of Barrie certainly needs to promote its city centre growth with a mix of residential and commercial development before it enters a new level of decay. The School board's review and recommendation of the closing of Prince of Wales School and now rumours of closing Barrie District Central Collegiate, can only be considered counterproductive to a positive future for Barrie's downtown.
I encourage you to contact your local School Board trustee and implore them to support these well established schools that serve our community well. These schools have contributed greatly to the health and well being of the communities they serve. The Board should be encouraged to spend the money and refurbish these great institutions rather than building large schools that better resemble “education factories”, rather than "places of learning" which they are meant be. As I have said before, in the case of Elmvale, if EDHS is allowed to close through the short sightedness of the Board, our entire community will be affected. None of us in Springwater wants that to happen.
You have a voice. Speak out now!

CBC News - Money - Tax Harmonization: Frequently Asked Questions

If you are trying to better understand the new harmonized sales tax in Ontario, this article is an easy read. The bottom line is that it will cost us all more money on most things we purchase.
It is an easy tax grab by the provincial government.

CBC News - Money - Tax Harmonization: Frequently Asked Questions

Olympic Torch Relay Coming to Elmvale

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is coming to Springwater Township! The relay will visit Elmvale on Tuesday December 29th, and everyone is invited to come out and be a part of Olympic history!
The community-wide celebration includes multi-generational family-oriented sporting events, and an 'Olympic Race' around the Elmvale Community."We encourage all residents to come out to Elmvale on the morning of December 29th to help welcome the relay," said Mayor Guergis. This is a chance for everyone to be a part of Olympic history, and to get an up-close view of the torch as it passes through our community.
Springwater's Jason Harris will be a part of Olympic history as he carries the Olympic Torch in Elmvale on its way to the winter games in Vancouver. Jason is co-owner of Orr Lake Golf Club in Springwater Township, and was named a Torchbearer by iCoke, after making a commitment to be more physically and environmentally active.
"I’m excited to be a part of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay," said Jason. "Carrying the torch in my own community will make it even more memorable."
Let's show our support for this important event and join in the celebration.
Check out the Township website www.springwater.ca for more information.

Help Springwater Council Develop a new Township Motto

Our Councillors are struggling with choosing a new motto to accompany the new logo they approved a couple of months ago. To me, none of the proposals speak to the unique rural blend of tight communities and agriculture that makes Springwater special. It is unfortunate that the council did not make this an exciting competition open to the residents of the township. I am sure quite a few people may have provided suggestions.

Here is what the experts at Y Factor suggested.

United Today for Tomorrow
The Star of SimcoeCounty
Routes for Life
Connect with Neighbours and Nature
The Heart of Simcoe County
In Harmony Today and Tomorrow
Past, Present, Future in Harmony
Scenic Vistas and Friendly People
Nature’s Junction
Live Here –Naturally
Traditional Values in Modern Communities
A Perfectly Balanced Lifestyle

If you have an opinion, contact your ward councillor or the Mayor with your suggestions. The Mayor was quite annoyed that council did not confirm "The Heart of Simcoe County" at Monday's Council Meeting. He lobbied hard at the last meeting to get it passed. Maybe you can help the impass by providing some ideas.
On the other hand, at the meeting in Elmvale back in the Spring, I mentioned that I saw nothing wrong with the motto former Mayor John Brown had chosen. Even though "A Refreshing Experience", sounds like a bottled water company it spoke better to what Springwater is, compared to the list above.

A Vision for Sustainable Communities

Dr. Michael Powell on behalf of the Elmvale Foundation, in a very articulate and impromptu address to the Corporate Services Committee today, outlined a visionary approach to grow towards a sustainable future by involving all the stakeholders. He emphasized the need to focus on the key elements of air, water and soil in our plans for the future. We must seek the cure rather than just focus on the bandaid solutions of land fills and incineration when it comes to waste and recycle management.
It was somewhat disappointing to see members of the committee talk about reasons of why it won't work rather than embracing the concept. Some even suggested that maybe someone else should try it first.
I was disappointed that the committee only received the report rather than passing a motion to have the Elmvale Foundation directly involved with developing the waste strategy of the future for our County.
I would hope Dr. Powell would consider a similar delegation to Springwater Council as it may be an ideal municipality to undertake his visionary approach.

G-Force Misfires this time

The Springwater Council was quite civilized on Monday Nov 2. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were quite cordial, so I don't know what will come of the fireworks from Oct 15th where Deputy Mayor Hope challenged Mayor Guergis on a number of items.However it appears that Mayor Guergis was about to pull one of his usual tricks when it came to Item 2 on the correspondence/action items under the heading "Resolution from the Township of Essa regarding the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority", requesting an independent review of services and fees. On the surface it sounds harmless and could even be considered being good stewards of the taxpayers money. When it appeared that council would not be supporting the resolution, Mayor Tony pulled out his delay weapon, THE DEFFERAL. He suggested the matter should be deferred until a later time when more information was forthcoming. In real terms what he meant, "Let's not record that we are not supportive of the Essa Resolution where my brother Dave is Mayor".For those that have been following the saga with the NVCA, Mayor Dave Guergis in Essa first attempted to have it disbanded. When that approach failed, he seems to be doing everything he can to put stumbling blocks in their way to prevent them from doing their job. I am not saying the NVCA is perfect but its the best we have to prevent uncontrolled growth on questionable flood plains such as the undeveloped property beside the No Frills store in Angus. I wonder who owns that property?
Anyway, the Spingwater Township Councillors after months of being dragged down by his one man Site 41 show, ignored the mayor's deferral request and passed a resolution to "not endorse" the resolution provided by Essa. It was good to see the Springwater councillors stand up to the Mayor's rather persuasive ways. I think we will see more of that independent thinking for the rest of the term.

More Wasted Money at the County of Simcoe

County of Simcoe New Solid Waste Management Strategy-
Stantec Hired to Develop 20-year Strategy for Waste Diversion and Disposal

I read with interest the above titled Oct 27 release from Rob McCullough and Allan Greenwood.
The County Environmental Services staff continue to amaze me. They appear to be a department out of control and not answerable to anyone. I also know that there are many other departments and staff that are quite dedicated and work hard.
In business from time to time you need specialized services from outside agencies and consultants as they are short term requirements and would not merit hiring a full time person. Examples would be architects, lawyers, auditors, mechanical engineers and so on.
It appears that when actual work needs to be done by the Environmental Services Department at the County, a consultant is engaged. The same appears to be the case with Communication Department at the county. That to me is a sign of one of two problems. Either the existing staff lacks competence or they are simply lazy. I am not sure which applies at the county.
If the Manager of Environmental Services is not capable of investigating new waste management technologies and their potential use for the county then I think we have a problem. It should be in his job description that this is his responsibility not that of Stantec. Site 41 and its fiasco exemplified the lack of competence in my estimation. Possibly he needs further education to increase his knowledge and ability or possibly the job has outgrown the individual and a higher level of skill is now required. That needs to be assessed by the CAO and council.
The amount of wasted money at the county level seems to go unchecked and no attempt appears to be made to reduce budgets as most companies have been forced to undertake in the past two years.
The Warden and Councillors are to be the stewards of our county and the resources that it manages.
I ask that you take that responsibility more seriously and hold your senior staff more accountable. Instead of rubber stamping reports without much thought or study, challenge them much more when they appear to be cavalier about engaging outside services that should be part of their job function.
Having experience with consultants, it is quite common that as much as half of the fee is spent on learning about the organization and its requirement, not actually assisting with the solutions or recommendations. That is why the decision to use outside services must be well thought out and analysed in a good old fashion “return on investment” basis. The other key question should always be, “Can we do it ourselves?”
In the case of alternate waste diversion solutions, the manager should be doing all the legwork including the research and investigative work. He should then make a recommendation for a course of action. Council should then approve a plan. If specialized services or consultants are then required to implement the agreed solutions, then so be it.
That’s how it works in the real world.

