So I went to City Council last night. I arrived at 6:30 and didn’t leave until almost 10! Long night and interesting to meet the people that spend our City Dollars.
It was a feisty night with one councilor suggesting that he go outside with another.
Kudo’s to Mayor Kilger to settling the scuffle without having to send anyone to the penalty box and hey, Bernadette Clement, I get to say Kudo’s in Cornwall 😉
Only 9 people attended council; 5 of which were guests or presenters.
While invited to sit at the Media table I decided to lurk in the back with the other filmmakers in the room who got a loud round of applause as their trailer for 86400 was played. Good luck with the screenings at the Galaxy. I asked them why they didn’t play a Cornwall movie at The Port and they replied that the Port didn’t have the ability to project digitally which is sad because it doesn’t cost that much to arrange or purchase a digital projector.
The big thing I saw was the dithering on going after funding for the sportsplex. Councilor Grant, who’s on the Fund Raising commitee supports allowing naming rights to be sold and Council showed resistance to this resulting in a delay for his team. Personally anything to save the public money is a good thing for me providing that it doesn’t impact the quality of service.
I’m all for honoring past people of import, but $$$$ count too and if enough came through then by all means call it whatever the sponsor wishes.
Councilor Elaine MacDonald 
focused on the Triple Bottom Line procedure for Tenders and suggested we Google so I am, right now,
In practical terms, triple bottom line accounting means expanding the traditional reporting framework to take into account ecological and social performance in addition to financial performance.
Mayor Kilger twirled his finger to get Councilor MacDonald to sum up her speech, but the message came through except to a few of the Councilors. We should spend local where possible and where not getting Cornwalled.
Councilor Mark MacDonald got to ask City officials about the difference between an ESA and an EA. Councilor Clement thanked him at the end for raising concerns to help protect the people of Cornwall which I thought was very classy of her.
It’s striking how some of the councilors are pushing this arena so hard when Cornwall is a financially struggling area who has a very large senior population.
The CMFA was there to put in a request to have fields added to the arena but after listening to their presentation I think an investment in a Turf Field that can be used for Football, Soccer, and other sports as well as practice fields and clubhouse would be a much better investment for our community and most of that 30 Million $$ could probably be used for more support for seniors.
Personally; as a homeowner who pays way too much in taxes and now is facing water meters I think it’s way too expensive; initially; and what the costs will eventually be to maintain it.
I think more people should attend City Council meetings and watch our Democracy in action. It’s our dollars being spent Cornwall.
I was amazed going through the weekly agenda document (over two inches thick) at how much money we spend in Cornwall and where it gets spent.
Like one councilor said; “your either a part of it or you’re not”
please visit our sponsors:
When the source of the money involved (starting back in 2006) becomes known — and the background of the real players — it will make perfect $en$e why some people are pu$hing to wrap up the land and arena deal quickly.
It at first looked like a convoluted and shady deal between businesses hiding from Revenue Canada and circumventing environmental concerns… but when the money was followed, it lead in a quite different direction.
Today’s hint: Contraband