By Pepper Parr
May 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Social media is one of the communication channels that gets a bad wrap.
The politicians will complain loud and publicly that social media is misused and abused and then do just that – exploit what can be done with Twitter and a Facebook account.
These boats will stay where they are until the 17th – while the city scrambles to find a way to put insurance coverage in place.
Former American president Donald Trump was an artist with the way he manipulated messages and created a following of millions until he was banned from Twitter.
Last week the city was presented with a really messy situation at the LaSalle Park Marina. Boats could not be put into the water because required insurance could not be put in place.
Burlington’s Mayor is heavily invested in the marina issue. She chose to support the installation of a needed wave break and convinced the rest of council to go along with pulling $4 million out of the Hydro Reserve Fund to pay for the wave break.
The insurance problem was something someone should have been on top of – but that is spilled milk
The boaters need a fast response which may not be something the city bureaucracy can deliver – municipal government just doesn’t work that way.
Mayor Meed Ward put out a note on social media saying:
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith needs all the help he can get in his re-election bid. The Mayor will support him – returning the favours he has done for her.
That Tweet didn’t quite square with the recommendation that was debated at Council. Someone at city hall has put out a more moderate message.
A more moderate message was posted about an hour later.
What the public doesn’t need is politicians exploiting a serious problem.
Director of Parks Recreation and Culture Chris Glenn did a good job of managing the issue during the debate.
Staff from Legal set out what the insurance problem is and what will have to be done to get insurance coverage in place.
There is a very real chance that the boaters may lose their boating season.
There are reports that some members of the LPMA have pulled out and are looking for a place to locate their boat. The problem with that is – there isn’t that much capacity in the immediate area.
There are a lot of view points out there.
let the marina sink….get Burlington OUT of any involvement with the Marina.
I don’t think Chris Glenn did a good job. He wasn’t planning to report back to council.
The City lawyer did a good job by forcing the issue and getting an update at council on 17th and at the next Environment committee. That gives the public opportunity to comment on the issue.
Opportunity that was denied by the late addition of the report to the agenda nadn the lack of recommendation in the report.
Editor/Publisher
Please would you report on what Legal identified as the problem(s) and what they identified as pitential solutions? Otherwise would you provide a link to the City website that addresses the issue.?
The live video of the committee meeting on May 5th is on the city calendar website.
The lawyer and the insurance specialist answer the questions at around the 3:00:00 mark.
I tried to pasta a link but all I get is a mess
Basically the city needs to control the operation of the marina to extend their insurance to cover it.
Thank you. I would have enjoyed the pasta LOL