Keep informed and read the Spingwater News

Elmvale-The Capital of Springwater

An unrecognized Jewel in Springwater
At the EDHS meeting in Elmvale on Oct 15th, in my brief dissertation, I described Elmvale as the Capital of Springwater. On my way out, our mayor commented to me and said, “Bill, I am sorry that I forgot to mention that Elmvale was the capital of Springwater.” Being a skeptic, I don’t think he meant that as an honest oversight. For some reason he thinks that Nursery Road by the new administration building is main street Springwater and has basically stated that at council meetings.
I grew up on a farm on the fifth of Flos in the 50’s. Elmvale was the economic centre and a thriving village that supported the mainly rural farming community that surrounded it. I lived for two years in Elmvale on Lorne Street in the 70’s with a young family and enjoyed our strolls to the main street. The people were friendly; the shopkeepers knew most of their clientele. Based on the Provinces direction for municipalities to develop complete communities, Elmvale is the only urban centre that meets that criterion in the Township of Springwater. Just think of it, it has all the amenities that someone could enjoy, all in walking distance. I agree with the mayor, as we attempt to retain the crown jewel of our community, EDHS, that Elmvale is like a campus and everything is accessible. My question is why are we not supporting it more.
Since I have been at the planning and council meetings since Feb, I have noticed approvals for expenditures for added services to Springwater. Did you know that well over half a million dollars will be spent on baseball diamonds in the property close to the soccer fields and new administration centre? I have even heard the mayor refer to this as a campus. Possibly in his vision this is the continuation of development to make Nursery Road main street Springwater. Would it not have been a thought to possibly establish some of these baseball diamonds in Elmvale close to EDHS? Just think of the ball tournaments that could be attracted to the benefit of the struggling merchants on main street Elmvale. Since I teach business part time, I understand why the ball fields are in Midhurst. Based on GIS mapping it determined this is the central location if you take all homes in the township into consideration based on travel distant. That makes sense if Springwater was isolated in the middle of nowhere. However, since Midhurst is close to all the amenities of Barrie, the decision criteria should have included such things as the economic benefit to the township and the better servicing of the rural residents as considerations. That did not happen.
I have the same criticism about our new administration building. Just think of the benefit it would have brought to Elmvale if located there. With 50 people on staff, it would have meant a lot of local meals and shopping, a great benefit to the community and the township. I understand that the Township owned the land in Midhurst but a more visionary approach should have been taken by the council. The Township spent extra money to be a LEEDS rated facility. I believe the extra travel distance and the use of cars to get to the isolated location of the new admin centre more than offsets any greenhouse gas savings in the building. I am not sure that this takes Springwater in the direction of building complete communities. The township is attempting to minimize the impact by offering incentives for ride sharing and installing a wellness facility. In Elmvale neither would be necessary.
We can’t undo the past, but we can change the future, I ask this council to focus on what they can do for Elmvale and especially Elmvale District High School. There were many good ideas presented at the community meeting on Oct 15th with many local residents in attendance. In particular I would like to see any future consideration of added recreational facilities such as swimming pools, racquet sports or any other sports of that nature being developed in conjunction with the improvement of the school. I for one am opposed to any consideration of a multimillion dollar multiple use recreation facility (MURF) which would most likely be parked beside the administration building. I like the idea of medical services, cooperative education with some university like Guelph focused on education in agriculture, a real benefit to our rural community all being brought onto the EDHS campus. I would ask our warden to consider placing some of the county services in Elmvale. All these moves would assist in convincing some of the disconnected County School Board Trustees to realize the importance of the presence of EDHS in Elmvale. It is more than a school; it is part of the heart of the community. Without EDHS, Elmvale will decay and slowly die.
I beg our councilors to get away from thinking big city, which seems to be the approach of the planning of our township at the moment. Let’s dig deep into the roots and backbone of the Township of Springwater. If you are looking for identity please remember people know where you can find Elmvale, Anten Mills, Phelpston, Midhurst, Hillsdale, Orr Lake, Snow Valley, Minesing, Centre Vespra. Some even know Fergusonvale and Apto. Few know what Springwater is or where it is located and there is probably not enough money to brand it. Branding takes more than a new logo and a catch phrase.
Main Street Springwater is Queen Street Elmvale and I think we can build on that to the benefit of all citizens of Springwater.

