Town Hall Needs To Look At Town Hall; A Troubling Disconnect From Us

TOWN HALL NEEDS TO LOOK AT TOWN HALL - MAKE SOME CHANGES THAT MAKE SENSE

THE DISCONNECT THAT IS HARD NOT TO NOTICE

     A WEEK AGO YESTERDAY, I DID WHAT ANY CONSCIENTIOUS CITIZEN OF THIS TOWN SHOULD HAVE DONE, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I'M NOT A HERO, A PARTICULARLY GOOD SAMARITAN, OR A DUDLEY DOOLRIGHT. JUST SOMEONE WHO IS PROUD ENOUGH OF MY TOWN, TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN WHAT KIND OF VANDALISM OCCURS, TO EQUIPMENT MY TAX DOLLARS HELPED TO PURCHASE. AS WELL, I DON'T LIKE COWARDS. A COWARD INSCRIBED THEIR OPINION, WITHOUT ADDING THEIR NAME TO THE OFFERING. I MAY HAVE MY GRIEVANCES WITH TOWN COUNCIL, BUT THIS WAS THE KIND OF LOW BLOW YOU DON'T LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR HOMETOWN. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. SEND A NOTE TO THE MAYOR. BUT VANDALIZING THE BENCHES THE TAXPAYERS PAID FOR, IS A CRIMINAL ACT. WRITING OUT AN INFLAMMATORY OPINION OF LOCAL LEADERSHIP, NAMED IN BOLD PRINT, IS AWFULLY CLOSE TO LIBEL TO BOOT. I DID MY CIVIC DUTY, BY LETTING A TOWN REPRESENTATIVE KNOW THAT SOME OFFENSIVE AND PERSONAL GRAFFITI, HAD BEEN IMPRINTED ON NUMEROUS PICNIC TABLE TOPS IN GULL LAKE PARK…..SERIOUSLY IMPLICATING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. GUESTS TO OUR TOWN AND LOCALS VISITING THE PARK THAT DAY, GOT TO READ SOME DEROGATORY COMMENTS WHILE HAVING THEIR PICNIC LUNCHES. WHEN THE EVENING CONCERT PATRONS BEGAN GATHERING, FOR THE 7:30 P.M. SHOW, THEY ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE MATERIAL. IT WAS ALSO IN PLAIN VIEW ON THE LOWER WOODWORK, OF THE RAMP, LEADING OUT TO THE BARGE, AND THE MESSAGE WAS ABOUT AS CIVIC AND PERSONAL AS YOU CAN GET. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE THE NIMROD WHO INKED THESE OFFENSIVE COMMENTS, ANY CREDIT HERE, AND IN FACT, I WASN'T EVEN GOING TO MENTION IT…..EXCEPT FOR ONE STRIKING REALITY. WHEN I EMAILED THE REPRESENTATIVE, I WAS INFORMED IN RETURN, THAT THE GRAFFITI HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED EARLIER, AND YES, SOME WERE PARTICULARLY NASTY AND HURTFUL TO OUR MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. THE REASON I WAS ALARMED THE EDITORIALS WERE STILL IN PLACE, WAS THAT THERE HAD BEEN A BARGE CONCERT THAT NIGHT, AND QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HAD READ, AND COMMENTED ABOUT THE FACT; (AND LAUGHING ABOUT IT). THEY ASSUMED, IN AUDIBLE DEBATES, THAT THE ASSORTMENT OF CRITIQUES HAD BEEN WRITTEN ONTO THE WOODWORK, EARLIER THAT DAY. TRUTH IS, THEY WERE NOTICED AND REPORTED TO TOWN HALL MUCH EARLIER, AND COULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY PRESUMABLY PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF, WELL BEFORE THE SUNDAY CONCERT. NOW THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE, RIGHT? WHAT IS THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, THAT WOULD FUMBLE THAT PRIORITY RECOVERY EFFORT…..TO GET THOSE COMMENTS OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW? THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE, WHEN THIS SIMPLE, FUNDAMENTAL, PHYSICAL EFFORT IS DEEMED WORK FOR ANOTHER DAY. IF I WAS MAYOR, WELL SIR, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE IN MOMENTS OF HEARING OF THE NATURE OF THE GRAFFITI, REMOVING EACH AND EVERY LETTER WITH MY TWO GNARLED HANDS. AND NOT ONLY THE STUFF WRITTEN ABOUT ME. THE WHOLE TOWN WAS INSULTED BY THESE COMMENTS. EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ERASED AS SOON AS IT BECAME KNOWN.

