PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY ISN'T SERVED BY THE GRIP AND GRIN ALONE
THE REPUTATION WE ARE SERVING UP, ISN'T HELPING OUR CAUSE AS A "GOOD TOWN TO VISIT……A GREAT TOWN TO LIVE IN."
IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE A CIVIL SERVANT LOOKING TO UPGRADE YOUR LOT IN LIFE, GET A PAY INCREASE AND A JOB PROMOTION, WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST AS A GOOD PLACE TO RE-LOCATE? WHAT ABOUT APPLYING FOR A JOB WITH THE MUNICIPALITY? ARE WE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE BEST OF THE BEST? OR HAVE WE BECOME A PLACE KNOWN FOR SHORT STAYS, AND LESS THAN FOND FAREWELLS?
THE TRULY NEGATIVE IMPACT OF STAFF DEPARTURES IS THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE IT DOES TO THE REPUTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY. AS SOMEONE INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND PROMOTIONS, SINCE I LEFT ACTIVE NEWS REPORTING IN 1990, THE RECENT STAFF PROBLEMS AT TOWN HALL, MIXED WITH SOME HASTY DEPARTURES IN RECENT MONTHS, AND CERTAINLY UNEXPECTED TOWN HALL CHANGES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, HAS GIVEN US A LOT TO RECOVER FROM……IN TERMS OF HOW WE APPEAR AS A MUNICIPAL EMPLOYER.
IT IS THUSLY EXPECTED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WELCOME, THAT THESE SAME STILL-TRAVELLNG EMPLOYEES, ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT OUR TOWN AND REGION. UPON DEPARTURE, WE'D BE HUGELY NAIVE TO THINK THAT THESE DISGRUNTLED FORMER EMPLOYEES, ARE GOING TO MUTE THEIR FEELINGS, IN ORDER TO SPARE OURS.
PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING, I THINK IT'S LOGICAL TO EXPECT, THAT OTHER CANDIDATES LOOKING FOR WORK WITH OUR MUNICIPALITY, ARE ALREADY GETTING THE HEADS-UP, THAT THIS IS A CAULDRON OF CONTROVERSY. THEY MAY EVEN DO SOME RESEARCH ON THEIR OWN, AND FIND SOME GLARING HEADLINES AND A BLOG BY A GUY NAMED CURRIE, SHOWING THAT ALL IS NOT WELL HERE IN PARADISE. HEADLINES ARE WHAT THEY ARE, AND ENTIRELY RESPONSIVE TO THE NEWS OF THE DAY AND WEEK. THIS BLOG IS A PARALLEL REFLECTION AND REACTION TO THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. BUT I'M NOT ON ANYONE'S PAYROLL SO IT'S HARD TO FIRE ME. BUT KNOWING THAT MY READERS ARE GRAVENHURST LOVERS, FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, I ALWAYS SUGGEST OF THEM, THAT THEY READ THE COLLECTION OF MY BLOGS, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT TAKE SOME SHOTS AT LOCAL GOVERNANCE. IF THEY DO, YOU SEE, LIKE THE WEEKLY PRESS TAKEN BY THE SAME MEASURE, THEY WOULD SEE THAT THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES MERGE TOGETHER OVER TIME…….SUCH THAT WE WHO LIVE HERE, KNOW IT'S NOT AS BAD AS ONE OR TWO HEADLINES MIGHT MAKE IT APPEAR.
THE REAL ISSUE, IS WHAT, IN PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES, MAY DISCOURAGE TALENTED POTENTIAL STAFF MEMBERS, FROM APPLYING FOR JOBS IN OUR MUNICIPALITY. THINK ABOUT IT. OF THE MOST RECENT DEPARTURES AT TOWN HALL, I'VE JUST GOT THIS OPINION, RIGHT OR WRONG, THAT WE WON'T BE GETTING A POSITIVE REVIEW OR A CHRISTMAS CARD. IT MAY SEEM AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE TO COUNCILLORS, AND JUST ANOTHER DECISION RENDERED FOR THE TOWN, BUT BAD-WILL IS BAD-WILL. WHEN WE NEED PROFESSIONALS WITH GREAT CREDENTIALS, CAN WE REALLY HOPE, ON THE LONG TERM, TO ATTRACT FOLKS TO A PLACE, GETTING TO BE KNOWN FOR ITS SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT STATS? IT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL. DO ELECTED OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE THE SCORCHED EARTH SCENARIO THEY'RE CREATING…….WHERE THE BEST OF THE BEST AREN'T GOING TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE LIKELY TO FAIL LIKE THE OTHERS. THIS IS A FUTURE CRISIS, HAPPENING A TAD EARLY. I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE ONE-GOVERNMENT FOR MUSKOKA FOLKS, BECAUSE GETTING THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND PROFICIENT HELP, WILLING TO STAY HERE FOR MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF A YEAR, IS GETTING DAMN TOUGH…..AS WE HAVE SEEN MOST RECENTLY WITH THE RE-NEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH A FORMER TEMPORARY CAO……..BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE MORE QUALIFIED. I BUY THIS. I LIKE THAT WE HAVE THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE ON SIDE. BUT IT'S NOT BODING WELL FOR THE FUTURE, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BECAUSE WE REQUIRE YOUNG TALENTS WILLING TO INVEST IN OUR TOWN FOR THE LONG TERM. ALL WE SEE NOW ARE SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS, AND WE KNOW THE MORAL OF THE STORY, ABOUT STICKING FINGERS IN THE HOLES OF AN OLD DAM, TO STAY DRY. SOONER OR LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF FINGERS. BUT YET, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF WATER.