War of Words and Misinformation

Broadcast Versus Cable-My View
With the battle that is being waged on our TV stations in recent weeks between Cable and TV Broadcasters, I decided to write this article as we are witnessing a lot of misinformation rather than fact. I, like others, want to retain our local TV station, but at the same time I think both parties should be more honest with us.
First a little background. I grew up in the early part of the TV industry starting my working career in 1966 at CKVR in Barrie which was owned at the time by the Snelgrove family. It is said the VR stood for Valerie and Ralph. Here is how I view the currect dispute between the broadcasters and cable.
I want to first stress that I think the local market television stations are an important part of the media fabric in Canada. Aside from the CBC government sponsored broadcaster, these local TV stations, which were originally owned by entreprenueurs, developed the foundation of the TV industry in Canada providing a community need. What does bother me today is the rhetoric and misinformation that is being spewed by both parties as part of a fear mongering PR campaign. I believe most of the misinformation is coming from the Broadcasters.
Now a little history from my recollections. Before cable or satellite, we all received our TV signal on roof top or small tower antennae or in many cases set top “rabbit ears”. We were limited to VHF channels 2 to 13 in the beginning. You could receive 4 or 5 stations ranging from clear to snowy pictures even in the city and towns.
Then came cable. It connected homes in the built up communities to a broader range of stations including the major US networks. All these “over the air” broadcasters saw this new method of distribution as an advantage to them as it broadened their audience reach. They were no longer restricted by their broadcast signal area and the receiving antennae. I can recall that combined with its high power broadcast transmitter, and the advent of cable, CKVR reached well into Toronto making it an attractive media outlet for advertisers on a budget. It was a very profitable operation. All the broadcasters were quite willing and anxious to have their signals included on the limited number of channels available when cable first started. The Broadcasters are now saying in their TV spots that the base rate and basic cable or satellite fee was to pay them for those signals. That is blatantly false in my estimation. The basic fee paid for the cable distribution systems infrastructure and now the satellites that carry the signal. These companies were by no means profitable in the beginning. Just ask Phil Lind of Rogers who had to go a few times with hat in hand to extend bank lines in the formative years. The base rate was never intended to be revenue shared with the local Broadcaster. It was intended to cover costs and hopefully provide a profit which it now does to the benefit of their shareholders. We do still believe in a free enterprise economy, I think? There is some thought that in the early days of cable and limited channlels, the Broadcasters might have paid a fee to be carried by the cable companies, but the CRTC in its wisdom at the time set the basic business model with both parties. I could go on on how the CRTC developed cable substution at the request of the broadcasters, whereby the local station, if running a US originated program at the same time as its US counterpart, had its signal and commercial inserted in that channel's slot on cable and got credit for the audience. That is still the policy today. How is that fair? The CRTC has went out of its way to support the broadcasters in Canada.
Most of the founders of our TV broadcasters understood how the system should work. For over 30 years most did an honourable job of balancing service, profit and social responsibility. That concept disappeared slowly in the last number of years of private and public ownership and then was completely obliterated with the mass takeovers during the last decade. Our current major TV broadcasters simply don't understand the local markets, their social and ethical responsibility to the communities and viewed these local stations as a liability. If allowed by the CRTC they would discard them. Look at the A Channels. CTVglobe Media never wanted them when they purchased CHUM in the first place. They wanted the major market CITY stations and paid a significant price to get them. As we all know the CRTC did not permit the concentrated ownership monopoly of two major stations in a market, requiring CTV to divest the CITY properties and take the A Channels which was a reversal of their plans with Rogers at the time.
I believe the problem is much deeper. We all know that over the last three decades with the advent of home videos, the internet in the 80's, the continued growth of satellite communication and now the electronic entertainment devices the world is a different place to do business. The tuned hours for TV have diminished because of it. The large Broadcasters themselves diluted their business and revenue stream with the development of specialty channels that for the most part are specialty in name only. They took the huge profits of their conventional properties and tried to fill the available channel slots with the idea of protecting their existing advertising revenue stream. Even a first year business student would have suggested that the pie of advertising dollars, which was not getting bigger, was being sliced into smaller pieces. The recession of the last year took care of the rest. The Broadcasters must admit that they developed a bad business model that was doomed for failure. They also failed to keep some of the profits for a rainy day.
With that said and done I would ask both the Cable and Broadcasters to be the businessmen they are capable of being. It is called negotiation. I for one have no problem of paying a few extra dollars if it means we can retain my local station. If these stations want to be paid for the signal, I want to know what I will get in return. Will they provide a local morning show, local morning and noon news program in addition to 6 and 11? Will they do more than news features and provide local programs of interest to my community?
The CRTC could also invoke a National TV licence fee like the UK and share the revenue with the broadcasters based on some formula. The cable companies should not be the ones saddled with collecting the extra revenue to correct an economic problem that the broadcasters created and then be painted as the pariahs of the issue.
We have a good broadcasting system in Canada. I also know it much more complicated than my brief letter. It is unfortunate that there are no founding fathers left to straighten out the mess. They would have certainly resolved the problem before it got to be a battle of egos and wills. We need both strong cable companies and broadcasters and I ask both to work toward that common goal.
And please! It is a great tune and music video that the Local TV Matters are running, but you know and I know the content is at best false and more likely a bold face lie!

Not Quite Business as Usual

Springwater Township Council – Oct 5
“The Peasants are revolting; They certainly are!” I always loved that line from Harvey Korman in the satirical movie History of the World. I am sure that was Mayor Guergis feelings toward Deputy Mayor Hope and some councillors at the Monday Oct 5th Council meeting. As I was staring at the protruding screws in the ceiling of our multi million dollar administration centre and listening to the drone of the normal orchestrated dealing with township matters, I was jolted out of my daze when I heard Deputy Mayor Hope table a motion seconded by Councillor Cowan that the rules of procedure be suspended to deal with a number of matters. I knew something was up. I assumed the reason for the motion was to prevent the Mayor from exercising his authority as chair to stop discussions on matters that he may not want to hear, as has happened a number times since February. The Deputy Mayor outlined a number of concerns that he wanted discussed. First was the Mayor's removal of Ms. Kearney's correspondence regarding Site 41 from the correspondence section of the Sept 21st Council meeting agenda. Secondly Hope questioned why the correspondence from Tiny Township including a copy of their motion requesting the stopping of all development of Site 41, was not on the same agenda. The next two items were not totally clear but it appeared to be a concern that the credibility of the entire Springwater Council was being brought into question because of the Mayor's stand on Site 41 which was contrary to the wishes of Council and more importantly the citizens the Council represents. There was also some further concern about some rant the mayor had with the councilors outside of the public forum and comments made by people about their lack of confidence in the mayor.
The mayor undoubtedly surprised at the list of concerns would have been best to remain silent until all the issues had been tabled. But in his typical fashion he first of all tried to deflect the discussion with such words and phrases as, “I am shocked”, “I must apologize for the behaviour you are seeing here tonight”, “Is this the way we are going to communicate for the next 14 months”, “how is this bringing our community together” and so on. Once he realized this rhetoric was not working, the answers started coming. The Mayor's response to the first item regarding the Kearney correspondence was interesting. He stated that the Mayor and Clerk have the authority to include or remove items that may or may not be relevant to the business of the township. He admitted he had asked that the Kearney correspondence not be included on the agenda. As a point of order, it is the Clerk not the Mayor that has the authority to decide the items on the agenda, as it is the Clerk's job to ensure that politically motivated agendas of the elected officials are avoided. If you go through the past minutes you will find many pieces of correspondence that have no bearing on the business of Council and are simply received. A number of months ago for example, the Town of Innisfil made a deputation and Council supported a resolution opposing Barrie's annexation bid. That is no business of Springwater. Even on the agenda for Oct 5th there was correspondence and a requested resolution from Clearview that was received as correspondence. The fact that the Kearney letter which dealt with Site 41 was left off the agenda is certainly suspect. I can only assume the Mayor, attempting to avoid a three ring circus at the council meeting, did not want a resolution passed at the Springwater Council the day prior to the County Council voting on ceasing all development at site 41. After hearing about the pick and choose approach, Councilor Collins expressed a great concern about how items for the agenda may be selected and questioned whether there may have been other matters that had been deleted in the past. The clerk commented that issues that are distant from Springwater would not be included. On the second point regarding the omission of the Tiny correspondence and resolution on the Sept 21st agenda, I must accept the explanation of the Clerk, as I have found her to be quite forthright on matters, even when I have not agreed with her position. She stated she was on vacation when it was received and it accidentally got lost in the shuffle. I know it sounds suspicious but based on the Clerk's comments, the Mayor should not be accused of influencing this item and I can accept that he did not remove it from the agenda. We of course will never know what he might have done if the correspondence had not been misplaced. I will give him the benefit of doubt on that one. On the final items of Deputy Mayor Hope, I feel that these items would have been better vetted behind closed doors as the Mayor was caught off guard and not properly prepared which was not fair in my estimation. I understand the frustration and flack that some councillors have received and can agree that the councillors have been tarred with the same brush because of the Mayor's outspoke support of Site 41. As far as the mayor's rants, challenges and confrontations with certain councillors on various matters and their positions outside of the public forum, I would have preferred to see more specific information as I did not fully understand the purpose of that part of the discussion. I do think the Deputy Mayor's last two items were possibly inappropriate as they attacked more the person of the Mayor rather than the position he holds.
The interesting anecdote is that none of this discussion should have occurred until the Council past the resolution to suspend the procedural bylaw. No wonder Councillor Clement was confused and asked for clarification when it came time to vote on it after the fact.
Most people in business realize that there is an acceptable or functional level of conflict that is healthy as it leads to constructive and productive debate and results in progress. It is a delicate balance however. Dysfunctional conflict at one extreme is when there is no conflict and everyone nods their head to avoid a scene. Some refer to it as group think. I believe we saw a lot of that in this term of council as most councillors did not want to get into a conflict or confrontation with the mayor and simply agreed with him on many items. I think the Mayor compounded the frenzy at this meeting by his sarcasm, intimidation, condescension and threatening remarks. Councillor Caldwell correctly remarked that there was no need for the Mayor to use sarcasm in his comments. However, I can understand the Mayor's surprise at the attacks and he most likely reacted as many people do by providing a defence. Unfortunately in his position, the sarcasm becomes unacceptable.
The only way that the councillors themselves can escape the damage that has been done by the Mayor's outspoken Site 41 stance is to talk to their constituents and make them aware that they are there for the best interests of the citizens of Springwater and that they deal with many matters, not just Site 41. If this had been done over the last six months, I am not sure that the Mayor's actions would have had the same impact on their credibility. If I were on council I would conduct town hall meetings in my ward every three months and update the constituents on what is happening and try to ascertain their needs rather than supporting someone else's agenda..
Here is another suggestion to alleviate the lack of confidence of the electorate. Possibly the council meetings once a month could be changed by adding a ten minute open forum to the agenda allowing anyone to speak on matters before council or any other matter that has not been addressed, without the necessity of requesting a delegation before council. Giving people 2 minutes each to speak is a great way of being transparent and gaining insight into what people want. I don't think Council would be swamped by requests as there is typically me and maybe four others at the meetings unless something specifically impacting area residents is on the agenda. This open forum would somewhat negate the opinion that this council is highly secretive and always does things behind closed doors.
I found in my many years of dealing with people, that trust and credibility is a two way street. Dictating and demanding blind trust of your peers, subordinates or constituents is not possible. Trust, credibility and honesty must come from the inner self and then radiate outwards before those characteristics will be recognized by anyone else. I have no doubt the mayor has the potential to be an effective leader. Unfortunately the high expectations and potential of many people go unrealized. I for one assisted Mayor Guergis in getting elected and was confident in what he said during the election campaign. I was looking forward to a new open and transparent council. Based on the last 34 months performance, none of those promises have been forthcoming and things are worse than ever.
After everything is said and done, and council is still concerned about the mayor's behaviour, they should table and pass a resolution and have the Mayor's conduct investigated by a special investigator appointed by the province as permitted in the Municipal Act. That is what Barrie did with their mayor two years ago. The other possibility is for everyone on this Council to get behind closed doors and vent all their concerns and frustrations and develop a new approach to how the council conducts its business. Without that, it will be business as usual and nothing will be accomplished by the debate and lost tempers at the meeting. On a brighter note, I did see the start of something positive if some of the councillors are willing to take a stand and focus on the business of the township. In some situations on council it is as simple as saying, “I don't agree with that because....”. I think the mayor must also realize this is not a party system and he cannot demand that the councillors toe the party line and stay in step.
Our mayor continues to confuse me with this statement, “We don't seem to be getting the message out”. My advice to the mayor and the rest of council is that you first must decide what is the message and then talk to people one on one, not undertake an expensive PR campaign such as we have witnessed at the County level.
The business of the township is important to all of us. It is our tax dollars that are being spent. We elect and pay the politicians to be the stewards of our township. I encourage readers to get involved and come to the Planning and Council meetings as the decisions made at these two key meetings impact the way we live and enjoy our fine Township. To stay current with local news read the Springwater News.

