Shades Of The Past

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From: Susan Walmer [mailto:swalmer@rogers.com]
Sent: March 5, 2012 9:33 AM
To: Dawe, Geoff
Subject: Town Hall Meeting Monday March 5th at 7-9pm regarding the Aurora Tree Bylaw

Please circulate to all members of Council.

We would like to officially extend our invitation to the Mayor and all Town Councillors to the meeting hosted by the Ratepayers of Aurora Young South at  7pm, Aurora Town Hall, 100 John West Way.  

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On Tuesday, during  public forum  Susan Walmer was first up at the podium with a  request was for Council to provide staff  to a town hall meeting being organized by Councillor Ballard in the Council Chamber  on March 5th to discuss the new tree bylaw. 

The meeting  is being hosted by the  Ratepayers of Aurora Yonge South , R.A.Y.S. previously known as South West Aurora Taxpayers. S.W.A.T., A,K.A. Susan Walmer. 

 Councillor Ballard has arranged  free use of the Council Chamber
and attempted free use of town staff  also for their purpose. 

At Ballard's request, Council dealt with Walmer's  request before the end of  Tuesday's meeting.

 It was refused. 

Council directed staff to organize a town meeting in the Council chamber with all relevant staff present presided over by the Mayor 

with all of Council present and correct.

It had not been planned. 

Preparation of the new bylaw was a lengthy process with concerned  residents involved and informed  every step of the way. Council endorsed the process with no objection  or amendment proposed by Ballard.

No request for a public meeting was forwarded  by the concerned residents. 

Comments on the Bylaw will be received until April 3rd.

The Town's process is not yet complete. 

And Susan Walmer  informs  Council in a public meeting that  S.W.A.T. ,read Walmer, is hosting a meeting on the issue in our Council Chamber and  requests town staff be present,

Council members  can book the Council chamber and meeting rooms in the town hall at will, without payment of fees. 

Councillor Ballard has a  room booked for the Queen's York Rangers to meet. 

Councillor Humphryes has a  room booked for the Farmers' Market Executive to meet.

No user fees to be paid.

User fees are paid by every other organization that uses space in the town hall.

It's how we ensure fairness.  

 

Residents who have lived here for seven or eight years , may recall  how the  Council Chamber was used for meetings by former Councillor Morris.

 Discussion of  increased voltage  hydro wires took on  a life of its own, outside of a process approved by Council and $100,000 of taxpayers  resources committed.

Meetings were raucous and accusatory and barely controlled, with Morris in charge.

One resident  asked for the name and address of a hydro official so that he could be sued  when  the resident's ten year old son received a diagnosis of leukemia. 

The crowd roared with  laughter and mindless approval, as if the  winning goal had been scored in overtime. 

Subsequently Morris won the Office of Mayor  with the majority of votes from that side of town with  her commitment to ensure hydro lines would be buried.

Credence was lent the promise by use of the Council Chamber to the entire shameful episode. 

Once comfortably ensconced, Morris' promise was never raised again.

So now, we have them back at it again.

Why not. It was a winning strategy before.

Ballard on the inside. a willing party if ever I saw one and  Walmer ever present and ready to swoop in wherever there's an opportunity to  exploit  a perceived problem.