I wasn't available to attend the May 13th meeting at the Ray Twinney Complex so I am relying on another blogger, albeit someone who writes with an entirely skewed perspective, to provide an account (see here for the original commentary: http://www.shrinkslessorsquare.com/blog/96-glenway-residents-prepare-for-battle. I am not relying on the Era's version of this meeting because that article did not report the news in the same detail as the blogger.
There are a number of things I find completely disturbing:
1) The blog reports on comments from David Sovran (Vice Chair of the Glenway Preservation Association). In these comments, Mr. Sovran describes the process before the Council committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, May 21 where he plans to speak on behalf of his membership. He then makes reference to Council convening to meet behind closed doors to discuss a report from staff. The question on every one's mind should be, why closed door?
The reasons that a Council can legally convene to a secret, closed door meeting are on this Ontario government web site. http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Files/sitemedia/Documents/Resources/sunshinelaw-en.pdf I encourage everyone to read this document thoroughly but especially the residents of Glenway who don't deserve to be frozen out of the process.
We should not be surprised that this Council wants to shut the public out. It serves the politicians' benefit (and not the public) when only a handful of people know about the discussions and decisions taking place. I am sure some of these fat cats are laughing at the cleverness of telling the public they support them but knowing that closed door secret meetings shield them from accountability. If you have any doubt whats-so-ever that our local elected representatives are not entirely committed to being completely transparent with the Glenway community, refer to this blog here: http://maddiedimuccio.webs.com/apps/blog/show/8999505-my-resolution-for-transparency-on-the-newmarket-glenway-issue-lost
How differently might things have gone had Council supported this motion and included residents from Glenway in the application review process? How ironic that the Councillor whom the Shrink Slessor Square blogger deigns to reference as 'persona non grata' and 'acidic', was the only one who wanted to actually involve Glenway residents in this process? If the appointed leaders of the Glenway fight consider her to be persona non grata then they likely have shut out the only elected official actually working for them and opened the door wide open to those Council members about whom everyone is worried about. As Mr. Sovran is quoted in the blog: "We know developers have strong relationships with politicians.” In other words, perhaps the wolves in sheep's clothing are in charge of the Town of Newmarket's OMB defense?
(Please note: For the sake of my own credibility, I have stated my own opinion on Glenway previously. I personally disagree with Councillor Di Muccio's position on Glenway. My own opinion seems to fall in line with Councillor Twinney who has spoken in favour of developing Glenway).
2) According to the blogger there was a suggestion from the floor to hire a private investigator to gather information on possible "corrupt dealings". I empathize with the blogger when he expected that remark to be greeted with laughter. He suggests that he was stunned when there was only pondering instead. That, my friends, speaks volumes. While there may only whispers and vague hints that certain prominent individuals are suspected to be too close with certain developers, next year we get an election and in Newmarket the vote will be a referendum asking if the municipal government needs to be swept clean. In the mean time, let us welcome the Shrink Slessor Square blogger to the realities of the Van Bynen/ Taylor gruesome two-some's regime.
3) Questions about money raised and subsequently not being answered should send shivers through the Glenway Preservation Association membership. As the blogger asks, why the need for secrecy? I have written previously that I felt there was a little too much coziness between the leadership of the Glenway Preservation Association and certain members of Council. I don't think this close relationship has helped their cause. In fact, prior experience would indicate this has made the association less influential than what it might have been. Glenway Preservation Association members only need to consider to the weak position that the Shrink Slessor Square group had with Council and notice the similarities in the Slessor group's leadership with exactly the same connections to these Council members.
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