Gravenhurst? "What's the buzz, tell me what's been happening".

ON THE MUNICIPAL BEAT HERE IN GRAVENHURST - WHAT'S THE BUZZ

BIA EXPANSION ON HOLD - OR JUST OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT?

     THE BIA EXPANSION PLAN FOR GRAVENHURST? HERE'S ONE TO WATCH, IF YOU LIKE BUDDING MYSTERIES. SOMEONE IN THE AFFECTED ZONE, SUBJECT TO THE RECENTLY DECLARED EXPANSION PROPOSAL, WAS WONDERING ALOUD THE OTHER DAY, WHETHER IT WAS STILL A GOING CONCERN….OR HAD IT BEEN WITHDRAWN DUE TO PREAMBLE PROTEST RECEIVED BY TOWN HALL. I OFFERED THE OPINION, THAT IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO LET THE "DUST OF DEBATE" SETTLE A BIT FIRST, AFTER THE FIRST NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, (BURIED IN THE PAPER), HAD REPORTED THE HUGE EXTENT OF THE BOUNDARY CHANGE…..WHICH IS BY COMPARISON, ENORMOUS TO WHAT THE BIA CURRENTLY HAS AS ITS AREA OF TAX TITHE. THERE WASN'T A LOT OF PROTEST BUT THERE WAS DISSENT FOR SURE.

    I AM A TAD SUSPICIOUS, THAT THE CURRENT EXPANSION OF THE TOWN REVITALIZATION ZONE, (A SEPARATE PROGRAM FOR IMPROVEMENT FUNDING) WHICH THE BIA HAS ALSO ADOPTED, AS ITS MUCH-WISHED-FOR NEW BOUNDARY, WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THE SELLING OF THE BIA'S BID TO ALMOST TRIPLE ITS SIZE. WHILE THE TOWN IS QUICK TO QUASH THIS CONNECTEDNESS OF THE TWO PLANS, THERE ARE SOME INCENTIVES BURIED IN THE FIRST PROJECT, THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE ATTRACTIVE TO THE BIA, AND THEIR COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIP…….SUCH AS MONEY BEING AVAILABLE FOR REVITALIZATION PROJECTS DOWN THE ROAD. THEY WILL ARGUE THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO APPLICATIONS, THE BIA BEING THE SECOND OF THE TWO PROPOSALS; BUT NONE THE LESS, I'M SUSPICIOUS. I'M SORRY FOR BEING A SKEPTIC, BUT I'VE WATCHED THIS COUNCIL FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THEY DON'T COLOR INSIDE THE LINES. ITS SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION COULD BE USED AS A FOUNDATION APPROVAL, THAT MAY BE CONVENIENTLY MORPHED INTO THE BIA STRATEGY OF GOOD WILL…….TWO "GOOD FOR TOWN" THINGS FOR REVITALIZATION, IN ONE GLORIOUS MUNICIPAL YEAR. 

    IF OUR BUSINESS WAS IN THE PROPOSED EXPANSION ZONE, I WOULD NOW BE HURRIEDLY POOLING TOGETHER NEIGHBORS, AND ORGANIZING A COMMITTEE TO CHALLENGE THE PLAN, WHICH WILL CERTAINLY BE AN HISTORICAL MILESTONE, AS TAXING SITUATIONS GO; IF OF COURSE, THE BIA SUCCEEDS WITH THE APPLICATION. I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME INTERESTING STICK HANDLING TO COME, AND I WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE THOSE UPSET BY THE EXPANSIONARY AMBITIONS OF THE BIA, TO POOL SOME CASH AS WELL, AS IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO EMPLOY LEGAL REPRESENTATION. THE PEOPLE TO WATCH HERE, ARE GRAVENHURST COUNCILLORS. THE BIA EXECUTIVE HASN'T WITHDRAWN PLANS, UNLESS I MISSED THE FRONT PAGER IN THE LOCAL PRESS, SO COUNCIL HAS TO GUAGE PUBLIC CONSENSUS, AND WHETHER OR NOT TO BACK THE PROPOSED EXPANSION. THIS IS A BIG DEAL, AND I'M CONCERNED, LIKE OTHER ACTIONS OF COUNCIL, THAT THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE MADE THEIR OFF-THE-RECORD DECISION, ON WHETHER TO KILL IT BEFORE IT GOES ANY FURTHER, OR LET IT RUN ITS COURSE; AND POSSIBLY SUPPORT IT AS "THE WAY FORWARD." ONE NEED NOT LOOK FURTHER THAN THE NEW DIRECTION OF THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE, TO BE FOREVER SUSPICIOUS OF TOWN COUNCIL. THE PUBLIC'S INVOLVEMENT? NONE! YET WE'VE GOT SUMMER THEATRE BACK, WITH OR WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL. IF THE PUBLIC WAS BYPASSED ON THIS, WHICH WAS A HUGE AND RISKY INVESTMENT, CAN WE COUNT ON THEM TO BE FORTHCOMING ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS COMMUNITY PROPOSALS IN THE HISTORY OF THIS TOWN? I'M GOING TO SAY…..THEY WILL BE EAGER TO PUT THIS TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY. AND YES, I AM AN OPTIMIST BEHIND THIS CRITIQUE'S DEMEANOR.

