Aurora Citizen

News & Views from the Citizens of Aurora Ontario

Archive for the ‘Community Input’ Category

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Check Out Aurora Council on TV

Posted by auroracitizen on February 5, 2010

In case you missed it, the page Council on TV was set up to offer quick links to Rogers Cable — where they post Council Meetings and other political programming.

This is a handy way to catch up on past meetings, as well as highlight comments and/or issues you feel might be of interest to other readers.

Feel free to send us notice of portions (tell us the date and approx time) that you feel others would benefit from viewing and we will try to highlight those for easy access.

This is a great way to share specific facts to support your point of view. Enjoy 🙂

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input, Leadership, Media, Town Council | 4 Comments »

Guest Post: Haitian Relief

Posted by auroracitizen on January 30, 2010

I wanted to bring attention to Auroran, Shane Eickmann, and his deployment about 1 week ago to Haiti to assist in relief efforts.
 
Some of you may know Shane as he worked in the Aquatics  section at the Leisure Complex for many years. Shane recently graduated from Niagara College as a Paramedic and in now working in that capacity in the Niagara Region. He is also a Rapid Response Team member for a Canadian based organization called Global Medic.  Global Medic provides emergency relief to those affected by natural disasters and complex emergencies. In Shane’s words, “we empower the emergency response capacity of organizations and communities in the developing world by providing technological equipment and training.”
 
Global Medic strives to deliver the maximum amount of aid with the minimum operating cost. They seek to increase the independence of communities in the developing world, while ultimately improving the efficiency of international disaster relief.
 
Shane went on to say, “currently we have a team of 6 in Haiti that have been there since January 12th.  The team has focused on restoring access to clean drinking water through the provision of water purification units, as well as restoring medical infrastructure through the use of a 22ft X 42ft inflatable field hospital. RRT members will train local aid groups on the installation, operation and maintenance of all gear so that it may be operational as long as needed.   The team that has been there for the past 2 weeks is now coming out and another 6 team members will be going in to the disaster area.”
 
For updates on what the team has done in Haiti please visit the website and click on the Haiti mission: www.globalmedic.ca 
 
As we reflect on the crisis in Haiti, let us be thankful for our safe environment and let us be especially thankful that the Shane Eickmann’s of the world step up to help out.
 
Geoffrey Dawe
Aurora

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input, Guest Post | 6 Comments »

Guest Post: Is Mayor Phyllis Morris proroguing Council?

Posted by auroracitizen on January 6, 2010

In the December 31, 2009 edition of the Globe & Mail, the editor took the very unusual position of publishing an editorial “Democracy Diminished, Accountability Avoided” on the front page.

The editor was taking the federal government and Prime Minister Harper to task for proroguing Parliament – the second December in a row that he has done this. More scathing than the words in this editorial was the fact that it was juxtaposed to a story on the death of 4 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and a Canadian journalist. A stark contrast – people are dying while fighting for Canada and for reporting on that, while the government that tasks those people uses political manipulation to duck responsibilities associated with that task.

Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but remind you of anything or anyone?

The Aurora Council last met on December 8th and its next meeting is scheduled for January 26th. The procedural bylaw states that there are to be 2 meetings per month, yet there is a stretch of 39 days between meetings. Is the Mayor proroguing Council? What reason (legitimate or otherwise) has been given?

She wouldn’t be trying to duck anything, would she? Like the fact that the Town does not have a legally appointed Treasurer?

This is inexcusable behavior, but sadly, typical of what we have come to expect.

Signed, Junius

Posted in Code of Ethics, Community Input, Guest Post, Integrity, Leadership, Legal, Town Council | 16 Comments »

Freedom Of Information and Aurora Coalition – Part 2

Posted by auroracitizen on January 3, 2010

The following Freedom of Information requests were submitted by the Aurora Coalition in early December 2009. 

