By Pepper Parr
October 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman
Ward five Councillor Paul Sharman, complains that the media were not able to act as a viable conduit through which to convey information in a reliable way but after an article that summed up his performance during his first term of office, Sharman asks that we clarify several points he has made in the past – and which we have reported upon.
He want the Gazette to address:
1: A Region Wide Flooding Study.
2: The 100% cost coverage for the short term remediation of about 100 homes in high risk flooding areas.
3: The staff direction he brought forward to waive building permit fees to flooded homes for installation of backwater valves and sump pumps.
4: The many hundreds of emails to Ward 5 home owners communicating on a one on one basis rather than through other forms of communication, because the media were not able to act as a viable conduit through which to convey information in a reliable way.
First: the staff direction I asked the Mayor bring forward to Region Council July 9th via Public Works Committee on July 2nd. I spoke to the direction at both committee and Council and in each case it was passed unanimously. Here are the details:
THAT staff be directed to undertake a Region-wide study, in consultation with Conservation uthorities and Local Building Departments, to identify causes and potential remedies with regard to historical basement flooding and that this study identify the factors that contribute to the basement flooding events and possible remedies, including capital projects on the public side as well as private side solutions and the feasibility of ordering changes on private properties to ensure separation of storm water and wastewater discharge systems.
THAT staff report back to Council summarizing the results of the study by June 2015.
Sharman was very active in his work with 40 homeowners that were flooded on May 13th in Ward 5. This culminated in a meeting of 80 home owners with Public Works Commissioner, Jim Harnum on July 31 at Appleby Ice.
All work that was done led to a clear awareness at the Region and City that clusters of Burlington homes have flooded multiple times over the last 40 years. All 40 homes flooded again on August 4th, only 3 times worse. At the August 14th special meeting of Council a memo was approved:
Be It Therefore Resolved that the Council for the Corporation of the City of Burlington respectfully requests Halton Region give immediate priority and attention to address the sanitary sewage issues of those residents who have experienced flooding and significant property loss and damage on multiple occasions including but not limited to May 13, 2014 and August 4, 2014;
At that same special Council meeting on August 14th Council passed a motion Sharman put forward to:
Direct the City Solicitor and the Director of Planning and Building to investigate the implications of establishing a program to assist homeowners with the cost of building permit fees payable under Building Permit By-law 52-2012 and; Direct the City Solicitor and Director of Planning and Building to report back to the September 8, 2014 Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting outlining details of the program for qualifying homeowners which will include the following conditions:
a) The subject property qualifies for the Ex-Gratia Sewer Back-up Flooding Grant Program offered by the Region of Halton; and
b) The subject property experienced basement flooding as a result of the extreme rainfall on August 4, 2014; and
c) The application for a building permit is received prior to December 24, 2014; and
d) The permit applied for is for the installation of an approved backwater valve and/or weeping tile disconnection from the sanitary system and the installation of a sump pump.
Neither the Region nor City staff provided names and addresses of homes/homeowners who flooded on either May 13 or August 4th for “privacy” reasons. With the help of a dozen volunteers I held 12 neighbourhood meetings, one of which you attended, which were advertised by flyers being placed in hundreds of homes mailboxes and posted on lamp posts. In addition I spoke to over 300 home owners in the three weeks immediately following August 4th on the phone.
Councillor Paul Sharman tends to be very direct. Here, in the blue shirt, he makes a point during the Strategic Plan meetings in 2011.
Most people would see all this as part of a day’s work for a city Councillor. Paul Sharman wanted us to bring it to your attention.
We do want to point out that the community meeting we did attend was one at which we were told very clearly that we were not welcome.
Media cannot do their job if they are not informed – and for the most part Councilor Sharman doesn’t inform. Today he did and we pass along his achievements.
Related articles:
Ward 5; potential and problems.
Mr. Sharman should go down as a one-term Councillor. He has been, in the main, ineffective, arrogant and entitled. I trust that his life of power and influence in the accounting world will reclaim him and give him solace (in defeat).
Mr. Sharman seems to be under the impression that the local press exists for his personal convenience and is annoyed that he had to undertake to communicate with residents after the summer flooding. As stated above, i would assume this is the job he is generously paid to do.
Using the press as a personal instrument didn’t even really work for Conrad Black and he owned the newspapers in question.
I am not a resident Iof Ward 5. Looks like a very weak resume. Just like Ward 6.