The full picture shows all three members of council:
#Amherstburg Council Members Out And About
Category Archives: Accountability
Then-Candidates Prue And McArthur On Open Air At Chamber Candidates’ Nights
Then-candidate Prue mentioned his hope that some of those businesses will contribute; then-candidate McArthur mentioned conditions that are going to allow a hotel to open and flourish in downtown Amherstburg. Excerpts of their speeches are below, as well as links to the Chamber of Commerce videos.
Question from the moderator to the mayoral candidates: What are your views on partnering our tourism department with other municipalities to lower costs?
Michael Prue:
I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but…We need to have a real hard look at that and see whether or not it should continue. If it continues I would hope that some of those businesses will contribute because it should not all fall on the taxpayers. If they are making money off this and they want to have it keep going then they have to shoulder some of that responsibility. But I do think that Open Air is a good thing, and I had a really good suggestion from someone the other day we put up barricades, but there are stores on both sides of the barricades that are not getting business. We should put up big posters at the end to say it doesn’t end here at the barricade. There are stores in this direction in this direction and this direction to make sure everybody has an opportunity to benefit.
Chamber of Commerce YouTube video: Prue’s comments at 2:25:58
Question from the moderator to the councillor candidates: What are your views on the future of Open Air?
Donald McArthur:
My views on this are pretty well known. I love open air weekends. I’ve been a proponent from the start.
If we send a message as council that we believe in the transformative potential of Open Air weekends those are the conditions that are going to allow a hotel to open and flourish in downtown Amherstburg. If there are issues with accessibility, we need to ensure that we have accessible parking spaces on the edge, but we need to invest in open air it needs to continue because it’s fantastic for residents and for our tourists.
Chamber of Commerce YouTube video: McArthur’s comments at 33:58
Three Councillors Campaigned To Remove Barriers During Open Air
The burg watch Open Air posts’ viewing statistics have increased, particularly then-candidates’ opinions, which is worth repeating.
Will you remove barriers during Open Air weekends that block people with disabilities from driving to the bank, local stores, bars, and generally driving through town?
- Councillor Peter Courtney: Of course I would!
- Councillor Diane Pouget: Yes, I am definitely in favor of removing barriers for people with disabilities during Open Air. The fact that 51% of the businesses in the downtown core want the closure of streets for 3 days on weekends and 4 days on long weekends from May to September is unreasonable and unfair. This is especially true, since 49% claim that Open Air hurts their business, especially their clients with disability issues. Further to that, the taxpayers are footing the bill to hurt our most vulnerable residents. It was disappointing to learn that only one person with a disability was consulted. This is unfair and must be revisited.
- Councillor Linden Crain: Yes. It is important that all members of the community can experience Open Air. If there are particular barriers in place, I am more than willing to investigate further and help find a solution.
Councillor Donald McArthur: If there are persisting issues with accessibility, let’s work collaboratively to address them in consultation with the Town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee. Let’s not give up on something that engages our youth while promoting economic development, something that sets our Town apart in a positive way and creates the sort of bustling environment where a hotel cannot only open but flourish.
Councillor Molly Allaire: I love Open Air Weekends, my family partakes every weekend for sure. I will be honest after going door to door my eyes have been opened up to a great deal of problems in our town that I was unaware of. Open air has many positives and negatives. I think the blockades that they created this year allow better parking for the majority. We could make it more accessible for people with disabilities by blocking off the waterfront parking area specifically for them allowing closer access to amenities. I also believe that open air is wonderful but should only be one day instead of 3. Many residents say that it is more of a nuisance trying to get to their bank, business, home etc. Business owners have stated that their business has actually done worse during these hours because lack of access to the area. I think having it one day would be a fair compromise and make it still an event for people to come and enjoy.
No Answers:
Mayor Michael Prue
Deputy Mayor Gibb
February 27 Council Meeting – What’s On The Agenda?
No public consultations were scheduled from the December 5 motion to extend the policing contract deadline to March 31, but action has been taken on another December 5, motion, an RFP for a consultant for the Community Based Strategic Plan was issued, eleven proposals were received, reviewed and now administration is recommending Strategy Corp. Inc. for a proposed $62,625.
