CPAC ASKS WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP FOR $8,000

This occurred last night in Council Chambers, Committee of the Whole meeting. I am so glad I attended because the lessons were invaluable. It would be extraordinarily easy to list the "bad" guys and the "good" guys in the drama that unfolded last night.

Dan Holt and Ron Campbell of CPAC had been advised by a Senior Staff person from Woolwich last week, that the proper route to obtain this money was via last night's Committee of the Whole meeting. The money is earmarked for professional studies and assistance from Dr. Gail Krantzberg who was recommended by our very own Dr. Henry Regier. If you walk along the Kissing Bridge Trail in Elmira, not far from the golf course, you will see the Community bench dedicated to Henry on the occasion of his receiving the Order of Canada for his career and professional studies regarding the Biology of the Great lakes.

First off I arrived before Dan and after Ron. I advised Ron that I had downloaded a copy of the Agenda and neither he nor Dan were on it. This was of great concern to Ron obviously and he wasn't sure what to do. Fortunately I've had some dealings with various Woolwich staff and I recognized a young female employee sitting at the front. I told Ron her name and advised him to immediately, before the meeting started , go up and tell her that he and Dan had been left off the Agenda. Ron did so and she advised him that she would immediately pass this on to the Woolwich Township Clerk, Christine Broughton. Christine was so advised and came back to talk to Ron and informed him that she had misunderstood the situation from the meeting the previous week. Christine was the Senior Staff person who had advised Dan and Ron the week before. Nevertheless Dan and Ron were then put on the Agenda as Delegates to the Committee of the Whole.

CAO David Brenneman spoke against Council (Committee of the Whole) agreeing to CPAC's request. His concerns had to do with Process and that Council should have received a written copy of the proposal ahead of time. Councillor Mark Bauman also spoke against CPAC's request. He stated that the proper process should be the request going through the 2012 budget process. Councillor Bonnie Bryant also spoke against the request. She too appeared to have budget and financial concerns in mind. Councillor Herteis asked a Staff person for advice in regards to Woolwich Township's ability to quickly respond and provide money in this instance. Mayor Todd Cowan took the lead and spoke in favour of CPAC's request. He is also Chair of this Committee of Council (ie. CPAC). When it came to a vote, Mark B. and Bonnie B. were opposed and Julie-Anne H. and Mayor Cowan in favour. Councillor Allan Poffenroth was acting as Chair and he broke the tie by voting in favour of the grant to CPAC.

In the first paragraph I had suggested that it would be easy to list the good "guys" and "bad" guys in last night's drama. Perhaps not. Councillor Bauman has impressed me on a number of occasions with his voting positions seemingly being contrary to his self professed "green" credentials. Bonnie Bryant surprised me as she is definitely "green" with her position on gravel pits near residential areas. The fact that Council were not prepared ahead of time for this Delegation is very strange. As was suggested privately after the meeting, CPAC had gone through the process that they had been advised to do. Mayor Todd Cowan rose to the occasion. I had suggested after last week's CPAC meeting that he was behaving aggressively. Well last evening he was behaving persuasively and was sucessful. Councillor Allan Poffenroth was a pleasant surprise although in hindsight perhaps he shouldn't have been. Sometimes appearances can be very deceiving and this is not the first time that Councillor Poffenroth has pleasantly surprised me.