AS MY MOTHER USED TO WORRY ABOUT OUR FAMILY REPUTATION, AND WHAT I MIGHT DO TO SCREW UP GENERATIONS OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP, GRAVENHURST MUST START LOOKING AT THE DAMAGE THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO, WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING MORE TO SAVE IT, THAN SHOWING UP FOR GRIP AND GRIN PHOTOGRAPHS AROUND TOWN, WHICH FOLKS, HONESTLY, DOES NOTHING TO ALLAY FEARS, OUR TOWN IS A BUDDING DEATH-VALLEY FOR CIVIL SERVANTS ETC. NOT ONLY CAN'T WE PAY THE TRULY BIG BUCKS TO BRING IN THE RISING-STAR BUREAUCRATS, BUT THEY ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE WE EAT THEM FOR BREAKFAST……WITH LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH AND DINNER. TO EXPECT THAT THESE PROFESSIONALS OF GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION, DON'T TALK TO ONE ANOTHER, IS ABSURD, AND I'M REASONABLY SURE TODAY, MOST CANDIDATES FOR THESE POSITIONS WOULD GOOGLE GRAVENHURST, TO CHECK OUT OUR QUALITIES AND QUANTITIES BEFORE AGREEING TO AN INTERVIEW. ONCE AGAIN, NEWS IS NEWS, AND SEEING AS I DON'T WORK FOR THE TOWN, OR GET A PAY CHECK TO BOOST THE MUNICIPALITY'S IMAGE ABROAD, I MAKE NO APOLOGY FOR TRENDING ON THE MOST RECENT HAPPENINGS AT TOWN HALL. MY FOOTNOTE, OF COURSE, IS THAT I AM A BIG BOOSTER OF THIS TOWN, AND REGION, AND IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU'D SUSPECT I AM BEING PAID TO PROMOTE LOCAL HERITAGE. PLAIN AND SIMPLY, I ENJOY PROMOTING GRAVENHURST, AND THERE'S LOTS MORE TO COME. BUT I CAN'T FUDGE THE PREVAILING REALITY, AND MUST DEAL WITH IT APPROPRIATELY. WHEN I CHECK DAILY, AS TO WHERE MY READERS ARE, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT SEASONAL RESIDENTS, AND FORMER GRAVENHURST RESIDENTS, LIVING AROUND THE WORLD, ARE CHECKING UP ON HOMETOWN COMINGS AND GOINGS. SO I'M AWARE OF THIS CONSTANTLY. NOW IN FACT. POUNDING OUT THIS BLOG, AT THIS MOMENT, I DON'T WANT A SINGLE READER, ANYWHERE IN THE GLOBAL VILLAGE, TO THINK FOR EVEN A SECOND OF TIME, THAT I DON'T LOVE THE PLACE I RESIDE. I WOULD VENTURE, IN FACT, THAT I WRITE MORE PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, THAN ANY OTHER GROUP IN OUR TOWN…….ALL ORIGINAL COPY. POINT IS, AS I BEGAN THIS BLOG, PUBLIC RELATIONS IS TAKING A BEATING IN OUR TOWN, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THESE UNFORTUNATE EMPLOYEE EVENTS, WHICH GOES BACK ALMOST TWO YEARS…..BUT IS STILL CLEAR IN OUR MINDS……AND BANKED-UPON BY CURRENT EVENTS. THE TOWN NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS, BEYOND CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND FORMER EMPLOYEES. THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE IS STARTING TO PILE UP, BUT I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE COUNCILLORS ARE AWARE, HOW OUR TOWN IS BEING VIEWED THESE DAYS, FOR THOSE WE WISH TO ATTRACT HERE……TO HANDLE OUR ADMINISTRATION. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HIRE FROM THE LOCAL TALENT POOL.