There Are No Barriers In Open Air – Anne Rota
During the February 22 2023 budget deliberations, Anne Rota stated there are no barriers in open air and we’ve never had one complaint. I emailed to ask if she was referring to the tourism department, the town, or both.
2023 Open Air – A Done Deal?
The 2023 Amherstburg Collection Calendar (recycling, garbage & yard waste) indicates ‘Open Air Weekends – Downtown Streets May – October.’
I’ve added a red arrow to May and August in the bottom right corner to the notation about Open Air.
The town’s tourism department actively promotes events on social media after decisions are made, so is it really necessary to advertise a tourist event in the waste calendar prior to a decision on the event?
Councillor McArthur’s Open Air Comments Appalling
I was appalled by Councillor McArthur’s comments during the February 22 Open Air discussion.
I missed part of the meeting because the agenda and link to livestream were not posted on the town’s website but I did check in and found council was discussing the tourism budget.
McArthur’s speech lasted about 5 minutes; Open Air, programming, hotel, the February 21 delegates/ businesses wanting to give the town $20,000, the reception given to them and he was shocked.
How did anyone act like they were urinating on the rug? Listen to the audio. Weren’t members of council just asking the delegates questions?
During the February 21 meeting, Councillor McArthur said everybody he talked to loves Open Air the way it is. He also said he didn’t think that now was the time for speeches on Open Air, that there was no motion on the floor when Councillor Pouget spoke about it.
I emailed him questions: did he not give a speech about the bike trails when there was no motion on the floor? Did he not recall emails I sent to members of council in opposition because it creates barriers to persons with disabilities? Did he only consider the views of people he ‘talked to’ and not consider emails? As council’s rep on the accessibility advisory committee, how will he represent the interests of the disability community?
Councillor McArthur did not respond by the time of writing.
Council Should Honour OPP Costing Motions For Cost Savings
The two #Amherstburg Council motions pertaining to OPP costing that were never rescinded and stand then-Mayor DiCarlo advised, and council’s February 8, 2023 discussion of Policing, compelled me to write my letter to the editor, River Town Times.
December 2014 motion:
“Administration BE DIRECTED to contact the OPP to obtain police costing for our municipality and
Administration BE DIRECTED to send correspondence to the surrounding municipalities to see if there is interest in shared police services.
January 19, 2017 motion:
Develop an RFP for costing for Windsor and LaSalle to respond to
Explore and analyze possibility of amalgamation with LaSalle and/or Windsor
Work with the OPP on the OPP costing
Report back to Council with the Joint Police AdvisoryCommittee findings and recommendations.
Maybe no delegates were at the meeting because it was not widely advertised, notification emails weren’t received, and it was held at 5 pm on a Wednesday.
I requested council to honour the December 5, 2022 motion to extend the renewal deadline to March 31, 2023; Mayor Prue’s explanation to the public gallery for the extension was so public consultations could be held between December 5 and March.
I pictured public consultations like the original Windsor Police proposal or like those for short-term rentals, Co-An Park, budget, ATV use, Howard Industrial Park District, Warren Mickle Eco Park Project, and Economic Development Community Improvement Plan.
Between December 5 and March 31, council will have had about 25 meetings, but the December 5 motion was only to extend, not schedule public meetings.
Without public consultations no one should claim, as Councillor McArthur has, ‘it’s an indication people are fine with the status quo.’ The survey results were only 1% of 90% of the residents.
As for the savings, the contract renewal is as much a disservice to Amherstburg ratepayers as the original was.
The reported 2023 savings is a paltry $348,441.00, compared to the 2017 suggested annual average savings of $567,802.00 or, as Deputy Mayor Gibb mentioned, around $2 million a year savings with the OPP.
Savings of $1,742,205. over 5 years with Windsor or around $10 million with the OPP – that’s significant savings. Imagine a pool, an accessible town hall, better roads, winterized park washrooms, etc., rather than fundraising for parks, welcoming sponsors or approving over expenditures.
In ten years with Windsor, expected savings of $3,484,410., compared to $20,000,000. with OPP.
While the previous council could have set aside more for police reserves, this current council could have honoured public consultation commitments instead of renewing a contract just because it ran out of time.
It is this council that will need to obtain the promised OPP costing during this term to avoid missing any further deadlines and funding for amenities.