Bill French
Grenfel
http://springwatercitizens.blogspot.com/

Barrie - School Yard Bully

I saw an article in the Barrie Examiner reporting on council's desire to impose a buffer zone around the City and have the surrounding municipalities enforce a no hunting zone.
I live in Grenfel and we are bombarded with the noise from shotguns 365 days a year because of the Barrie Gun Club on Pinegrove Road. Guess what. There are probably not 10 members from our Springwater Township. There are many members that live in Barrie and as far away as Toronto. It was Barrie that had them close down the Miller Drive location of the Barrie Revolver club and move it out of the City some decades ago. How is it fair that Barrie can dump its unwanted nuisance problems on their municipal neighbors?
If Barrie wants a buffer, it should follow the example of former Springwater mayor Helen Coutts and establish a non-development buffer zone. Ms. Coutts established a no non-farm development buffer around the City of Barrie and the Town of Wasaga Beach, the only two major urban settlement areas that border on the township. It is found in section 3.29 in the township's official plan. This was implemented to avoid the problems that the City of Barrie are now concerned about. It is my further understanding that this was discussed with the then Barrie mayor Laking as it was understood that both would establish buffers to avoid land use conflicts. Barrie's oversight is now catching up with them.
As the Barrie Gun Club community liaison told me when I suggested that they mitigate the negative noise impact, "Sue the real estate firm for not letting me know of the gun range being less than a kilometre away". I guess those Barrie residents that are now concerned about the noise from hunters in the new subdivisions should sue the developer or realty firm for not informing them of the potential conflict of Hunters in the local forests.
Does Barrie think it can bully its way through everything they want?
I for one would not support our township spending one dime on signage or enforcement that is a result of Barrie's ongoing lack of planning and foresight.

Try something different-TELL THE TRUTH-UPDATED

I snickered last week when I was watching A-Channel News. The bottom news ticker mentioned the County of Simcoe may hire a Toronto PR firm to undo some of the bad publicity and fallout from Site 41. While I was at the Springwater Township Council meeting on September 21, two of the Site 41 committee mentioned this is old news. The decision to spend another $250,000 with a PR firm was apparently passed in closed session on August 25th.
I have a better idea and it would save the County and me a lot of money. Just do what Maple Leaf Foods did with the listeria contamination. The Chairman went on the media and said they did not follow procedure and apologized for the terrible consequences of that action and promised to fix it. Most people believed him. It is a new concept in today's world. It used to be common practice. It is called telling the TRUTH!!!
Instead of wasting money on attempting to put a spin on a bad situation, Warden Guergis could do the following. First he could apologize for the actions of the CAO, Manager of Environmental Services and himself for undertaking an injunction, laying charges against some senior citizens and threatening a lawsuit on two of the protesters if in fact this was done without direction from County Council as most people suspect. He could then apologize for procrastinating on the release of the modflow reports and admit that yes there is a downward gradient at certain times of the year at the site that has been denied for three years. He could admit that senior staff had been negligent by not informing council of other means of disposal using shared resources such as incineration technology in neighboring counties that would negate the need for site 41. He could also admit, based on the success of the organics and recycling programs, that the life span of the existing County landfill sites had been extended many years negating the need for site 41. Of course that would require courage, credibility and honesty.
It is not the County that is being held in contempt Mr. Guergis, it is you and some of your out of control senior bureaucrats. You have embarrassed the County, some of the Councillors and dedicated staff who are all trying to do their job to the best of their ability.
It is time to stand up and take responsibility for an ill conceived project that started 20 years ago and one you could stop. If you did that you could be a man that people would respect.
There, I saved the County $250,000 and gave the Warden a plan that would be effective.
Keep informed by reading Springwater News http://www.springwaternews.ca/