WE DON'T NEED SPIN MASTERS BUT RATHER, SENSIBLE PROPORTION. "WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?"
As I've harped on for quite some time, the bigger problem with all of the above, is that there are still councillors holding out for a miracle, that all the debacles of this administration will cease and go away…..soon. I'm pretty sure, that if I found a councillor who thought this, and believed in fairy dust to correct all that is wrong, I could walk right up to them and say, "Your are deluded," and not be more than a hair's breadth from the hitting the proverbial nail on the head. The need for damage control, also in a proverbial sense, is well…….closing the barn door after the horses have been gone for a week…….and then expecting them to still be inside. The naive quality is okay for some, because there are a lot of these situations arising, they haven't experienced before, as rookie councillors. I don't think two years is enough time to drink it all in, but this term of office, has been more like dunking in the thick of adverse experience; versus a slow immersion, inch by inch, step by step, into the murky centre of the job description. And while I know that many of the problems were rooted in a previous administration, and catapulted into their term rather unceremoniously, trial by fire hasn't shown the most positive results……if it could under any circumstance. There are councillors going home after meetings, and conversations with constituents, thinking……"Why, why did I run for office." I imagine that if there were do-overs, we might see some new faces on council. It doesn't have anything to do with competence, because even the most experienced councillors and staff, are feeling the heat of the past two years, and the wear on their resolve to remain for the balance. So where is the problem rooted, because there is a problem right?
If you stick a pressure cooker on a stove burner, and decide to go for a nap, one really wouldn't need a specialist in risk management, to reckon the pot would blow-up in short order. What I sense about Gravenhurst Council, is that individual councillors do want to let off some steam. There are some personal feelings that are being contained, about the municipal experience, that should be known by the public……which, I've got to tell you as a news hound, would give us all a different perspective than we have now, about town problems being left unresolved. I'm not suggesting we need whistle-blowers…..but that would be refreshing. Rather, we need those gnarled old lovers of democracy, who have a voice, to speak up about what's bugging them other than me. Yet for some reason of insecurity, these people won't volunteer opinions in council, or outside, because of the potential of undetermined fall out. Is it an imagined fear? There aren't any dungeons beneath the council chamber? Are there? Does the mayor administer spankings to those who break rank? A rogue councillor isn't put in a stockade, and hit with ripe fruit? Is it an impediment to our right to know? Not everything is unanimous at town hall, and we have seen examples of that, under duress, most recently. There's more. Like the pressure cooker…..one day it's going to blow. I think more likely, it's going to result in a council resignation, and I would hate to see this. I might have a problem with the democracy of council, but I still don't want it to ever end in such a defeat, that generates a resignation. Instead, I want them to have a verbal donnybrook or two, and get some stuff on the table that's been simmering in the wings. Stop worrying about litigation. Stop being frightened by communication protocols. Stop being so darn secretive and retentive. We need open-dialogue around this town, like a super-duper laxative. We're really bound up, and it shows.
Call me an old fuddy duddy, but I do not believe the tail should ever wag the dog. It's against the sensible proportion of nature, as with a dog, and it's painfully debilitating to the functioning well-being of democracy, in the broadest sense. In government, there is the power of knowledge and experience, and civil servants hold the clear balance of power. So who really calls the shots? There are critics of local government, who adamantly believe, the turbulence today is coming from employees, and not the elected officials. Is this true? If it is, then here's an idea. Fix it! Democracy needs its historic dynamic to function. But I have more than just a hunch, that councillors are aware of the power brokers of this four year term. Are they scared of stepping on these bigger than big toes? I don't mind if it is someone we voted into office……but if it's someone we employ…..well, then it's time to change with the seasons. Take back democracy. Maybe this could be the motto for the next two years, which hopefully will settle town hall down, to a degree or so below controversial. If councillors don't believe this has been a controversial two year jag? Then of course, they should vacate office immediately, and let someone else take over, who appreciates just how vulnerable we are…..and how bad we look in Muskoka……that even One Muskoka is taking the opportunity to pitch downsizing. For once, I'm starting to think they've got a point.
What the Town has done for us critics, jammed shoulder to shoulder in the peanut gallery, parallels the re-setting of the bowling pins in the alley. We've lost a fair few staff members, and now we are inviting more to apply. So we can watch for ourselves, just how long the new employees stick around. And if, as we suspect, there is something at town hall, causing a major itch, we think we're getting close to finding what's causing it. The best plan, is to fix the source of the irritation now, before we invite more unsuspecting souls, into the quagmire. We will most definitely be demanding accountability, and clear, concise answers, the very next time, we sense unfairness at town hall. At present, we're just wondering what it's all about. In Gravenhurst, it's about all you can do!
Thank you for joining today's blog. You're always welcome to read along, and comment. Keep your stick on the ice.
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