  1. An accounting of all monies paid to or on behalf of the Aurora Farmers Market annually since its inception, and decisions by staff or Council authorizing it.
  2. An accounting of costs to the town, including staff salaries for media and communications responsibilities associated with the Mayor’s office. This should include speech writing and media staff attendance at various events. In addition, please provide the number of staff involved in media and communications at Town at present compared with 2003.
  3. An accounting of any and all activities associated with the Town, together with dollars amounts where Sher and/or George St. Kitts were involved, be they as organizers or performers. This accounting should extend to all other events in which they were involved through the auspices of the Town, staff, members of Council or the Mayor.
  4. What exactly is the “Dream Team”? An accounting of its activities and how any Town monies allocated to support its activities were spent.
  5. An accounting on the raising and expenditure of monies relating to the July First Parades in which Sher St. Kitts was involved.
  6. An accounting of monies spent on Council Members’ lounge for furniture and reconfiguration after the 2006 Municipal election; likewise for the security doors for the Mayor’s and CAO’s area; finally for the new furniture that was delivered to the Mayor’s and COA’s office in October 2009
  7. An accounting of all OMB appeals arising from the Town’s planning/zoning actions, those won and lost, with dollars amounts for external consultations and lawyers, on a case by case basis.
  8. An accounting of time spent during General Committee and Council meetings in open vs in camera session, and during all these times were external lawyers in attendance? How do these hours compare with similar circumstances during 2 previous terms of Aurora’s municipal government/
  9. A list of all buildings owned by the town that are vacant and the annual cost of maintaining them. What efforts have been made to lease, sell or utilize them?
  10. Costs of legal expenses on fees specifically paid to Mr. John Mascarin.

Responses are expected within 30 days, so accounting for holidays, responses should be available soon. We will publish the responses as they become available.

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input, Freedom of Information | 17 Comments »

Freedom Of Information and Aurora Coalition – Part 1

Posted by auroracitizen on December 30, 2009

The Aurora Coalition has run a number of ads in the past few months that included fairly dramatic revelations. Based on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, it provided information that was not made public by Council. In fact, the financial disclosure by the Aurora Coalition about legal expenditures resulted in Mayor Morris having to “adjust” her previous statements to reflect the accurate numbers.

We understand that the Aurora Coalition recently submitted a list of requests to gather additional information about the activities by Council. We believe these facts should be broadly communicated and citizens should have the opportunity to comment and discuss the issues.

Resultant, we have agreed to work in collaboration with the Aurora Coalition to facilitate discussion through this blog.

We have created a new page — FOI Requests — that will track any FOI request we are made aware of. The first FOI is the one referenced in a recent post by Richard Johnson.

The Aurora Citizen will continue to provide accurate information as it becomes available. Confidentiality will always be respected.

Stay tuned.

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input, Freedom of Information | 4 Comments »

Community Corner: Great Aurora “love-in” currently at Town Park

Posted by elizabethbishenden on December 19, 2009

One of our readers submitted this piece.

Our initial reaction was not to publish, but on sober second thought we chose to let you make your own decisions on its merits.

The Aurora Citizen in no way endorses any of the opinions expressed.  However, we’re not about to tell people what to think.  We’re just asking them to think, and to discuss.

In order to provide some context, the quote in the post comes from a letter to the editor “Great Aurora “love-in” currently at Town Park” by Heidi G. A. Stoecklin and Dave Philp published in The Auroran, Volume 10, Number 9, Week of December 15, 2009 (pages 3 & 8).

Perhaps a discussion of this letter is necessary.

 “The experiences of the Palestinians and the Red Man in Canada are parallel. In both cases, one country is bullying another and suppressing the truth from the public.  Do Canadians realize that part of the conflict in the middle east is because the Arabs and the Palestinians are trying to hold another party accountable for Jesus’s execution?  This Christmas, please consider with family and friends, who killed Jesus and why.”

 This letter is blatantly anti-semetic and has no place in today’s society. This evangelical christian bullshit belongs in history during the times of the European pogroms and the dreaded era of Nazism.

It has no place in todays Aurora. Whats troubling is not that this type of opinion exists but that a newspaper in a modern affluent town like Aurora would think it is acceptable to publish. Shame on Ron Wallace and the Auroran.”

 The Auroran has  this Editorial Policy: “Opinions expressed by columnists, contributors, and letter writers are not necessarily those of The Auroran.  Letters must include name a phone number, although number will not be published, and limited to 600 words.  Letters may be edited or refused.  All contents protected by copyright.”

 While The Auroran certainly seems to have bent the rules about the length of the letter, it certainly doesn’t endorse the content, either.