Council and Citizens Working Together

The Springwater Council meeting on Sept 8th was one of those that makes you proud of how the local government can work effectively at times, especially for one group. I wrote about Splash Canyon Water Park some time ago (http://springwatercitizens.blogspot.com/2009/07/splash-canyons-lack-of-planning-causes.html) and the concern raised by the local neighbors about noise. Splash Canyon applied for a temporary use by-law amendment back in July for an August event. Many local residents attended the public meeting and expressed their views and concerns. Councillors and staff were surprised at the complaints as there was nothing on file. Instead of granting a one year term the by-law allowed for the one concert. The residents were unhappy about this as they had thought after leaving the public meeting on July 13 that the Council would deny the application at the July 20th Planning and Special Council meeting. At the two meetings the management of SC said that if they were allowed the one time concert all other concerts would be cancelled for the rest of the summer.
Guess what? About three weeks ago, someone from Mills Circle, which is close to the park, found an advertising brochure promoting a three day concert on Sept 18th at Splash Canyon. On checking with councillors and staff at the township, no one was aware of this concert. To the township's credit, staff informed Splash Canyon that they must apply for a Special Events Permit, which they did. The Clerk reported to council that concerts are not a permitted use in the zoning of the property and the special events permit should not be allowed as a condition of a permit is that the event must be a permitted use in the zoning by-law.
The residents gathered at the Midhurst Community Centre to discuss the matter the week before the council meeting and requested a delegation to forward their frustration and express concern about the lack of clarity on the matter.
Terry Cheaney a local resident and Angela Baldwin a land use planner addressed council and reiterated with specific detail the position that the clerk had taken. Their conclusion was that concerts are not permitted on the property under the Campground Commercial zoning designation. The only exception to camping use on the property is the Waterpark.
It shows that when residents take the time to be involved in matters that affect them, council will listen if you have your facts and can present them in a well informed manner.
At the Sept 8 meeting, the special event permit for the three day concert on Sept 18th was denied.
There are many things going on in the township and residents need to stay informed. Check the township website for both planning meetings and council meetings as they are the ones that can impact you for the long term In the Midhurst area, people need to stay close to what is happening. There are huge plots of land designated for future residential growth. If some developers have their way, you would find about 5,000 new homes surrounding the existing Midhurst area. Because of provincial policies, these developments for the most part must be on municipal services. Numbers like sixty million dollars for new municipal infrastructure are being tossed around and that is an estimate. If we don't pay attention we may face uncontrolled development that could impact us on our tax bills but more importantly ruin the rural and peaceful nature of Springwater. Stay informed. Anotherway of keeping abreast of council activities is to read our local newspaper Springwater News http://www.springwaternews.ca/.

Site 41 Dead for a year and maybe forever

Tuesday August 25 was a long day for those fighting the insanity of Dump Site 41. It started with the County trying to confuse, mislead and delay the answers requested by the many well informed opponents of site 41. The Information Session at 9:00 a.m. was to be another charade but a forceful crowd inside the meeting hall at the Simcoe County Museum would have none of it. The chair they hired to run the meeting lost control in about 15 minutes and it reverted to a question and answer sessions as it should have been anyway. A number of county councillors were present and I think they were overwhelmed by the attendance of 500 people, and how well the individuals were informed allowing them to sober up on the Site 41 issue.
The Council meeting started at 11:00 a.m. with a closed session. Closed sessions normally take 30 to 60 minutes, but this one took about 150 minutes. I am not sure if they were hoping the people would get tired and go away or was the Warden trying to twist the arms of those opposed to Site 41 to change their minds about a moratorium.
When we were finally allowed to enter the open session, we became aware of how badly Site 41 has been managed. Councillors appeared to be unaware of many opportunities to dispose of the garbage intended for Site 41 with neighboring Counties that have moved to leading edge incineration technology. The council did one thing that was prudent and appropriate. They passed a motion to cease litigation for damages against those threatened with a suit for construction delay damages. It was also interesting that council passed a motion to ratify the actions taken by the CAO regarding the injunction. It simply proves what many have said. The protest injunction was initiated by a very small group and not by the council. We know who they were.
Our Warden when it came to the moratorium issue, did everything in his power to cajole, intimidate, brow beat, condescend the other councillors. At first it appeared he was trying to avoid the moratorium vote or possibly have it voted down. Like our Springwater Township Councillors have finally realized, the County Councillors have discovered their leader lacks credibility and his vision/agenda cannot be trusted or followed. Much to every one's delight the one year moratorium was passed and the site shut down as of today. It appears that there may be a motion at the next County meeting to stop the project completely which would be the right thing to do.
Now you talk about a Jekyll and Hyde. I just watched A News and the Warden now says that Site 41 should be abandoned completely because of the sensitive environmental concerns. That means one of two things. Either he slipped and fell and bumped his head leaving the county building and has rejoined reality after a three year absence or he would like the Site 41 issue to disappear before the next election. If the one year Moratorium holds, Site 41 will definitely be an election issue. Please be reminded what our Mayor said when he was running for the election. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/HealerG#play/all/uploads-all/1/J8oAXNzl0WY.
All those that have been arrested and stuck by their beliefs need to be congratulated. Without their pain and suffering, yesterday would have been quite different.
We need to stay on this issue until the site is permanently closed. Being a skeptic and spending too much time observing the political process, it would not be beyond the realm of possibility that the County in a secretive way will attempt to have the Provincial Government order the completion of the Dump and then say they had no control.
Keep informed by reading Springwater News http://www.springwaternews.ca/

Barrie Gun Club pleads guilty

Based on an area resident's complaint, the township laid a charge against the Barrie Gun Club on Pinegrove Road for a "cut and fill" bylaw violation in the Spring of 2008. After a number of delays and adjournments, the case was heard in the Provincial Court in Wasaga Beach on August 18, 2009. The club and Township reached a plea agreement whereby the Barrie Gun Club pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined $2000.
The area residents were hoping for a more meaningful fine as a deterrent, but the prosecutor for the township commented that the courts for some reason do not impose hefty fines.
The Barrie Gun Club has been the subject of growing safety and noise concerns with the area residents over the last 10 years as they have continued to expand in size and use over that time. Nothing in the township bylaws prevents their continued expansion.
Once a club for serious sportsman, it has become a haven for gun enthusiasts and sports shooters adding to the noise impact on the local 30 residential properties. Few members of the club actually live in the area.
The Township has been unwilling to take a serious position on the negative impact with the residents and have offered lip service through numerous meetings but failed to reach any conclusive results or action.

God Bless Donny Nelson

Last week Don Nelson phoned our house and invited us to a big family reunion get together. My wife comes from the Bakers in Coulson and Ivy and somewhere we are all connected. I know my father helped Don in the early days of farming when we were on the 5th of Flos.
Don and I spoke a couple of weeks ago about the concerns he had with our council and the mayor. He even said that if no one stands, he will run as mayor in 2010 and I would have supported him. It would be nice to have the intelligence, honesty and common sense of a farmer running our mainly rural township.
To our shock, this morning (Monday Aug 10) my mother in law Nina Baker who resides with us got a call from her brother in law Johnny Baker saying that he had been at the reunion and Donny died of a massive heart attack at the event. In the spirit and wishes of Don the reunion continued even though in more sober atmosphere.
Don is one of those true spirits of determination and perseverance. Even though plagued with health issues his entire life, he made the best of it and was thankful for all he had. The last time I saw him was on A-Channel in his wheel chair breathing through his oxygen tube. Nothing kept the man down. He stated on the news clip that he was willing to go to jail and do whatever was necessary to stop the insanity of Site 41.
In closing our prayers go to his family and friends. I am greatly saddened because of another family commitment I did not have the opportunity of seeing Don for one last time on the weekend.
God Bless you Donny

Why are Springwater Councillors Not Making a Stand

From my discussions with various members of Springwater council, most are opposed to Dump Site 41. I know the deputy mayor was at the rally in Perkinsfied recently and that another councillor has visited the blockade on a number of occasions.
It would be appreciated by the residents of Springwater for a couple of councillors to table a motion, requesting that the development of the site be put on hold for a year and that a third party review be undertaken to assess its impact on future generations. The councillors of Tiny had the courage to pass such a motion recently. I hope that Mayor Guergis continued blind trust in the advice of the bureaucrats and his unwavering support of the site is not intimidating those on council who oppose the site.
I would ask Hope, Cowan, Anderson, Clement, Collins and Caldwell to stand up for our children, grandchildren and future generations possibly avoiding the legacy of creating one of the greatest environmental catastrophe in the modern world.
What harm is there in double checking a site that was thought to inappropriate some 20 years ago when first considered.
We elect the politicians not the staff or the rest of the bureaucrats. We ask you the politicians to protect the well being of the electorate, the citizens of Springwater Township.

