Author Archives: theburgwatch

About theburgwatch

Amherstburg's first local blogger since 2011, writing about town council and issues.

Incomplete Committee Minutes Contrary to Accountability and Transparency

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This original post is protected by copyright owner, Linda Saxon, the burg watch, and is not to be reproduced without permission.

Blank portions of Committee Minutes approved by council include:

AMHERSTBURG ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: May 20, 2021, June 17, 2021, August 19, 2021, October 21, 2021

AMHERSTBURG ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: June 9, 2021, September 21, 2021

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: October 7, 2021

HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING: May 13, 2020, June 24, 2021, August 12, 2021, September 2, 2021

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY PROGRAM ADVISORY STEERING COMMITTEE: May 27, 2021, June 23, 2021, July 28, 2021, September 22, 2021, October 27, 2021

PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE: May 12, 2021, August 18, 2021, September 8, 2021

SENIORS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES: May 11, 2021, August 10, 2021

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY POLICY Approved November 25, 2019:

Accountability, transparency and openness are standards of good municipal governance that enhance public trust and confidence. Through these measures, the Town will ensure, to the best of its ability, that all activities and services are delivered using a process that is open, accessible and responsible to its stakeholders. In addition, wherever possible, the Town will engage its stakeholders throughout its transparent decision making process.

Committee MINUTES 2021 are posted at an external site.

A Third Perspective – TVO Episode

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This original post is protected by copyright owner, Linda Saxon, the burg watch, and is not to be reproduced without permission.

My opinion in response to the TVO episode featuring Richard Peddie and Lauri Brouyette, introduced as CO-CHAIRS of Thrive Amherstburg, is a third perspective.

It wasn’t clear if they were representing the group or speaking as independent investors. In response to Ashleigh Weeden’s comments, Ms. Brouyette said ‘We actually did bring in the community with us. We formed a group that we call Thrive and it looks at housing, it looks at healthy living, and everything that we want to be able to offer our community as a large group as a whole. Not just Richard and I. That’s not even close.’

An individual annual membership to join Thrive is $50.00. The THRIVE Board of Directors selected 9 placemaking initiatives and submitted White Papers to town council, one of which was Open Air Amherstburg, a contentious event that creates barriers to persons with disabilities when hair salons, banks, or the post office can’t be accessed due to street closures and almost 50% of the downtown businesses objected to.

I agree with Ms. Weeden: who gets to have a say is really important. Despite the input from persons with disabilities regarding the lack of on-street parking and public consultation of it, and the pleas of some retail establishments, Amherstburg town council will go ahead with Open Air again in 2022.

Richard Peddie’s and Lauri Brouyette’s Restorations On TVO

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Richard Peddie and Lauri Brouyette, introduced as CO-CHAIRS of Thrive Amherstburg, appeared on the Restoring Rural Ontario TVO episode that aired December 8, 2021.

After Peddie and Brouyette promoted their restoration projects and shared the architectural history, Ashley Weeden, a PhD candidate in Rural Studies at the University of Guelph joined the panel, “I simply don’t believe in benevolent capitalists. It just doesn’t exist.” She shared her observations on outside wealth, colonialism and the focus on tourism and its largely cyclical benefits.

Peddie seemed peeved and countered her criticism with, “First of all, we’re not trying to look European” and “We’re also helping the town council think about what this town should do and reach out to be a better place to live for everyone.”

Brouyette’s answer, in part, was, “We formed a group that we call Thrive and it looks at housing, it looks at healthy living, and everything we want to be able to offer our community as a large group as a whole, not just Richard and I; that’s not even close.”

Related: Peddie cash: What happens when a philanthropist tries to build ‘the best small town in Ontario’

Reality To Counter Accolades – Open Air

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I would like to counter all the accolades with a dose of reality.

Shame on Anne Rota for recommending a report for adoption that omits compliance with provincial legislation.

Rota’s Report referenced under-utilized parking for employees but plans to continue offering those spots. However, the alleged under-utilized accessible parking in the King’s Navy Yard Park lot will be reduced. The rationale for this differentiation was unclear, until the council meeting when Ms. Rota stated this reduction would allow for a turn around to be created instead. Further, the plan is to add three accessible parking spaces in three locations at the outside perimeter.

Shame on council for approving a plan that fails to meet its obligation to consult with the public.

Mayor DiCarlo advised, in April 2021, the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee was not consulted with respect to Open Air Weekends and only one person with a disability was consulted in the design of the footprint.

It is mandatory, pursuant to O. Reg. 191/11: Integrated Accessibility Standards for the town to consult on the need, location and design of accessible on-street parking spaces and shall do so with the public and persons with disabilities as well as its Accessibility Advisory Committee.

My submission to members of council, prior to the council meeting, wherein I asked if the town would discriminate against persons with disabilities, quoted the provincial legislation regarding public consultation, and objected to the arbitrary placement of accessible parking spaces, especially in a distant perimeter, and accessible spaces that cannot be accessed due to road closures, was ignored.

Given council’s duty to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality, I must question the $90,000. taxpayer funded expenditure that creates barriers to persons with disabilities.

Commentary by Linda Saxon as published in the River Town Times December 1, 2021

Windsor Police Reject Freedom of Information Request

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The Office of the Chief of Police Windsor has rejected a Municipal Freedom of Information Request for general records related to policing costs and service for the Town of Amherstburg.

There was no letter, just a Notice of Application Fee that highlighted, “Attach a copy of two pieces of identification.” The cheque with the appropriate fee was returned.

All the requirements of the provincial legislation were met:

Access Procedure Request

(1) A person seeking access to a record shall,

(a) make a request in writing to the institution that the person believes has custody or control of the record, and specify that the request is being made under this Act;

(b) provide sufficient detail to enable an experienced employee of the institution, upon a reasonable effort, to identify the record; and

(c) at the time of making the request, pay the fee prescribed by the regulations for that purpose.  1996, c. 1, Sched. K, s. 14; 2017, c. 2, Sched. 12, s. 6 (1).

An Appeal will be filed since provincial legislation allows institutions to request verification of identification for requests for personal information.

Decorum, Please!

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The Town of Amherstburg Code of Conduct states, in part:

Every Member shall conduct themselves with decorum and respect at council, committee, local board and other meetings, and in accordance with the provisions of the Procedural By-law, this policy, and other applicable laws.

My personal observations of a meeting of council and the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee follow.

Members:

do not always go through the Chair.

talk over each other.

grandstand.

belabour the point.

go off-topic.

share irrelevant personal anecdotes.

use acronyms.

do not appear prepared.

Staff:

monopolize the discussion.

interject their opinions to lead the discussion.

belabour the point

General:

The committee’s agenda was posted the day before the meeting.

There was no link to the live feed of the committee meeting.

Off camera speakers do not identify themselves for home viewers.

Minutes do not accurately reflect content of meetings. (read the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee post.)

Year – old Report Recently Surfaced

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Anne Jarvis, the Windsor Star, reports, in Deferred development charges for a town employee, a missing report and now a possible audit, Two agreements described as “distasteful” between the Town of Amherstburg and a company owned by the town’s former chief administrative officer, John Miceli, and his wife to defer $84,000 in development charges have angered some councillors and the public.

The agreements were discussed at the Nov. 8 council meeting, along with a $14,500 consultant’s report, on a key, much-debated town property that only recently surfaced more than a year after it was completed and paid for.