Cornwall ON – Does anyone else think that $70,000 is a bit much to spend on remodeling the City Council chambers?
It’s not like the room they use is old and decrepit, it’s in good condition and located in a modern building. What is this money being spent on? Apparently some if it will go to ‘more comfortable’ chairs. Estimated price? At least 700$ EACH.
What happened to the council that preached fiscal restraint? Where’s the council that closed public pools because the cost of maintaining or replacing them was too high? Where’s the council that said no to a compost pick-up program because the $900,000 was deemed not worth the environmental benefits? Where is the council that forces Cornwall Transit to run routes that are near impossible to traverse on schedule during peak hours or bad weather, because it’s not ‘cost-effective’ to put another bus or two on the road?
For the record I never agreed with that definition of ‘fiscal responsibility’. The high municipal taxes that we pay should be going to improving and maintaining valuable public services. NOT wasted on exorbitantly high aesthetic changes.
Hopefully enough people speak about this.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Riviere-Reid – Cornwall Ontario
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I agree totally. $70,000 to upgrade the council chambers is ridiculous, especially when the city can’t find the money to pay for or upgrade actual services. $70,000 would pay for a lot of energy efficient LED streetlights, which would actually pay for themselves in reduced electricity consumption.
$70,000 spent on helping people install low-flush toilets would reduce our water consumption, thereby saving energy both in water treatment and sewage treatment, and without the cost of buying second-hand water meters from the city of Montreal.
$70,000 spent on a rooftop solar system on city hall would provide an income.
$70,000 spent on upgrading the insulation in this new arena, along with an electric Zamboni, would significantly reduce the cost of running the place. Who knows, it might then be actually affordable?
But of course, $70,000 to upgrade the comfort of councillors’ asses is the top priority.
Well written and vrey true wher and why.
Jamie and this unaccountable council is headed by a man you seem to respect, Bob Kilger.
Give these people a break. Some of them have bad backs, and have to sit in those chairs for over two hours once every two weeks! And they have to bring their own laptops? And you expect them to stand up to speak? Slave drivers, all of you! Show some mercy.
I was sitting there Monday embarassed by this council allowing this RFP to pass and then to add insult request new 700$ ergo-chairs What happened to accountability? What happened to shopping local? Why borrow from a bank paying interest for a want not a need .Maybe if their backs were not hurting they could have sat up to hear Mark Macdonald suggest they look at other options I guess their old.speakers were broke and they couldnt hear him. Unbelievable that they pass this with only 2 months left in their term If elected I’d rather sit in my own chair and send the old chair to the Agape so the people there can see for themselves how uncomfortable those old chairs are.Try sitting in the audience chairs for 3 hours.
Sarcasmatron…I know your being tongue-in-cheek (Love the handle by the way), but I just felt the need to point out that I’m pretty sure those laptops were provided from tax-payer funds. I remember a fuss about it a few years back.
The chair thing is absolutely ridiculous and proves that we need younger people on council. What about the poor souls who have to sit in those god-awful plastic chairs for 2 hours? Or the camera people who have to STAND for two hours. You don’t hear them complaining.