Commentary by Linda Saxon
Some Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce Businesses Want Open Air
Dan Gemus, president of the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce and Anne Creery, General Manager of the Chamber presented during February 21, 2023 special council meeting. Gemus mentioned the chamber celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and are at 105 members.
The point was a membership survey about what was important to their needs, and in running their shops.
Anne Creery
Members were asked what they need from the town to be more successful in their business:
- there was very strong support for an active tourism department that supports festivals all year long, particularly in the winter season and beyond the downtown core.
- majority support for continuing Open Air weekends in the current format of Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
- There was zero support for discontinuing them entirely. We asked all of those options. Do you support it in the same format and then in various Friday, Saturday, only, biweekly, monthly, or stop it all together? There was zero support for discontinuing them entirely.
Members were also asked about parking:
- divided perception on whether parking is an issue or not.
- As a person that has just relocated back into this area after being in Toronto she thought it becomes an issue of how far are you willing to walk.
- support for hosting some kind of employee parking lot, particularly during festivals, and there was support for that.
- open up spaces by having employees park elsewhere, it’s potentially a solution.
Gemus reiterated the survey results showed there is a large support for Open Air to continue in its current Friday, Saturday Sunday.
Councillor Allaire asked how many members answered the survey.
Gemus 105 members and it was over a third response rate.
Allaire asked if these were just businesses in Amherstburg.
Gemus said not necessarily. They do have members that are outside of Amherstburg.
Councillor Crain asked if employee parking during Open Air was feasible?
Mayor Prue provided history of employee parking at General Amherst High School.
Councillor McArthur noted there was 312 public parking spaces within a three minute walking radius of Richmond and Dalhousie and additional 237 parking spaces within six minutes. The employees’ spaces of the downtown businesses at General Amherst weren’t used.
Pouget asked if it was correct that there are 105 members but only 12 members in the downtown core; 27 businesses not members.
Gemus said 30% of the 105 members responded.
Pouget asked if there were only approximately 12 members in the downtown core.
Creery answered that she’d have to go back; she didn’t do the number count that way.
Pouget said of those 27 businesses, overwhelmingly, they responded and sent her emails and phone calls and said the Open Air hurts their business.
Gemus asked of the 27 which businesses?
Pouget answered businesses that are not Chamber members.
Gemus mentioned they were just there to represent Chamber members.
Pouget stated that 27 that are in the downtown core that are not Chamber members have reached out with problems regarding Open Air. That’ was just a small fraction of the number of emails and phone calls that she received that are opposed to the three days being closed for 20 weeks and this is right across Amherstburg: people with disabilities, people that just want to go downtown and enjoy the parks and the restaurants. They don’t feel Open Air is needed and the businesses out in McGregor, on Sandwich Street and in Malden Centre, they don’t benefit from it at all.
Creery mentioned there were businesses outside of the downtown core that said that they would support Open Air and they also asked about having tourism programming that was outside of the downtown core too and consider looking at festivals outside of the downtown core. But there was support from outside of the core for downtown or for Open Air from our members.
Pouget stated she didn’t receive any of those; she only received the complaints.
McArthur He just didn’t think that now was the time for speeches on Open Air; there was no motion on the floor but for the record he wanted to say that he’s clearly talking to different people than Councillor Pouget because everybody he talked to loves Open Air the way it is.
Allaire moved to receive. Carried.
Deputy Mayor Gibb’s Perspective: Open Air Makes Downtown More Accessible
Deputy Mayor Gibb’s comments during today’s budget deliberations:
He’s heard a lot over the last couple days about accessibility of Open Air. He’s personally pushed a wheelchair downtown, and cannot believe the relief to be able to get off of uneven sidewalks with trees growing out of them and all kinds of obstacles; they’re not wide enough. To him, Open Air makes the downtown more accessible for people at least in wheelchairs because try and push a wheelchair down one of those downtown sidewalks and see exactly what he means. With Open Air there’s no worrying about trying to maneuver the wheelchair on a narrow uneven sidewalk so that was his two cents.
I guess the town could fix the sidewalks to remove all the barriers Deputy Mayor Gibb mentioned, but the solution is to close the streets and place barriers there instead for 20 weekends?
the burg watch 