Gosh darn, I was aghast to hear such an unholy din emanating from just two empty buckets; the noise drowned out the cries of anguish from Danté’s Inferno. But enough is enough and I must get on with reasonable discourse.

I read that there is a group of citizens who have been exploring the possibility of building a new Centre. I applaud their initiative and hope Council joins whole-heartedly in their efforts so that the best possible solution may be found. I know this Council wants to do the right thing, now is the opportunity to act cooperatively and think green.

Youth should be represented on any planning group for they too have a vested interest, which leads me to wonder why there was no gymnasium built in the present Davidson Centre. A well-designed gym can be a multi-function facility for use as a court for basketball and badminton, banquet room and whatever other needs arise for a large room serving the community. Design and forethought is everything.

Any plans must be based on sustainable principles. Knowing what we do, it would be foolish to do otherwise. This is an opportunity for Council to lead the way among municipalities rather than follow others, as previously done with their non-sustainable beach. For example, the ice scrapings from the Zamboni can be used as a coolant, static installation and awnings (where appropriate) will pay their way in energy savings. A small wind generator (they are being built now in Canada) can supplement power and with other energy producing devices will reduce the need for external resources.

There may be funding available just for going green apart from other sources. There are many resources to start with such as the Canadian Municipal Association, The Canadian Green Building Association, and Sustainable Building Canada. Sources in Europe should not be neglected for it was the omission of such sources that brought about the ignoble Enbridge decision.

There is another group that should be consulted at the beginning of negotiations and that is the Saugeen Valley Authority. It is possible that authority will have a stake in any decision, and that should be known at the beginning not at the end.

Finally, with all the resources available, please choose an architect and a builder who know what they are doing. Considering the cost and the importance to the community, this project should not to be used as a learning experience.

March 14, 2007

Today I return to a subject close to my heart. Stewardship and Best Practices are two administrative principles essential to good and efficient government.

The previous two Councils were totally remiss in considering these principles. This Council just missed an opportunity to rectify that omission... At the last Council meeting, the contract for the manager of the Municipal Airport was renewed for five years without any serious discussion... This was a great disservice to the taxpayers of Kincardine. Members of Council are elected to be stewards of our municipality. They failed.

It is not for me to say whether a contracted manager or engineer should have their contract renewed. That is a decision for Council to make. But Council should never give or renew contracts without a thorough financial and performance investigation and a tendering process. Anything less is a dereliction of duty. If this particular contract was presented too close to the effective date to allow time for a carefully weighed decision then Council should have delayed the vote until it had all the information necessary to make a fair decision.

Municipal business should not be conducted on the buddy system as I witnessed last year when Brad Price’s contract was renewed and Councillor Campbell was threatened with a lawsuit for his legitimate objection. That was “old boys’ practice” at its worst and it stinks.

Councillor Anderson had the insight to vote against the motion. I understand Mr. Anderson is considering a motion to make tendering a policy. I encourage councillors to back Anderson in his efforts. In the spirit of openness, the draft should be made public before a final vote is taken so those who wish may make their comments heard.

In closing, for the good of local government and his own reputation, I suggest, without rancor, that our Mayor refrain now from attending committee meetings unless invited. I know that the mayor is an ex officio member of all committees but intruding that office into discussions will eventually upset the fine balance in the deliberation of Council. Larry, there are more productive ways to move your agenda along.

March 21, 2007

It has been over a year since I last wrote about our former post office (the Annex), the jewel on Queen Street; now it is time to revisit this historic anchor of Kincardine’s high street. As I said then, the post office was built in 1907, constructed in the renaissance revival style. Outside of metropolitan areas, the building’s architecture is unique to Kincardine.

I recently poked around this fine building, going from basement to third floor. On arriving home, I reflected on what I had seen and asked myself how was it that over the years no one saw the potential of this building and why this solid early 20th Century federal edifice was left to rot? If we say a 100 year old fine architectural example has no function, why then do thousands upon thousands of people visit Europe and look with awe at buildings still in use after hundreds of years?

I see a building that shouts to be repaired, cleaned up, and retrofitted to take its proper place on Queen Street. The first stage is easy – get rid of the piles of stuff squirreled away. Why intelligent (always an assumption) people would use this rare asset for careless storage is a mystery to me. When archival documents are not stored properly they might as well be tossed into the furnace once their daily use has passed. The County has the facility for the correct maintenance of municipal and county documents for archiving. Through our County taxes, we are already paying for the facility and trained staff. Getting those boxes moved is a simple housekeeping chore; if the collective minds of Council cannot figure it out, I know a young woman in Toronto who could have the collection moved within a day once the County was ready to receive it. I bet if a member of staff had just gone ahead and transferred the material to the county facility no member of this Council would ever realize the stuff was gone.

As for the rest, the boxes are part of a larger issue which is the municipality and community organizations having bits and bobs held throughout the municipality. A meeting of those who can speak for the town and for the organizations, coming with minds open and lateral thinking working, should have a solution within a month. Storage, maintenance, and ability to efficiently retrieve is a taught business skill.

The basement appears a disaster because of neglect but can be made functional.The beautiful original banister lead up to the second and third floors. There is an entrance off Durham Market N. that is a natural for an accessibility ramp, and a likely place for an elevator is on the same side where the fire escape is located. A survey of non-bearing walls may well suggest a better use of space.

And, of course, get the roof repaired. No responsible property owner would leave a roof to deteriorate, exposing walls and contents to damage and loss of value.

I return at a later date to suggest how we may make use of this jewel on Queen Street. Readers’ suggestions are welcome.

March 28, 2007

Two major issues now on the table are the Davidson Centre and a home for a Tourist Information Centre, while doctor recruitment is an ongoing issue.

$500,000 plus is an expensive way to catch the eye of the traveller passing Kincardine ad convince them to explore Kincardine. We spend $75,000 annually to entice people in nearby towns and villages to come to Kincardine without asking ourselves why they should. A bunch of bricks for a sidewalk and new lamp posts alone do not make for an attractive main street when there are no tough inspections of commercial buildings and washrooms and the prize anchor on Queen Street, the Annex, is left to rot. In what way do any of these make visitors want to return? Responsible merchants are not helped by the Town’s neglect and the idea of community working together for the common good is left in tatters.

The condition of our public buildings, the quality of our arts and sports, the activity of our clubs and associations, and the services offered to all walks of life defines the quality of life in Kincardine. These are all parts of the whole. A municipality where all its parts are of a high standard and seen as one is what will attract visitors and persuade people, including doctors, to settle here.

That is why we should not approach the issues piecemeal. It is why need a new Davidson Centre, fully green sustainable for savings to its operation and to the environment (if we are serious about conserving energy and protecting the children’s health and future) and, if a just funding mechanism can be found, a sports medical centre. And that is also why we need a restored and retrofitted former post office, why we need washrooms that are clean and stay clean, and water fountains that work. When we make this municipality work for its citizens then it will attract the people who wish to visit or live with us. We do not need a tourist bureau perched near the highway trying to convince the passerby to visit Kincardine; let them go to the former post office to pick up desired material in a surrounding that will need no sales pitch. Let them walk down Queen Street that itself is an attraction, and let them visit a beach where all the parts work and let them see a municipality’s town centre that is clean and bright. People will come and come again while others will stay. Spend the money where it will benefit all our citizens.