Lloyd finally throws his hat in the ring

By MORGAN IAN ADAMS Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin July 9 2010
Rick Lloyd says he’s seen enough.
The long-time former Collingwood councillor, three-time mayoral candidate, has officially filed to run as deputy-mayor in the October municipal election.
It’s been no secret the current president of the Collingwood Chamber of Commerce — a title he will have to relinquish now that’s he’s filed as a candidate — was going to run for the deputy-mayor position. However, it’s been a question of when; watching the debate over where restaurant patios would be located on public space was the impetus to throw his name into the ring.
He will be up against current councillor Norman Sandberg, who filed for the deputy-mayor position earlier this year.
Lloyd — who was first elected to council in 1985, and has spent approximately 16 years at the table — says the town’s procedural bylaw is having a negative effect on council’s ability to make a decision.
“The Municipal Act is very clear; the only thing that is handcuffing the town is its own policy and procedures,” he said.
“How can you properly represent your constituents when you can’t bring something back to the table?”
Changes to the procedural bylaw regarding the ability to revisit a decision was brought in after the debate on the multi-use facility; in that case, the issue of whether to move ahead with a facility was brought to the table several times over the period of three weeks, before councillors eventually voted it down.
That section of the bylaw was updated again after the town purchased the Tremont and Palace Livery properties — a decision that, one week, was no, then the next week, a yes.
Under the current municipal legislation, a matter cannot be reconsidered for one year, unless new information comes forward and two-thirds of council agrees it can come back to the table.
“The rules are flawed,” said Lloyd. “The process, in my opinion, is not community-minded, and just makes it difficult to represent the wishes of the people who elected you.”
In the instance of the patios, Lloyd — who is also a member of the BIA executive — says he understands, and supported, the original reason for moving patios that were located on public sidewalks to the curbside.
However, that was before restaurant owners raised issues of safety and liability — and provincial legislation that prohibits alcohol being carried across public space. He also noted Fire Chief Trent Elyea’s comments having patios at the curbside represents a safety issue in reaching an emergency in a timely manner.
“The town should have done more research when these items became issues,” he said. “It’s absolutely atrocious the town’s processes wouldn’t allow reconsideration or deferral without a lot of political wrangling.
“I think it’s wise to admit if an original decision was wrong if new information is received, and give in to common sense,” he said.
Lloyd is also concerned about the level of debt undertaken by the municipality in the last three years; it’s risen from about $27 million, to approximately $50 million.
He would also like to see the Admiral Collingwood Place project move ahead.