By Pepper Parr
July 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A source that does have a vested interest in the outcome of the municipal election in October advised us yesterday that he can confirm Frank McKeown, the recently retired executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation, has taken on the task of being chief strategist for current Mayor Rick Golding who is seeking a third term.
Frank McKeown.
McKeown was once the Chief of Staff during the first two years of Goldring’s first term, 2010 to 2014 and is believed to have been the person who wrote the several position papers that Goldring issued during the 2010 election. They were good papers and set out issues the Mayor was able to deliver on.
The creation of Tech Place was a Goldring initiative in the 2010 election. After leaving the Mayor’s office McKeown was appointed the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation where he did the grunt work that got Tech Place on the map.
His initial objective was to work with the McMaster De Groote School of Business and create a partnership with the German Fraunhofer Group and establish a Centre at De Groote; that didn’t work out. The German group partnered with the Innovation Centre in Hamilton.
TechPlace, where the tech community connects, develops and grows, has worked out. There are now a reported seven “clients” working out of the offices on the North Service Road in the east end of the city.
Goldring’s re-election campaign is being managed by David Vandenburg. At one point there was the hint that Martin van Zon of Burlington based Interkom Smart Marketing would be playing a large role in the campaign. That idea didn’t go very far.
Mayor Rick Goldring at his campaign kick off.
The chatter amongst those that follow the election is that Golding is not holding his own and that Mike Wallace, with very little in the way of public comment on significant development matters, is doing better than many expected.
There is nothing to substantiate that view but bringing McKeown on at this point in the campaign suggests that a Goldring feels he needs some bench strength.
McKeown has never been a fan of the approach ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward takes to development in the downtown core.
On the occasions when McKeown has delegated at city council his body language and the responses he gives Meed Ward to many of her questions speaks volumes. There has never been a good working relationship between those two.
There was a point in 2013 when McKeown was giving serious thought to a run at the Mayor’s job. His decision not to enter the political arena at the time was that he felt the morale at city hall was toxic.
Frank McKeown explains a concept to Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. McKeown was described as the 7th council member during the 2011Strategic Plan sessions.
McKeown is a team player; quiet, soft spoken with the capacity to deliver. McKeown doesn’t have to work another day of his life. He is in that fortunate position of being able to decide what he wants to do and nothing is Ok with him rather than taking on a useless task.
His relationship with Goldring is not all that clear. You can bet that McKeown didn’t volunteer to serve as the lead strategist – my guess is that he got a phone call and rather than see either Meed Ward or Wallace be elected as Mayor he joined Goldring’s team.
McKeown is direct, he thinks things through and when he has questions or concerns he gets out of the office and looks into situations himself. He has few pretensions; he’s the kind of guy who can be in a room and you never know he is there.
Ward 2 city Councillor Mary Anne Meed Ward is a candidate for the Office of Mayor in the October election
Both Meed Ward and Wallace will know that there is now some weight on the Goldring bench; the concerns all three candidates have with the performances coming out of the Planning department will be high on the campaign strategy agenda for Goldring.
Will having McKeown be enough to shore up the Golding position? There is more than enough time to fix whatever flaws there might be in the Goldring team.
Mike Wallace in full campaign mode.
Wallace has much more bench strength than many realize.
Meed Ward desperately needs some bench strength on the realities of real estate development.
The city now has a public that is unhappy, somewhat confused and determined to do as much as they can to bring about a change.
Frank McKeown attempts to fix the clock in Council Chambers. He is a detail type – get it right and keep it on time.
McKeown is the kind of strategist who not only knows that you get in front of the parade and lead; he can be expected to come up with ideas and directions to slow down the pace of the parade and get the band to play a different tune.
Goldring opens his campaign office early in August – he announced it will be in the Plaza on Guelph Line at New Street – next to the Tim Hortons shop. They got that part right.
There is more than enough time to fix whatever flaws there might be in the Goldring team.
Wallace has much more bench strength than many realize.
Meed Ward desperately needs some bench strength on the realities of real estate development.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the view, musings and observations of the Gazette publisher.
