Munro, Van Loan MIA on dike issue

By Meade Helman AWARE News Network  June 19 2013
BROKEN DIKES: Frank Junkman presented Bradford West Gwillimbury Council with an overview of the two consecutive dike failures and the process to get the funds to put the farmland into production. EDITORIAL COMMENT: One has to ask where MPP Julia Munro and MP Peter Van Loan are? Any photo op, they are there smiling like their level of government contributed. When their influence is needed, Neither are visible.

MEDICAL CENTRE: Council voted to go forward on the long promised medical centre. From the report the centre will be staffed with existing Bradford physicians and a blood testing centre that has been in town a long time. To make the financing on the medical centre work they are taking a 30-year debenture which, according to Councillor Ron Simpson, is the first time the town has issued a debenture over 20 years.
In a previous meeting Town Manager Jay Courier said that the building would probably too small In the next 12 -14 years and that the council then would have to deal with the outstanding debt. The occupants will not be subject to a rent increase for the first 5 years.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: There are other costs that aren’t obvious. Recently we paid close to $1,000,000 to remodel this building to house the Engineering department. Now we are paying to remodel this building again. The engineering department is being moved, that space is being remodelled and the town will be paying rent on the space. What business would agree to a financing scheme like this? What do we get out of this? Doctors and a medical clinic that are already in town and our town debt continuing to rise. Surely there is a better way to do this! We do need doctors and service in town.

SENIOR HOUSING: A presentation was given on the need for more affordable appropriate housing for seniors so that those who spent their lives here didn’t have to move away.  Despite skyrocketing growth, developers are just not building housing that is appropriate. The good news is the zoning change to allow am adult community development of apartments just off of Dissette was approved. EDITORIAL COMMENT: Development is always about making lots of money. Not as much money in senior appropriate housing. Once again the community needs go unmet while wheelbarrows of money go to the bank.

AD HOC COMPENSATION COMMITTEE:  The Ad Hoc Compensation Committee recommend changes to the pay scale and wage levels for town employees. The bottoms of the ranges moved up and the tops moved further. This was done to stay competitive with towns like Oakville and York Region. EDITORIAL COMMENT: Isn’t it interesting that we MUST pay staff more and more every year, but we can’t afford to pay the police wages that are competitive with the other forces in Ontario???

HIATUS: Council will be taking the month of July off as they do every year. Note: council did meet three times a month but with the current council they changed it to 2 times a month.