WHEN BIG IDEAS FALL, DO THEY MAKE A SOUND? NOT REALLY! JUST RED FACES

There isn’t anything wrong with council hopefuls coming up with new business plans to improve the economic diversity of our town. As long as each proponent appreciates that many, many grand schemes have crashed and burned before, when presented by candidates who have been doing nothing more than “idea snatching” from other municipalities, and attempting to bedazzle us here in the Ontario hinterland. We’ve heard them all. And when councillors showcase them at the all candidates meeting, the chortling shouldn’t be taken personally.....but honestly, some are pretty funny not to mention impractical even in a robust economy.

First of all, it takes a lot to impress us, because we’ve heard so many grandiose, “out of the old ball-park” plans for turning us into a four seasons economic dynamo......and very few have come to fruition over many decades of election promising. What these candidates forget is the actual council process, and that it is less than likely the new council will make fulfilling your promises a first or fourth-term priority. For those who want to restore our economic vibrancy, it will begin with a new and sensible spending policy. Frankly this is the only place to start. Finding out just how deep we’re in, when all the bills are tallied, and how we’re going to get many left-over projects covered on limited funds.

I like “idea” people but I prefer “hard working” and “patient, detail-oriented” municipal representatives, who realize what post recession recovery means for investment activity, and why frugality is the operative measure for the town over the next term of office. The “big plan” proponents are just trying to win votes and I can’t be bothered with their nonsense. I’m impressed by the first-time candidate who admits being hungry for experience and eager to learn more about the inner workings of the town. The inner reality of municipal governance, is in fact, the required ground level course, before any idea to transform our community can be sensibly proportioned to the prevailing limitations of support, authority and market potential. So we can talk about a main street mall and all kinds of commercial installations that might benefit our community, but considering the poorer than poor relationship between the town and the BIA, there are quite a few healing steps to take before introducing another intrusion upon an open wound. My advice to all candidates for election, is that they recognize the critical importance of immediately rebuilding the relationship with the main street business community.....because it is a core issue and a goodwill deficit. While the town must not be subservient, it must provide leadership and order, and if unattainable, seek approval on all sides to abandon the association in favor of something that may be more workable. But the relationship can not continue to falter, as it has been.

The collateral damage is very much an unsettling reality to the whole town, because you don’t have to be a main street merchant to know all about the ongoing feuding, within and externally. Eager councillors, who want to make this a term of change, can start with the BIA, facing one of the toughest challenges in their own history.....a high vacancy rate, lack lustre enthusiasm to open new shops on the main street, and the earth movers, as construction adds another challenge to the already stressed corridor. The leader of this initiative must be the newly elected mayor, and it would be advisable in advance to procure a really nice olive branch, to initiate a peace, first, and a plan for restoration of relations, second. Just don’t expect the town hall / fire hall debate to quell for a wee bit. As Ricky Ricardo frequently blurted, “You’ve got a lot of splaining to do Lucy!”

Town hall needs to bring about a greater level of co-operation between the business nodes and the main street, and this is one of those grand ideas I would heartily support.......and if it was to fail initially, it is definitely one that should be tried over and over until a new relationship is forged.

There is a confidence problem in this town that may be at historic levels, and the animosity will show itself in this election in a variety of forms. This isn’t the best incentive to vote, this get even attitude, but it’s one we’ll have to live with for now. It’s up to the residents of this town to start the process of rebuilding relations with town hall, by informing councillors that old values of neighborliness and helpfulness, mutual respect and hometown pride, trump all other big ideas, because if we continue to let things fester, as they have, that divide in confidence between town hall and us, will cause a catastrophic dysfunction that will derail the really good initiatives that will help our community.

Truth is, I have never lived in a more neighborly community than Gravenhurst, and it’s the reason we remain here, work here, and operate three businesses all with this town as the home address. It is a precious resource, this neighborliness thing, and it’s time to nurture it back to good health for all to benefit. Once again, it involves enlightenment. That is the asset of a truly dynamic council representative.