You can polute the Water, but don't let anyone voice their Concerns

Imagine a Dump on Top of an Aquifer. Come to Simcoe County and see for yourself. The Warden will tell you there is no other solution!!! The diagram below outlines a typical aquifer.

I have not said much about Site 41 except to say that from the beginning, it did not make any sense where it was located. My initial objections were related to taking good farmland out of production. However as the science was researched and its proximity to the Alliston aquifer was recognized, someone should have had the common sense to realize that dumping garbage on top of one of the finest aquifers in the world, is not a good idea. If you care to gamble, go to Casino Rama to get your fix.

I have recently visited the spot on a few occasions and my disagreement grows stronger. The county has argued that there is continuous positive pressure from the ground water (upward gradient) that will push out any possible contaminates avoiding pollution of the aquifer itself. With a liner as a safeguard, the county suggests there is no possibility of any negative environmental impact. I think the same guy also sells swampland in Florida part time. However not being a scientist, I have observed one interesting noteworthy item. The county sought and was granted a license to pump or drain virtually millions of litres of water to allow the liner to stay in position once installed based on the premise that there is always positive ground pressure (upward gradient hydraulic pressure) and it would make the liner float. I think either the County research is wrong or was misunderstood and now they have discovered that in fact there is not always positive ground pressure year round. It has been a rainy Spring and Summer and yet no water is pooling and staying in the hole they have dug. I think that it may have upward pressure from October to March, but now believe it has downward pressure (downward gradient) during the summer months, making it a time bomb. To me that suggests that contaminates will be absorbed and drawn downstream in the aquifer as it makes its way to Georgian Bay and all points south as far as the Oakridges Moraine. Is that why the County will not share the engineering report? Have they found that after spending millions of dollars that it was just a bad decision and should be abandoned.

I can only conclude from his unwavering position (which came after he was elected as Mayor of Springwater) we have the same problem at the County as we do in the Township of Springwater, a lack of Leadership. Is that because the same person is both a Mayor and the Warden?

Get involved and stop this atrocity called Site 41. Come out this Saturday July 25 at 1:30 and support the protesters and donate to their legal fund, as now the County is attempting to intimidate the organizers by launching lawsuits. Go to this link for more details: http://www.canadians.org/water/issues/Site41/index.html

Let us all help them take on Big Brother and show the politicians that we are the citizens of the township and county, not its subjects.

To stay informed on this matter and other local issues subscribe to the Springwater News which you can find at http://www.springwaternews.ca/.

If you have comments or thoughts on any of these matters email me at bill.french@hotmail.com

And the King has decreed....

At the regular Council meeting on July 13th, the business of the township was conducted in its usual manner until it got to one item on the agenda. The agenda item was the motion to select a newspaper to host “The Springwater Link” and other municipal information for the next year. A detailed report was attached confirming the responses to the RFP were complete. The township information, as most residents of Springwater know, for many years was published in the Springwater News. As an experiment it was transferred to the Barrie Advance since May of 2008. The motion tabled by Cowan chose Springwater News as the information link for the next year. It was a straight forward motion and should have been dealt with in a typical manner. However, the Springwater News is never dealt with in a fair and upright manner, mainly because of its open format that allows people like me to provide opinions and at times illustrate some of the shortcomings of our elected officials.
The mayor first suggested that it would be better to delay this vote as two people were absent, Deputy Mayor Hope and Councillor Caldwell. However there was no request from either asking for the vote to be delayed. Besides, the rules of order allow for members to be absent, which happens in the natural course of things. You simply need a quorum and one was present to conduct an official meeting. Ironically if you go back to March, when Councillor Cowan first tabled a notice of motion to move back to the Springwater News, Hope had an outburst, called Mr. Jacobs names and said if moving to the Springwater News was to be discussed, he would declare a conflict of interest which would be appropriate because of his public bias against both the Springwater News and Mr. Jacobs personally. Mr. Hope should once again declare this conflict at the next council meeting if the motion is tabled once again. To me the request to delay by the mayor was simply another ploy to unnecessarily delay a decision and show Mr. Jacobs who is in charge of the township business. The mayor had no problem spending thousands of dollars of tax payer money on other agenda items at the meeting with those same members absent.
Since Mr. Cowan then suggested which was confirmed by the clerk, that the motion on the floor needed to be dealt with, the mayor wanted to say and almost said that he was not prepared to deal with the matter at the meeting. Unfortunately for him council is a democracy and he has no veto power. After constantly badgering everyone for a way out, he was informed by the CAO that the motion could be deferred to the next meeting, if more information was required. Now remember, the report accompanying the motion suggested everything was complete. Councillor Clement inadvertently opened a door that gave the mayor a glimmer of hope to defer the motion. Clement at previous meetings had asked about the use of other mediums to get the township message out such as website, email etc. This in the larger scale of things is a reasonable question. However, this is unrelated to the motion at hand. Based on a request for unrelated information, the motion, even though procedurally incorrect, was deferred in an unusual manner. Typically motions are deferred to the next meeting. However the motion tabled and passed, stated that the motion must be heard with all members present. That is not a proper motion and illustrates another typical bullying tactic of our mayor. It could delay the decision for quite some time, as councillors are absent from time to time. I confronted the mayor at the meeting and suggested he was abusing his position and power as chair and directing the motion to a conclusion rather than simply directing the discussion like a good chair would do. As usual he dismissed me as a lone negative voice against his community building attempts.
I was still amazed about how adamant he had been at the meeting in delaying the vote. Even to me, it appeared extreme. The next day all the ducks fell in order. As a member of the Springwater Chamber of Commerce, I receive email communications. On Tuesday July 14, the following day, I receive a request from the Mayor to advertise in a special edition of the Barrie Advance for the grand opening of the new Administration Centre on Nursery Road. It now all makes sense. On checking with one councillor he was unaware of the special edition. I have no criticism of the Advance in its attempts to develop supplementary business in these tough economic times.
Now the mayor’s tactics make sense. It would be very embarrassing if the council passed a motion to move its print media requirements to the Springwater News and then have the Barrie Advance publish a special edition for the township’s grand opening of the administration centre. On checking the properties of the PDF I received promoting the Advance supplement, it was created June 17 and modified on July 2, well in the works some time ago. Since the promotional piece contains a direct written request signed by the mayor, he must have been aware of it. Any suggestion that since a decision on print media had not been reached, it was appropriate to go with the existing vendor, will not pass the smell test. I guess the mayor still thinks we are all jokers and that his cleverness goes unnoticed. He is always mentioning community building, but has no problem taking business away from a local business that pays taxes and give it to a firm outside the township.
I again ask the members of the public to become more informed of our local government. They are elected to respond to the best interests and common good of the residents of Springwater. Most elected officials have no personal agendas, but some do. Attending a few planning or council meetings will make it obvious who has their own personal agenda. You will then be better able to elect those who will hold your interests above their own in the next election in November 2010.
Keep informed of local events by visiting www.springwaternews.ca/.

