‘Shameful Politicking’
The July 2nd, 2014 Centre Wellington Council meeting set the stage for a shameful performance by our Town Leaders in using a tactic normally reserved to end lengthy debate. Instead Councillor Mary Lloyd decided to use it to stop debate before it even occurred. It was obviously choreographed. The only Study that may have been done by our Mayor and Council is for them to have studied their Procedural By-laws to find this rarely used tactic. I assure you, I was at the Council meeting, it was swift and without mercy leaving Councillor Kelly Linton and a small group of Downtown business and buildings owners stunned at the Council and Mayor’s callous actions.
Councillor Lloyd was later quoted in the Wellington Advertiser as stating, “an impact study had already been conducted prior to the start of the renovations and she felt it was not necessary to do again.” I challenge Councillor Lloyd to produce such a study or at least explain why its existence has never been mentioned before?
Mayor Ross-Ruj was quoted as saying, “a committee meets weekly with businesses to hear complaints and appraise them about how work is progressing.” Surely the businesses of Downtown Fergus would be aware of such a Committee? I challenge the Mayor to produce the minutes of these “weekly” Committee meetings with businesses.
The fact of the matter is that over 100 Downtown Fergus Business and Building owners signed a petition against the size (15,000 sq.ft), cost ($6 million) and location (Downtown Fergus) of such a confounding project. Not one of them opposed the renovation or modest expansion of the beloved Carnegie Library to meet accessibility guidelines.
Over 80% of 399 respondents to an on-line survey conducted by Councillor Kelly Linton were NOT in favour of this project.
Members of the Library Board were bewildered by the decision to proceed after voting to keep the Aboyne Branch open. They commented they thought Aboyne’s closure was due to Fergus’s expansion? One, now former, Library Board Member and retired Librarian spoke as a delegate opposed to the size, cost and necessity of such an undertaking. One can only presume that Chief Librarian Murray McCabe will re-attempt to justify the closure of Aboyne after the County’s ‘Crown Jewel’ is complete later this year.
So much credible opposition and yet our Mayor and a few Councillors pushed on. Never mind our pothole riddled roads, our closed bridges, St David St Bridge repairs. Council approved $750,000 of our Township’s taxpayer’s dollars to beef up the infrastructure under the proposed Library Expansion, before the County’s Budget and Design were even approved, so that the County could spend $6 million of our County’s taxpayer’s dollars on this monstrous appendix.
Why has it taken a Councillor from another Ward to be more sympathetic to the Downtown Fergus businesses than its own Ward 3 Councillor Mary Lloyd? What does the Mayor and Councillors who refuse to have healthy debate have to fear?
Maybe it’s having to acknowledge that tripling the size of the Library in Downtown Fergus only to increase the number of pieces in it from 47,000 to 50,000, adding a 50 person meeting room to the third floor, while consuming more 50% of the parking spaces (68 down to 28 at last count), while the Libraries on-line services are being utilized more and more these days, wasn’t such a good idea after all.
It’s funny how the County’s own Library Board results show the Temporary Fergus Library location is functioning just fine in an even smaller location. Perhaps it’s partly due to the large Privately sign-posted Parking Lot its buildings owners are so fortunate to have in our downtown core?
Most likely it is due to the fact that the County’s ‘Crown Jewel’ was not actually necessary.
In answer to Kelly Linton’s comment in the Wellington Advertiser, “No, this is not the kind of leadership our town needs”.
To mirror Daniel Bratton’s comments in his Letter to the Editor, “Yes, Our Mayor (and certain Councillors) should take responsibility for their top-down approach and start listening to their constituents”.
What’s the best way to do this? Go to the meetings, get involved, register as a delegate and more importantly hold our leaders accountable during the October 27, 2014 Municipal Election.
Steve Lund
Downtown Business Owner
Steve Lund