If Mike Wallace gets elected, will he bring Stephen Harper with him? Everything Mike said or wrote as an MP was a Harper echo. Does he have any original thoughts to bring to council? Remember the last conservative retread Cam Jackson and think before you vote.
Mike Wallace equates Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Where anyone thinks he is a contender ,is rather sad and funny
Mr. White,
Your comment about the slow learning group is inappropriate. It’s 2018.
Not sure what this means “Meed Ward desperately needs some bench strength on the realities of real estate development.” but if it means:
That people ( Burlingtonians) don’t like her …. that is incorrect.
That people don’t respect her …. that is incorrect.
That people don’t respect her …. that is incorrect.
That people think she is a follower like the mayors of the past …that is incorrect.
That she is interested only in herself … like a previous councillor who is running …that is incorrect.
That she doesn’t listen to people …. that is incorrect.
That she has no vision ….. that is incorrect.
That she has no policy directions….. that to is incorrect.
Actually, the only thing that really is incorrect is if we don’t vote her in as Mayor.
Not only incorrect but a real pity for those who love Burlington as much as she does.
I fear that to the general public Mike Wallace and Marion Meed Ward all just sound like different variations of the same Goldring line. “While ‘this’ building is too high or offensive people in Burlington generally approve of intensification.”
As Steve points out unless opponents come up with actual an policy to the inappropriate scope, magnitude and impact of current plans – then it’s all for not.
Opposition candidates have got to start saying what they “will do” or the incumbents will eat them alive.
Well said Stephen White –
This time around we need a mayor who is more than a pleasant fellow. We need a mayor who will exercise control and lead the citizens where the citizens of Burlington want to go and not obediently follow the developers who obviously have 5 of the current city councilors under their control … perhaps through political donations and threats of lawsuits against citizens who protest too effectively.
We also need 6 new city councilors who will listen to the citizens of Burlington. And while we are at it 3 of the 4 Halton District School Board Trustees who voted to close two Burlington high schools should be voted out of office, namely Trustees; Andrea Grebenc, Leah Reynolds and Richelle Papin.
Lets look forward to improvements after the municipal elections on Oct. 22, 2018.
Data as of Oct 2017
Population Capacity %
Aldershot 464 558 83.15%
Central 605 870 69.54%
Hayden 1620 1194 135.68%
Pearson 374 642 58.26%
MM 691 1347 51.30%
Nelson 1050 1341 78.30%
Bateman 758 1323 57.29%
I’ll preface this by saying I have no idea as to how decisions were made as to which schools were closed and I’m just trying to be objective as I don’t have a horse in the “school closing” race so I like to look at data.
That said, I’m guessing anything below 60% occupancy can’t be a good thing. MM and Pearson are 2 kms away so students from one could go to the other, do that and MM is at 79% occupancy.
If schools don’t have a reasonable capacity, I don’t know what the position is for keeping it open. So kids go to a school with “some” programs, fewer athletic team opportunities, etc. If demographics have shifted, what is wrong with taking a rational view as to whether a school being open makes sense?
Maybe the land could be used better for a community center or affordable housing, or any other idea for options.
This election Burlington residents are looking for more than a “charm offensive” and cute marketing offensives packaged up in one line sloganeering. They are actually looking for some meaningful policy directions, ideas, leadership, and most of all, answers to problems.
This is the most salient line in the article:
“The city now has a public that is unhappy, somewhat confused and determined to do as much as they can to bring about a change.”
So take heed Mr. McKeown. Please spare us this tiresome dirge the Mayor keeps spouting about how we all need to accept intensification, the province has mandated it, we need to “Grow Bold”, blah blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard it all before. We get it. We weren’t in the slow learning group in school. It isn’t a question of intensification versus no intensification. It is an issue around scope, magnitude, and impact. That’s an important distinction, and if your client can’t figure that out then he should take a remedial course in how to communicate and engage the public because right now he’s failing the practicum.
Repeating the same mantra doesn’t make it more plausible, it doesn’t make it more convincing, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t make it right.