| The Crystal Beach STRAND page five |
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| Graffiti like this will have to be removed by the owner. No grace period, according to new Property Maintenance By-Law. It's when the by-law officer says it should be done. This graffiti? It's on the old Lobster House at Bay Beach. The owner? The Town of Fort Erie. (See More Pictures) |
| THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO COUNCIL |
| A number of issues were discussed and voted on at Monday night's Regular Council Meeting held at Town Hall. The first act brought no surprises or revelations. Despite delegations by Richard Berry and John Papdakis who both spoke about the proposed new Property Maintenance By-Law, it passed as written. Both had agreed that a stronger by-law is needed, but they shared deep concerns about the interpretation and enforcement of the by-law and how it can be used against political or personal enemies. A hospital update brought no new information as a frustrated Sue Salter asked the mayor point blank what can be done to "stop this madness." The mayor had no real words of encouragement, but quickly joined the fray in bashing local Liberal members of Provincial Parliament charging that MPP "Jim Bradley hardly knows where Fort Erie is" except when he passes through on his way to a Sabres game in Buffalo. There seems to be a concerted effort to blame MPP Kim Craitor (whose seat is being eyed by Ward 1 Councillor Sandy Annunziata) for the recommended downgrading of Douglas Memorial Hospital. (Of course, the issue is much too complex to be quickly explained away as the fault of local MPPs. The problem started years ago when the Harris (Conservative) Government stripped the budgets of hospital systems in the province.) Another issue was discussed regarding a new traffic by-law that would prohibit parking on Bertie Street. Former mayor John Teal, representing the owner of Bertie Convenience, argued that the new by-law would adversely effect the business whose customers routinely park in front of or across the street from the busy store. That by-law was tabled. The main event was an expected tag team attack on Ann Marie Noyes whose motion was: Re: Openness and transparency of the EDTC Reference: Resolution to be presented. Whereas the Town of Fort Erie has an open and transparent policy, and Whereas the EDTC is funded by the taxpayers of Fort Erie and their budget is approved by Council, and Whereas in keeping with Council's open and transparent policy, it is desirable to request certain information shall be requested from the EDTC. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Municipal Council of the Town of Fort Erie that in the interests of accountability, the EDTC be respectfully requested to describe/clarify to staff hiring, consultant hiring, purchasing and procurement, how one becomes a board member (not including council appointees,) conflict of interest and how one becomes a general member. At first blush, it would seem to be fairly straightforward, considering that the EDTC operates off-site from Town Hall and has little accountability to Council, yet it is funded by taxpayer money. Ward 4 Councillor Tim Whitfield, well on his way to becoming a one-term wonder, despite only two years on council, came forth as the anointed Devil's Advocate. Whitfield was allowed to read a prepared "statement" that must have been cooked up in Lucifer's Kitchen, despite Ann Marie's multiple Point of Orders and Point of Privilege. His diatribe was wildly inappropriate and rude; the mayor did chide him to refrain from making personal comments before advising him, "Go on." And on and on he went, calling Ann Marie a liar; bringing up recent motions by Ann Marie that cost the taxpayers a lot of money; and the coup de grace: demanding that Noyes resign from council. And then Sandy Annunziata piled on. The former footballer scored a "late hit" after Whitfield had already verbally abused Councillor Noyes. The few who were in the audience were shocked at the venom spewed by Whitfield and then Annunziata. Then the mayor chimed in to complete the trifecta of abuse, calling the motion "nonsense." "We hire corporations all the time and don't ask them questions about how they are run," he concluded. The words "frivolous" and "vexatious" were bandied about, reminiscent of the words the town-hired lawyer used with regard to a recent OMB appeal when the town and the region tried unsuccessfully to make two town residents pay legal costs for mounting an appeal to the OMB. They must all be using the same thesaurus, perhaps the one that was famously referred to by a speaker at a council meeting a few years ago. It remains still one of the greatest one-liners in council history. Once this outrage is seen by Cogeco viewers on Wednesday, it will become abundantly clear what is happening. It has been rumoured that Ann Marie is considering a run for mayor in 2010. To certain members of council, she poses a threat, so the campaign is on to discredit her early and often. This sorry example of how Whitfield et al made it "personal" will come back to haunt them in two years. (Here's hoping that the Conservative Party is made aware that their Golden Boy is heavily tarnished by his bad attitude.) |