By Pepper Parr
June 14th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a quickie.
But a bit different in a couple of ways
At the regular meeting of city council – that lasted 28 minutes – Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward called for six recorded votes – a record for her. The idea became popular and Councillor Craven, Councillor Sharman and the Mayor asked for recorded votes as well.
It was almost as if they didn’t want you to know who they are. Terrible picture quality.
The city of Burlington just isn’t going to move to a technology that records every vote on everything at both Council and Standing committee meetings.
The Board of Education visuals are much much better.
The Halton District School Board has put technology in place that allows the trustees to press a bottom and within seconds the vote result appears on a screen that can be seen on the web cast as well.
The close ups of Councillors are not any better. The pink jacket tells you she is Councillor Lancaster. The guy with the bling tells you which one is the Mayor.
The city is also a bit of a laggard when it comes to the quality of their web casts, Compare the visuals we have provided – the school board cameras capture the expressions on the faces of the trustees – the city cameras let us know that Councillor Lancaster is wearing a pink jacket.
The city can do better – they just don’t want to – so much for genuine public engagement.
Councillor Craven reported that the public space at the corner of Plans Road and Waterdown is now complete – it took the unfortunate and some thought illegal expropriation, of the former Murphy’s convenience store to make this happen – but that is the price of progress. Craven told council the Aldershot BIA contributed $65,000 to the creation of the small plaza
Aldershot is getting another small space for the public to sit and watch the cars go by at the intersection of Plains Road and Francis – that should be in place by September,
Commercial services at grade – we have yet to see any form of office space development – the place where all those quality jobs are going to be located. so far – it is just a place for people to live – a place that has neither a decent supermarket or an LCBO store. That isn’t living folks! The report identifies Ruth Victor & Associates as both the Applicant and the person who is representing the applicant. Ruth Victor is the planner who speaks for the ADI Group most of the time.
June 22nd – there is a public meeting on the plans for an eight storey structure at Cooke Blvd Road and Plains Road East which Councillor Craven explained as an additional step in the creation of the economic hub that is coming into being in the Aldershot community.
The existing is the convention centre – the proposed is the six storey hotel. Construction should start soon. A decent watering hole for the east end.
The report identifies Ruth Victor & Associates as both the Applicant and the person who is representing the applicant. Ruth Victor is the planner who speaks for the ADI Group most of the time.
A six storey hotel adjacent to the Burlington Convention centre was approved – in record time gushed Councillor Sharman
we are especially critical when it comes to a group (council) who spend our tax dollars making decisions on things that would be quite different if we, the tax payers had a say!!
That’s the beauty of our system – we do have a say – we voted them in. Also, we can delegate to council if there are decisions coming down the pipe.
Instead, we slacktivists sit back behind our computers and demand change.
Not so effective
it blows my mind how critical people can be – “the city can do better- they just don’t want to” – how do you know this? I can only imagine the onslaught of complaints if even a penny were spent on a new camera and “button” system.
Better hurry up with the LCBO so we can get to living! sigh.
Rascals…sooooo polite!! I have other words.
Reply to Editor’s Note
A recorded vote reveals several things, not just how individual councilors and the mayor voted.
In the case of the now infimums 6 to 1 vote it tells us the 1 has not been able to find support for an idea or the idea is simply not in the best interest of the city.
The best votes are 4 to 3, that’s an idea that draws intense discussion bringing out the interests of every part of the city.
Councilors are required to respect the decisions of council, this is a team and all are equally responsible for the outcome of those decisions.
Knowing who voted for what, only creates a divisive environment and is often used to polarize the city, worse a councilor seeing themselves above those decision’s and ignoring them.
What’s important for residents is councilors working together for the best interest of the city, that’s why they were elected.
If it’s important to know how your councilor voted on a particular idea, simply ask.
Looking at the agenda and listening to the meeting, I wonder why councilor Meed Ward would ask for all those recorded votes.
Her reasoning isn’t apparent, perhaps she just wanted to surpass her old record and set a new one.
Not to worry, I doubt her record will be challenged.
Editor’s Note:
Why should there be a record at all – just record every vote automatically – the public deserves to know what these rascals are up to.
Re: “…allows the trustees to press a bottom….” – Thanks for the laugh 🙂