If you have comments on any of these matters email me at bill.french@hotmail.com

Splash Canyon's lack of planning causes Springwater Council to make a bad decision...

At the public meeting on July 13,local area residents expressed concern about the growing nuisance noise being created by weekend concerts at Splash Canyon on Nursery Road just north of Hwy 26 across from Springwater Park. The facility is zoned as a campground and water park. Through a stretch of the permitted uses, the owners argue the small concerts over the last two years are not really concerts but entertainment to the campground guests. Their own website says differently. The large proposed concert being sponsored by ROCK 95 on August 15 will be one of the largest concerts staged in the Barrie area since Molson Park closed its venue. It does require rezoning as the concert is a separate paid entry event from the park itself. Having a concert in the middle of a rural area is not a wise choice. Traffic congestion, parking and impact on local residents are significant. On paper the organizers have everything covered. Council members were surprised about the negative impact of noise from the small concerts over the last two years which caused them to rethink the temporary rezoning request for the large concert on August 15. Like myself, we who live in a rural area usually lack faith in the politicians and say little and grumble amongst ourselves until we boil over. At the public meeting it appeared there was a growing move to deny the rezoning request.
At the planning meeting on July 20 a number of unusual things were evident. First of all Splash Canyon were allowed to make another case with information not provided to area residents prior to the meeting. Secondly, delegations are allowed 10 minutes for their presentations. At this meeting Splash Canyon were allowed 45 minutes to make a new case. There was no motion to extend the time and were simply allowed to ramble on, a definite breach of the township's procedural bylaw. Unfortunately the area residents, not fully understanding the process were not present to discuss the new found information. Councillor Collins and Cowan stuck to their guns and continued to argue against such a large event in a rural setting. The main reason and one that was never answered was the lack of planning horizon that had created the pressure of time for a decision. A good business friend of mine has a great expression that should hold true in this situation, "Lack of Planning on your part, does not create an emergency on my part." Councillors Caldwell had very challenging questions to the organizers which were not well answered. Councillors Clement, and Anderson also had questions that were not answered. Even the Mayor had concerns and felt that the location was not appropriate and pointed out that if someone was trying to build a Concert Venue, it certainly would not be at that location. The only one that was not negative was Deputy Mayor Hope who thought they should be given the chance to prove themselves.
In the end much to my surprise all except Collins and Cowan voted in favour of the modified temporary use bylaw for a one time only event on August 15, basically putting the financial interests of Splash Canyon over that of the local residents. To me that is simply unfair. I hope the agreement between the Township and Splash Canyon includes a clause covering the verbal agreement of the owners that if permitted to have this one large concert, they will cancel all other weekend concerts this summer, at least providing some relief to the area residents. This would make the situation more palatable.
What I find most disappointing is that the last words heard by the councillors were those of Splash Canyon agents, none who live in the area. Normally the final decision would be put off to the next regular council meeting, but because of the August 15 date, they conducted a special council meeting at the end of the regular planning meeting and approved the temporary use bylaw. This to me is a travesty and a slap in the face to those residents who came to the July 13 meeting and thought they had left the matter in good hands. Remember haste makes waste which is what happened at this meeting.
The reality is that Splash Canyon, by the admission of the owners is struggling financially and has since its inception. It is good for council to work with local business, but at the same time cannot ignore the impact on the area, if an entrepreneur has simply made a bad business plan and the business location is flawed. You can't make a silk purse out a sow's ear. If it must be a concert venue to survive then it must cease to exist as the area is not zoned for this type of business. It is as simple as that and as the mayor said, the zoning bylaw has worked well until now and has proven to be effective for the common good of the township. Council is elected to uphold that position.
In closing if any residents read this, I suggest launching an OMB appeal as the temporary use conflicts with a number of Official Plan policies and existing bylaws.
Keep informed of local events by visiting www.springwaternews.ca/.

If you have comments email me at bill.french@hotmail.com

And the Tony Award Goes to.....

I read with interest the Stevens letter on the Hillsdale Tavern in the June 11th edition of Springwater News. I was also at the Council meeting as I have been trying to better understand the workings of council and our elected officials.
Tony Hope our deputy mayor I believe is basically a good guy and I have had many good conversations with him. He is passionate and reactive, and at times puts his mouth in gear before his brain, like we all do from time to time. But the difference is that Mr. Hope is called to a higher standard as he is an elected public official. There is no excuse for his bad behaviour and his derogatory comments about Gary French at the council meeting. I can chastise Tony Hope, but there is a mechanism in place to control such outbursts. It is called the Chair and in Council that is Mayor Tony Guergis. Council passed a by-law last year that includes a section on decorum and it is the Mayor’s responsibility as chair to control it. The by-law clearly states in section 18.1.5 under Acceptable Behaviour, “Behave in an acceptable manner. A member shall not use profanity, make derogatory statements or other such offence at risk of being expelled from the Chambers or meeting room at the discretion of the Chair”. It is obvious that Hope breached this clause in his comments about Gary French. The Mayor should have immediately removed Hope’s privilege from the floor, asked him to apologize or leave the room. Again I must suggest that the Mayor has a greater accountability in this matter than the offender. It suggests a lack of leadership.
It was interesting to observe the long discussion on protruding screws on the new administrative centre as noted by the Stevens letter. It is obviously a design oversight by the architects and they should be held responsible. I am sure they have errors and omission insurance to rectify the matter and the problem should be clearly placed back with them. Councillor Caldwell made what I felt was an appropriate suggestion and something I have done in years passed on large projects. He proposed delaying the next construction draw payment until the matter is rectified to everyone’s satisfaction. But our Mayor wants to keep talking and discussing the situation but never seems to be interested in a final resolution on matters such as this.
On a more serious note and a further illustration of lack of leadership, our mayor, speaking as warden, may have caused harm to the future growth of Springwater with his caustic name calling in a special report in the Barrie Advance. In the article, he outlines a conspiracy theory at a fund raising dinner for Liberals over a year ago where he suggests back room deals were made on RVH, Georgian College and the recent Barrie Land annexation. He also stated that Barrie lacked leadership in its present Mayor. Those are serious accusations and a 180 degree turn compared to his usual desire to discuss matters in a more conciliatory manner when it comes to township business. I am sure our higher government officials will not be pleased by the comments. On one hand he talks about having reasonable discussions on matters and then switches his tune and attacks the levels of government that in fact ultimately control our destiny. I know he was speaking as warden but the comments may very well backfire on Springwater.
One other thing that I have not heard discussed at any meetings since February is how the township is reducing its overall costs in these tough economic times and tightening its belt like everyone else I know. I see them approve added cosmetic expenditures for the new building eating away the contingency fund, adding staff and sending people to golf tournaments. Is that really good fiscal policy or responsible leadership? After attending most meetings since February, I am now less critical of the councillors themselves as they are looking for direction and leadership. Unfortunately it appears lacking in the “Two Tony Show”.
I again encourage you to come and see how our elected officials conduct the affairs of our township and attend Council and Planning committee meetings. Our township is a big business and spends millions of dollars annually. As a stakeholder, all residents should periodically attend these meetings, so they are better informed and able to choose leadership that will add value and make Springwater a better place to live.
Keep informed of local events by visiting www.springwaternews.ca/.

