Agenda item 7.1 Mark Wunderlich and Bill Cheshire-Development at 800 Frank Street Wiarton
The agenda item title is very misleading. Mr. Wunderlich and Mr. Cheshire are not “developing” the property at all. They are selling it. Mr. Wunderlich says he is looking for some kind of town policy reassurance, but it sounds to me more like he is making demands. He seems to be demanding that council provide sewers and water. He seems to be demanding that Council remove conservation authority restrictions. He seems to be demanding that council remove zoning restrictions. Council should tell him to go through the proper processes with the proper people. Council cannot and should not give any reassurances regarding the outcome of the processes.
Agenda item 7.2 Doug Pedwell, Huron Fringe Birding Festival-Update on Festival and Events in South Bruce Peninsula
Members of council are having trouble finding enough time to focus on the real policy issues. This bird presentation seems to be very interesting, but it has nothing to do with council activities, and is a distraction, and should not even have been on the agenda.
Agenda item 8.1 FS10-2014 Wiarton Sewage Treatment Plant Expansion
This is discussed in a separate commentary 4-13. (criaggammieblog.com)
Agenda item 8.3 CLK27-2014 Potential Surplus Property /8.4 CLK28-2014 Amabel Water System Surplus Property
This may be a bad time to be selling these properties. Council should give some consideration to holding instead.
Agenda item 8.5 ADM19-2014 Policy A.6.1 Professional Conduct
This is discussed in a separate commentary 4-11 (criaggammieblog.com)
Agenda item 8.6 PAC02-2014 Zoning By-law Amendment and Official Plan Amendment, Pt Lot 23 Div S Claude W/S and S Pt Lot 23 Div S Claude W/S (Wiarton), 2373389 Ontario Limited
This is discussed in a separate commentary 4-12 (criaggammieblog.com)
Agenda item 8.8 PSB01-2014 Parachute-Safe Communities Designation Program
This is a report from the police services board. I find it very odd that the PSB, which is supposed to be completely independent of council, is writing reports to council.
That said I agree with the PSB chair Yvonne Harron. Council should look favourably on the parachute recommendation.
Agenda item 8.12 ADM23-2014 Ratification of 2014-2017 SEUI Local 2-BGPWU Collective Agreement
The staff report (non-union staff that is) says:
Wage adjustments: Since union staff are used as male comparitors in the pay equity plan, the negotiated wage increases for union staff all apply to non-union employees in order to maintain pay equity and fairness. This provision is reflected in the attached by-law.
What?? Non-union staff give themselves a raise every time union staff get a contract raise. And council allows this? Ludicrous. Who’s driving the bus? Doesn’t anyone understand that taxpayers are stretched to the limit?
Craig
Craig Gammie's Commentary 
When are we ever going to get a valid operating Council.??? or must we be content to try our best to get answers from individual Councillors without having to go to the “Press” to get a response?
I am now convinced that several Councillors do NO homework…even to the point of not even reading their weekly package. That’s probably the reason why they don’t react in any way to some issues that are tabled. This becomes very obvious when they have absolutely NOTHING to say during sessions. It becomes more obvious when asking an individual Councillor about the Sauble Parking Issue and she becomes irate because of my questions. Then I realized why, when I personally checked the figures and learned that she didn’t even know what she was talking about. So I can only draw one conclusion…..either she didn’t do her homework or the staff didn’t give HER enough information. In another disappointing instance…I have tried for more than a year to meet (at his convenience) with a Councillor who refuses to answer my phone calls and after ignoring several E-Mails insisted on receiving “an Agenda” from me. I have given up on him…because if he needs an”Agenda” then it means that he doesn’t EVER do his Council homework. If he decides to run again….I will make a point of dialoguing with him in Public at the first Public Debate.
Once again, we must raise the question here…..since Council doesn’t seem to have control over the “Staff” and so many issues are handled to the detriment of the Taxpayer….is this an indication that the “Inmates are running the Asylum”???
G.M. MacDonald
Wiarton ON
Did you read Sun Tims Today Re: Wiarton – Keppel airport ? Hear it is !
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2014/04/19/wiarton-keppel-airport-costs-getting-clearer
Actual bids were received from three contractors each bidding on two slightly different options. Bids for option 1, which was a 6000 foot by 150 foot runway, ranged from $2,136,408.40 to $2,505,476.39.
Bids for option 2, which was a 5000 foot by 150 foot runway, ranged from $1,816,883.44 to 2,164,563.66. None of the bids included runway lighting upgrades.
Lighting upgrade costs are unknown. So we don’t know the total project cost.
Sun Times Feb,20,2014 ” Burley said it is still not known how much that work will cost, though past figures for repair work have ranged anywhere from $2 million to $6 million.”
Now he’s saying that $4 to $6 million was his guestimate.
I think all these different numbers are just an attempt to confuse the two councils and to deceive the two councils into believing that they are getting a good deal. But it is a deception because we know that costs are not going to be lower than the range of earlier estimates, and we also know that even if the bids were actually lower than originally expected, (which they are not), that would not make the proposal a smart move.
It must be decided on what’s best for the taxpayers.
Let’s see the full costs and a credible business plan before any decisions are made.
Ana Vukovic