     HERE'S MY BEEF WITH GRAVENHURST COUNCIL. I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY THE BIA IS INTERESTED IN EXPANDING ITS BOUNDARY. IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY. MORE ACREAGE, MORE FOLKS TO TITHE TO THE PROGRAM. THEY NEED THE INCREASED MONEY TO BECOME MORE RELEVANT, BECAUSE AT PRESENT, THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE……SOME LOVE THEM, AND OTHERS WOULD OPT OUT OF THE GROUP IN A HEARTBEAT, IF THAT WAS ALLOWED. MOST JUST TOLERATE BEING PART OF THE PROGRAM, BUT DECLINE GETTING INVOLVED IN EVENTS, OR THE POLITICS OF ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WHAT I AM HOPING, IS THAT COUNCILLORS WHO HAVE BEEN ALMOST NON-ENTITIES, AS FAR AS SHOWING THE RATEPAYERS, WHAT THEY GOT FOR THEIR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, A FEW NOVEMBERS AGO, WILL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXECUTE DUE DILIGENCE ON THEIR OWN, AND LOOK AT THE ISSUE CRITICALLY…..REGARDLESS OF A MOVE BY ANYONE TO PUSH THIS ALONG THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL REVIEW PROCESS.

     THE POINT IS, THE PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO HAVE A FAIR AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HERE, TO CHALLENGE THIS EXPANSION PLAN……WHICH IS BY ALL ACCOUNTS, A MAJOR LAND GRAB INTO THE BIA JURISDICTION. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF TOWN COUNCIL WOULD LOOK AT THIS, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDEEM ITSELF, FOR THOSE SITUATIONS WHEN TRANSPARENCY WAS A WORD BANDIED ABOUT, BUT SOMETHING THIN ON APPLICATION. WE CAN'T GET OUT OF THE BIA. BUT THESE FOLKS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE THIS PROPOSAL…..WHICH IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE ANY TIME NOW. AND I DO THINK THAT WHEN THE NEW REVITALIZATION AREA IS FINALLY APPROVED, AFTER ITS PUBLIC CONSULTATION, IT WILL HERALD WHAT I BELIEVE, IS A SECOND STAGE KIND OF EVENT; THAT WILL GIVE THE BIA SOMETHING TO ADHERE TO……..HOWEVER WEAKLY, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE WHOLE REVITALIZATION CAMPAIGN, AS IT HAS EXISTED FOR THE DOWNTOWN / UPTOWN AREA FOR MANY YEARS NOW. THERE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A LINK OR OBVIOUS CONNECTION…….BUT THE REALITY THE BIA HAS SELECTED THE EXACT SAME BOUNDARIES FOR THEIR EXPANSION…..RIGHT ON THE HEALS OF THE FIRST REVITALIZATION PROPOSAL, DOES SEEM TO THE OLD NEWSHOUND, TO BE FAR TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT……AT LEAST FOR THOSE IN THE AFFECTED AREA, WHO MAY NOT WISH TO BE TAXED BY THE BIA NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.

     MAYBE THIS ISSUE WILL ONLY BE A SMALL POWDER KEG. POSSIBLY THE LAND OWNERS IN THIS ZONE WILL BE OVERJOYED TO BELONG TO THE BIA. YOU NEVER KNOW. IT'S A FUNNY TOWN THAT WAY. I'M JUST WATCHING TO SEE HOW THIS COUNCIL……THAT I HAVE BEEN HIGHLY CRITICAL OF, FARES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS MAJOR REMAKING OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA. IT WILL BE A TEST OF DEMOCRACY HERE, AND I'M HOPEFUL SOME LESSONS HAVE BEEN LEARNED BY THIS COUNCIL, THAT WHETHER IT ACTS IN A TRANSPARENT FASHION OR NOT……CRITICS CAN SEE THROUGH THE FOG OF POLITICS. THIS COULD BE THE DEFINING ACTION OF THIS COUNCIL, TO BE RECORDED IN LOCAL HISTORY, AS EITHER A COME-FROM-BEHIND LEADERSHIP DEMONSTRATION, IN MUSKOKA MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE, OR AS, WELL….. SAME OLD, SAME OLD. THERE IS OPPOSITION TO THIS PLAN MUSTERING AT PRESENT, AND THEY SHOULD AT LEAST BE AWARE OF THIS IN ADVANCE. IT MIGHT MAKE THEM A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT UNDERESTIMATING THE PUBLIC WILL. THEY SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST, BE CURIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MOOD IS LIKE ON THE STREET…..AS REGARDS THIS EXPANSION ISSUE; INCLUDING TALKING TO PRESENT BIA MEMBERS, TO GET A CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT THE BIA MEANS TO THEM…..