 At the Aurora Citizen we have a policy about what we’ll publish.  You can read it on our “About” page.  Opinions that are supported by weak or bad reasoning will be published.  Why?  Because they are opinions.  We respect our readers and we believe they can recognize a lack of logic.  You can publish crap on this blog.  Just be prepared to have it called crap.

 Publish a brilliant idea, though, and you’ll see how it inspires our readers and writers.

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input | 20 Comments »

HELP WANTED

Posted by auroracitizen on December 16, 2009

In keeping with our desire to include broad community input and provide a platform for debate, we have extended an open invitation to the community to become contributors.

Richard Johnson is the first person to accept this invitation. You can read his first post today. We are excited that Richard has volunteered his time to share his experiences about activities that matter to us as a community.

Of course you already know Elizabeth Bishenden. Elizabeth has been doing an exceptional job of moderating comments for a number of months as well as writing a number of posts. Her contribution has been invaluable and we are delighted to have her on board.

If you are a budding writer, or are you concerned about the apathy in our community to our political process, or would you like to see more people informed and interested in what is happening right here in our community, this is your chance to make a difference and share your voice.

If you are interested in contributing articles, we want to hear from you. We are looking for people interested in writing a regular post to keep everyone up to date on Council  activities and other community events. This would be a great opportunity for a student — possibly studying journalism or political science.

We are also looking for someone who has the ability to help with uploading video to YouTube. Possibly a student with an interest in video.

If you are interested in either area, please send us an email.

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input | 11 Comments »

2010 Budget Delivers 2.82% Tax Hike

Posted by auroracitizen on December 13, 2009

Budget deliberations continue, but Mayor Phillis Morris has indicated it’s a done deal. Taxes will increase 2.82% — translating into an additional $30.00 (based on $300,000 home) out of your pocket next year.

Did you get a raise last year to cover this increase? In fact, did you make less in 2009 as a result of cutbacks?

It is interesting to see what “additional benefits” we will receive from this budget.

At a time when people are losing jobs and being asked to cut back in all aspects of their life — it is amazing that this Council has the gall to increase taxes at all. Particularly in an election year.

Even the Region decided to forego a tax increase this year out of respect for the economic downturn we have all experienced.

So what’s up with Aurora?

Councillor Buck has identified a number of items that she feels aren’t warranted. What about you?

We have always had a soft spot for the Library, it seems like an important service to our children. But this year their request for more dollars was declined. Not so historical societies and arboretums — they received more.

So let us know you thoughts. What’s right and what’s wrong with this budget. Where should we be spending less — and possibly where should we be spending more.

Posted in Budget, Community Input | 28 Comments »

Local Restaurants

Posted by auroracitizen on October 25, 2009

We are going to try a new feature on the site. One of our contributors suggested some local restaurants they thought were worth trying. So we have added a new tab across the top “Restaurants”.

Click on this tab and use this area as a discussion forum for restaurants that you have visited.

Offer your own feedback on restaurants you have tried. Agree or disagree. Better for families or couples. Casual or romantic. Lunch, dinner or just drinks. Share your stories.

Plus, if you have some suggestions for further tabs we would love to hear them.

NOTE: Comments have been disabled on this post. Please add your comment under the “Restaurant” tab on the main menu (see directly above). Comments previously made to this post have been moved to the restaurant tab. Thanks!

Posted in Community Corner, Community Input, For Fun, Restaurants | Leave a Comment »

Accountability and Transparency

Posted by auroracitizen on October 5, 2009

The Aurora Coalition has published their third ad in a continuing series. Of interest, this one has increased to a full 1/2 page which may suggest that financial support has increased.

The initial focus of this ad is the lack of teamwork demonstrated by this Council, in spite of promises by Mayor Morris in her Inaugural Speech that we would see an improvement versus the Jones era. An era in which she was the major contributor to the dysfunction — some might suggest as a strategy to aid her own chances of election.

The ad goes on to highlight the legal costs that have been incurred by this Council for reasons that have little to do with the management of the Town and demanding a detailed statement of expenditures for these expenses.

Both these issues led to a question about the Accountability and Transparency demonstrated by this Council and a final suggestion that the only way to “rid ourselves of the arrogance on Council” will be for people to come forward to stand for public office and then get the vote out in 2010. The have also provided an email address where they can be contacted at auroracoalition@gmail.com

Posted in Community Input, Integrity, Leadership, Town Council | 25 Comments »

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