CORNWALL Ontario – Holy Gilles Latour surprise surprise, Trillium Distribution Cornwall Inc. filed an appeal of Cornwall’s hastily put together by law.
They of course waited until the very last day thus dragging things down and I gather hoping that the waters, or chemicals, would cool?
This will lead to further costs to taxpayers which should bring the focus back to City Hall.
Chiefly the big question that Mayor Kilger and CAO Norm Levac are refusing to answer.
What exactly happened at Economic Development? We’ve established that Trillium communicated with ED in February and Spring 2013. Why on earth was this not in their monthly report to Council or communicated to council? Or was it and omitted?
Did the Mayor & Mr. Levac share it with a few councilors like Waterfront Committee member Glen Grant or former member Denis Thibault who resigned from the committee about the time that the lease was communicated to ED.
And of course that leads to why Mayor Kilger state he knew nothing about the tanks prior yet his first comments were that they wouldn’t stick out of the ground much?
CFN proved that the Mayor was lying as he discussed the tanks at a November 21st Waterfront Committee meeting.
We also know that if the public was aware before construction that steps could have been taken then to block the tanks that at the end of the day would not cost taxpayers at any level as much money.
During this last month things have gone silent. Chuck Charlebois who somehow was anointed leader of the No Tanks rally did no real follow up and now is issuing notices about all sorts of political issues.
Bottom line. The people of Cornwall have clearly stated they don’t want these tanks and so far there has been very limited resistance from our elected officials. If TDC Inc’s appeal is successful what then?
Is it time for another rally? Or is it simply time for council to force Mayor Kilger, Mr. Levac, and Economic Development to answer the basic questions and be held accountable; especially if we’re stuck with these tanks and the disaster that will hit our roads, infrastructure, and development?
Press release from the City:
City of Cornwall receives appeal to Interim Control Bylaw
The City of Cornwall has received an appeal of the Interim Control Bylaw that City Council adopted to prevent the construction of tanks on lands in the harbour area in Cornwall.
The appeal has been lodged by Trillium Distribution Cornwall Inc. and it was received on Friday, February 7th, the last day for appeals to the bylaw.
“Appeals of this nature are heard by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and the City will be forwarding the matter to the OMB,” said Stephen Alexander, General Manager, Planning, Parks and Recreation. “Typically it takes several months for a hearing date to be set for such matters.”
“It is unfortunate that we have an appeal against City Council’s decisive action in passing the Interim Control Bylaw,” said Mayor Bob Kilger. “However, we will defend Council’s action and basis for passing the bylaw.”
The Interim Control Bylaw prevents the use of the land for any use other than open space and is in effect for a period of one year, with a possible one year extension. It is intended to give Council and City staff an opportunity to study and subsequently consider adopting different zoning strategies for the area. The bylaw will remain in effect pending the outcome of the appeal before the OMB.
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While considering the Trillium Tanks Affair I also wondered about the current budget deliberations, and how Administration was covering up the fact that they had counted on increased taxes (or payments in lieu of) in expectation of the commercial storage and transfer operation that the City thought would be built at the Cornwall Harbour (by Pollard Highway Products aka Trillium Distribution).
And while looking over current and past budgets I realize that not only are the Waterfront Development, and Waterfront Land Development committees a total waste of skin, air and space (as evidenced by allowing our waterfront to be industrially uglified), but they are just two of the many committees, boards and breakfast clubbers that wolfed down about $500,000 dollars in foodstuffs, and another $100,000 dollars in food provisions in 2012 (the 2013 bill’s not in yet). Forget going to AGAPE for lunch, City Hall’s the place to chow down.
Checkout the list of committees that; tie up good people; misdirect good work; and otherwise serve as fraudulent public input and involvement… http://www.cornwall.ca/en/cao/CouncilBoardsandCommittees.asp
Just count the committees, look at the members, look at who chooses them… What a pitiful sham, and waste of money and trust.
Cheers Simon. Well said and an interesting read. Remember though; people in Cornwall do not take kindly to messengers….
This appeal and subsequent appeals up the judicial ladder could go on for years.
These chem tanks just didn’t appear out of nowhere without Bare Ass and his gang of thugs not knowing what was really going on. The government never does anything on the spur of the moment and you can guarantee that this was well planned in advance. Bare Ass and his gang of thugs do not want the public to know what is going on. When something is done in secrecy you know fully well that something is very wrong.