     THERE IS A LULL IN THE ACTION. AN UNEASY CALM. WE CAN'T COUNT ON THE MEDIA ANYMORE, TO HAMMER THIS ISSUE ON THE FRONT PAGE, WHERE IT BELONGS. THEY'VE BEEN TREATING THIS HUGE STORY AS IF IT'S SOFT NEWS. IT'S NOT. IT'S A BIG DEAL GETTING TINY ATTENTION. IT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT HAVING A MAIN STREET NEWSPAPER.

     MY INTEREST, AS I'VE STATED BEFORE, IS NOT TO FIGHT THE BIA. IT'S NOT MY PLACE. NOT MY CHOICE OF BATTLES! WE CURRIES HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE BIA AT PRESENT. THEY LEAVE US ALONE, AND WE'LL LEAVE THEM ALONE. IT'S WORKING GREAT. BUT MY PASSION FOR DEMOCRACY WEIGHS VERY HEAVILY ON MY CONSCIENCE, AND MY ONLY ISSUE, IS THAT THIS PROCESS BE ADVANCED BY TOWN COUNCIL, WITH FULL TRANSPARENCY AND NOT JUST WHAT THEY INTERPRET "TRANSPARENCY" AS MEANING, AS A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE…..WHICH I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH SINCE THIS COUNCIL TOOK OFFICE. I AM NOT IN THE BROW-BEATING BUSINESS ANY MORE, BUT IF I SENSE FOR ONE MOMENT, THAT THE PROCESS IS NOT FAIR AND EQUAL TO ONE AND ALL, AFFECTED BY THIS PROJECT, I WILL VOLUNTEER LIKE A BOLT OF LIGHTNING FROM A CLEAR BLUE MUSKOKA SKY, TO HELP DISSENTERS GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS.

     YES, I AM HOPING, THAT THERE WON'T BE A SINGLE REASON TO MENTION THIS APPLICATION, IN A BLOG CRITIQUE, WHEN DEALT WITH BY COUNCIL; BECAUSE IT WILL BE IN THE TRUEST MODEL OF DEMOCRATIC PROTOCOL. I REITERATE, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE BIA SEEKING TO EXPAND ITS URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD. IT NEEDS THE MONEY AND THE SIZE TO BE RELEVANT IN THE FUTURE. IF THEY ARE GOING TO WIN THIS APPLICATION, IT IS FOR COUNCIL TO SET IT UP ON THAT PROVERBIAL "LEVEL PLAYING FIELD" FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF ITS EXAMINATION. I'M SURE EVEN THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE EXPANSION, OF WHICH THERE ARE SOME, OF COURSE, WOULD WANT TO WIN THIS BOLD APPLICATION, FOR A BIGGER SANDBOX, FAIR AND SQUARE. THOSE OPPOSED MAY BE OUTRAGED IF THEY LOSE, BUT IF EVERYTHING IS DONE, WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY……THEN THEY CAN, OF COURSE, APPEAL, OR RUN FOR THE BIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT ELECTION. EVERYONE DESERVES THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT? THEN WHAT?

     THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING THIS LITTLE "BLOGGER LITE" POLITICAL RANT. I WANT TO BE PROVEN WRONG ABOUT MY OPINIONS OF OUR COUNCIL. I REALLY DO! BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY WATCHER IN THE BLEACHERS, MEASURING HOW COUNCIL HANDLES THIS TOUGH CIVIC ISSUE. I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME COUNCILLORS, WHO HAVEN'T SHOWN THEIR TRUE TALENTS, WEIGH IN ON THIS ISSUE….PRO OR CON. STEP AWAY FROM THE LEADERSHIP. DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON IT. WE DEPEND ON IT. EACH COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CONSTITUENTS, TO GIVE THEM A VOICE ON COUNCIL. INSTEAD, THERE SEEMS TO BE RELUCTANCE TO STEP OUT, AS INDIVIDUALS, TO MAKE THEIR OWN OPINIONS KNOWN. GRAVENHURST COUNCIL, AS I HAVE COMPLAINED MANY TIMES BEFORE, IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY……OR IT SHOULDN'T BE! YET IT GIVES EVERY APPEARANCE OF BEING JUST THAT!  SO THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO SOUND-OFF, AND TAKE A STAND, SO THE CONSTITUENTS WILL KNOW WHAT THEIR TRUST HAS MEANT TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY……AND THAT COUNCILLORS AREN'T OPPOSED TO A LITTLE VERBAL DONNYBROOK, NOW AND AGAIN, JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR.