Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Pyramid Scheme Aurora Style

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Eh1 What's dat you say":

Are furtive liaisons, where pitching and wooing take place, the usual way political business is done municipally?
I thought that there might be a few on this present council who wouldn't operate that way. There go my idealistic hopes again!!

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Actually ...No!... Shady dealing by shadowy individuals are not the 
usual way political business is done municipally.
There is no cover.  
Suzanne Reiner's invitation for  private individual meetings with this Councillor was refused.  I  responded immediately  such meetings were entirely inappropriate.
Apparently, they proceeded anyway. 
Up to the point, a shady meeting  with shadowy characters was held last week with the Mayor, the CAO and  Director of Parks and Recreation.
All conducted without  direction of Council.or Council  even being informed of the goings on.
Bruce Sprague,   owns  one of the properties in play.It is designated for miltiple-residential development. Has been  on the market for seven years. 
Obviously, the price is not right. 
John McIntyre, a member of the Historical Society's executive,  owns the other  property in play.  Not  publicly offered but stands to gain  by never having to take his chances with the market..
The price touted  is $1.2million apiece for the Sprague and McIntyre properties.
The Historical Society were not initially promoting the real estate deal. 
The president and an executive member initiated the process, independent of the Society.
I  inquired of the structure of the Society. It involves  membership and an annual meeting. .
The last firm membership figure was from a previous president when the Society withdrew from autonomous commitment to manage Church Street School and operate the museum.
There were fifty-nine members.
The small number was a shock.
Until I realized . It does not reflect  community interest in the town's heritage..
A figure  heard since is around a hundred members.
But that too does not tell the whole story. 
The Society  meets  in February.
An Executive Board of eight meets regularly. .
Within that is  yet another executive group.
It includes the President and   member who have aligned themselves with a real estate agent to float something which amounts to a pyramid scheme for a park on Yonge Street. 
An investment of  $2.4 million for the private properties is required. 
It's not known if a public offering of shares will be floated..
 


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