Report On Council Meetings

Planning Committee and Council Meetings-Sometimes better than the last episode of Corner Gas
Since I had the time recently, I felt it appropriate that I attend some of the meetings of our council since I have read so many negative remarks in your paper. For those that don’t pay attention to our municipal politics, the two key bodies of importance are the Planning Committee and the Council which are comprised of all the councilors in both forums. I have attended many over the last 5 years but they usually were a result of me doing a deputation of some kind on behalf of our local community.
Generally it appears that the two key players leading our council have forgotten that they were elected by the people who are in fact both their customers and bosses at the same time. When I hear the Mayor refer to “the jokers out there”, it appears that those are the ones that don’t see the universe as he does. They are the people that use the local media, write letters and express their concern and frustration with this council. I have a feeling that I am one of those jokers. The Mayor also made a statement that if there was a survey, 90% of the population would say the council is doing a good job. I want to meet those people.
At the March 30 Planning Committee meeting , when the letter from the Midhurst Ratepayers Association was tabled, the Deputy Mayor did a verbal attack on the content saying it was crap and then criticized the writer. The Mayor concurred with the Deputy Mayor. Jointly they suggested the council had gone beyond the call of duty during the venting process regarding the secondary plan for Midhurst. For those that have followed this development it could well turn Midhurst into a small metropolis, a far cry from the unique settlement it is today. The Mayor then expressed his concern that the message of the good work of council is not getting out there. Who’s fault is that? They hired a communication officer to sell the message. However, it is tough to sell something you don’t have. The one bright light was that Ward 2 Councilor Cowan suggested that they respond to the Ratepayers group and inform them of the steps Council had taken. That is the type of action and response a good council would undertake. Hats off to Mr. Cowan for his suggestion.
Since that meeting was mildly entertaining I contacted a few more people to enjoy the performance on April 6 at the regular Council meeting. They got their money’s worth. Everything was quite civil until they got to Staff Reports item 9 on the agenda. It was a detailed report with information and a suggested Request for Proposal for reviewing the newspaper advertising. Mr. Cowan Ward 2 Councilor simply asked how this matter got on the agenda as he had made a notice of motion the month prior that would have proposed moving the township newsletter “Springwater Link” back to the Springwater News. It was somewhat unanimous with everyone including the two senior politicians that the Barrie Advance has not served the township well in its mandate to communicate. Hmmm! Maybe that is one reason why the Mayor’s message of good will among all people is not getting out. Sorry I digressed. Mr. Cowan rightly questioned why this was on the agenda as reports from staff must be requested by Council as a whole and neither Mr. Cowan nor any of the other councilors could recall making the request. CAO Grant reported that there was direction given when they first moved to the Advance. Her recollection of the direction was that they try the Advance for a year and then review the matter. If you read the minutes you can understand why people don’t remember what happened at past meetings as most items are only recorded as “staff to proceed as directed” with no detail on what they are to proceed with. I am not sure that meets the requirements of Section 239 of the Municipal Act for records of meetings. I would like to point out that the unexpected agenda item was not a simple review supposedly requested by Council. In my estimation it was a blatant attempt to again make it difficult or at least delay the process of moving the information link back to the Springwater News. The Mayor took offence at Mr. Cowan’s question and felt that Mr. Cowan was implying that possibly the Mayor had influenced the agenda item as it appeared. He removed Mr. Cowan’s privilege on the floor, and terminated the discussion. It appears that asking challenging questions are not permitted by councilors. Now I understand why Councilors normally go along for the ride. There was further discussion on the benefits of the Springwater News, and I was pleased that Councilor Collins from Ward 3 made mention that the lack of readership of the Advance was tabled at the Anten Mills Recreation meeting only the week prior. The mayor was somewhat aggressive with her and challenged why she had not mentioned this before. Her answer was polite and succinct and she responded, “it had not been brought up before”. Another honest and forthright answer from one of our representatives.
Later Mr. Cowan was allowed to present information that he had prepared in support of the motion he had hoped to table. He provided information on the high use of Springwater News for local businesses and the virtual absence of local businesses using the Advance to promote their goods or services. The audience gave a round of applause for Mr. Cowan’s information. The Mayor took this opportunity to jokingly but sarcastically suggest that Mr. Cowan had a fan club. Further discussion and support for the Springwater News continued, but then our good Deputy Mayor went off on a tangent culminating with a statement which I will paraphrase, “Michael Jacobs is an asshole and I don’t care who hears or reports it”. The Mayor is the chair of the meeting and by the rules is obliged to immediately remove the floor from the Deputy Mayor as he did with Mr. Cowan earlier. He is then required to demand that the Deputy Mayor either immediately apologize to those present or remove him from the chamber. For whatever unknown reason, the Mayor allowed the Deputy Mayor to spew his venom with no regard to proper decorum or conduct a direct contravention of the township’s own procedural by-law’s decorum policy that was passed a year ago.
Now for a positive observation, I must commend all the councilors for their response to the new Hillsdale group that are trying to preserve the O’Neil Tavern with Council delaying final action until the next council meeting with a promise to meet with all parties involved. Everything is not all bad about this council. Councilors Anderson, Clement and Caldwell also contributed input and comments throughout the meeting regarding the matters on the agenda and were more actively engaged than I have seen for some time. It appears the true flaw in this council may be leadership.
As a further update, I attended the April 20 Council meeting. It is unfortunate that there were few in the audience as it was conducted in a much more appropriate manner. I was pleased that the Deputy Mayor at the beginning of the meeting acknowledged his lack of decorum at the April 6 meeting and apologized for his comments regarding Michael Jacobs being an asshole. I hope the Deputy Mayor takes the time to phone and apologize to Mr. Jacobs directly which would be appropriate. Possibly the Mayor should have followed the Deputy Mayor’s lead and apologized for his reference to the public as “jokers” which occurred at the same meeting. The council is taking positive steps in attempting to secure some of the infrastructure and stimulus money from the government and have identified a number of important projects over the next two years. I do want to say that this was one of the more productive meetings I have attended where each member was treated with proper respect. That doesn’t mean that they were in “lock step” as I have accused them of being in the past. Each was forthright in their position on matters before them which lead to healthy debate.
We are only a year and a half away from a municipal election. It is time to start asking your councilors and other elected officials to be accountable and inform you of what they are doing or have done to provide improved services and at the same time control the costs of our municipality.
If we as the public are not content with the way Springwater Council is conducting our business and it is our business, then participate in the process and go to the some of the planning committee or Council meetings. You will then be better prepared to re-elect your incumbent if he/she is doing a good job or elect someone else in November 2010.
In addition to the business conducted by Council which is serious and important, these meetings at times can provide some much needed entertainment and comic relief, almost as good as Corner Gas. So come out at 5:30 p.m. and join some of us other jokers. Admission is free.
Keep informed of local events by visiting www.springwaternews.ca/.

If you have comments email me at bill.french@hotmail.com