     MY SUGGESTION WAS, VIA EMAIL, THAT BEFORE HUNDREDS MORE GUESTS TO GRAVENHURST, READ ABOUT OUR TOWN COUNCIL, IT WOULD BE A REASONABLE PLAN, TO HAVE THE WORDS BELT-SANDED INTO DUST…..OR PAINTED OVER. IMAGINE THE SURPRISE, OF FINDING OUT, THAT AT THE VERY NEXT BARGE CONCERT, LAST EVENING, THE BRIEF EDITORIALS WERE STILL LARGELY IN PLACE, EXCEPT FOR POSSIBLY A FEW. THE BOLD STATEMENT IN BLACK LETTERING, VISIBLE JUST BELOW THE RAMP TO THE BARGE, WAS NICE AND CLEAR FOR THE MANY OUT OF TOWN GUESTS, WHO WERE SITTING ON THE FLAT OF THE TARMAC RAMP, WITH A CLEAR UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE VANDAL'S OPINION OF THE MAYOR. I MIGHT BE A PAIN IN THE ASS TO COUNCIL, BUT I AM A FIERCE DEFENDER OF PROTOCOL AND PUBLIC DECENCY, AND IF I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHOT AT COUNCIL, I WILL SIGN MY WORK. I THOUGHT THAT BY CONTACTING A TOWN REPRESENTATIVE, THAT THE OFFENSIVE STATEMENTS WOULD BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. NOT BY HAPPENSTANCE. NOT BY….."WE'LL GET AROUND TO IT!" IMMEDIATELY. OUR TOWN REPUTATION WAS COMPROMISED JUST AS MUCH AS THE INDIVIDUALS NAMED. SO TO FIND THAT IN MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS, OF BEING WELL KNOWN BY TOWN STAFF AND REPRESENTATIVES, BY GOLLY, PATRONS OF THE BARGE CONCERT THIS WEEK, ALSO GOT THE CHANCE TO READ THE SAME CITIZEN'S TARGETED OPINIONS, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. RIGHT THERE BESIDE THE SOFT DRINKS AND FRIES ON THE PICNIC TABLE. WHY? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REMEDY A SITUATION LIKE THIS? WHAT IS THE EXCUSE? WHEN OUR TOWN IS BEING HAMMERED LIKE THIS…..I'D LIKE TO KNOW AS A CITIZEN, THAT WE ARE QUICK TO RESPOND AS A MUNICIPALITY. IT WAS UNFORGIVABLE TO HAVE HAD THESE NASTY COMMENTS IN PLACE, FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. SOMEONE IS AT FAULT.  AND NOT JUST THE VANDAL. HONESTLY, I WANTED TO ERASE THEM MYSELF, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN. I'D BE THE ONE CHARGED FOR VANDALISM.

     WHEN I WRITE ABOUT MY CONCERNS, ABOUT COUNCIL'S INABILITY TO APPRECIATE STUFF GOING ON UNDER ITS MUNICIPAL NOSE, THIS STANDS OUT AS A PRIME CASE IN POINT. AT THE OPERA HOUSE, IT WAS AS CLEAR AS CLEAR, THAT LOSING A GOOD CHUNK OF STAFF WAS REASON TO INVESTIGATE. THEY DID NOTHING. THEY JUST LET IT HAPPEN. EVEN A GENERAL QUESTION AND ANSWER FOR DEPARTING STAFF, MIGHT HAVE ENLIGHTENED OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHAT WAS DETERIORATING UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S WATCH. IT'S A SMALL TOWN. THEY HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT THEY DECIDED TO STAY UNINVOLVED…..BECAUSE BEING INVOLVED, WOULD HAVE MEANT TRUMPING A DEPARTMENT HEAD WITH AN INTERVENTION. IN THE OLD DAYS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INFORMAL COFFEE-TIME CHAT WITH ALL THE AFFECTED PARTIES, WITH SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS, UNHAPPY WITH THE TURN OF EVENTS IN THEIR TOWN. HAVE WE GROWN SO LARGE NOW, THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS KIND OF THING ANY MORE? I TOOK MY TIME TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM AT GULL LAKE PARK. I'M BUSY TOO. BUT SOME THINGS ARE JUST TOO IMPORTANT TO BRUSH OFF, AS THE FOG OF MUNICIPAL BUSINESS. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE TOWN DOES NOT APPRECIATE FULLY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED AT THE OPERA HOUSE FOR THE FUTURE. THE PRESS ISN'T INTERESTED IN THIS STORY. IT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES THESE DAYS…..BUT WHETHER IT IS NOTICED OR NOT…..THE CRUMBS LEFT BEHIND, IS THE EVIDENCE NEEDED TO FORM AN OPINION. SOMETHING IS WRONG AT TOWN HALL. COLLATERAL DAMAGE IS A NASTY BEAST. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE, IS THAT IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THE NORMAL COURSE. AN UNHEALTHY STATUS QUO……IF ANY STATUS QUO IS HEALTHY AT ALL.

     

BYLAW CAR CHALKING!!!

     I WAS COMING AROUND THE CORNER, ONTO THE MAIN STREET, THE OTHER DAY, ON THE WAY TO OUR SHOP, WHEN I OVERHEARD TWO LOCALS I KNEW, TALKING ABOUT "ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE," COMING DOWN THE STREET. AS I ALWAYS LIKED THOSE TWO CARTOON CHARACTERS, WHEN I WAS A KID, I TURNED AND STRAINED MY NECK TO SEE IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF BUSINESS PROMOTION…….BRINGING THOSE LOVABLE RASCALS OUT OF RETIREMENT AS PRODUCT MASCOTS. THESE MOTORISTS, JUST LEAVING THEIR CARS TO GO INTO THE BANK, WERE REFERRING TO THE TWO BYLAW PERSONNEL, CHALKING TIRES ON THE MAIN STREET. I WAS DISAPPOINTED. THESE WERE JUST TWO SEASONAL EMPLOYEES, WORKING FOR THE BYLAW DEPARTMENT. BUT OBVIOUSLY, THE OPINION OF THEIR WORK IS NOT SO FLATTERING. I DON'T BLAME THE EMPLOYEES CHARGED WITH CRACKING DOWN ON PARKING OFFENDERS. I DO BLAME THE TOWN FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVE OPTICS, FOR A TOURISM-DEPENDENT TOWN, THAT APPARENTLY ONLY CARES ABOUT TOURISM WHEN IT COMES TO ENVISIONING SESSIONS……WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO MENTION IT AT ALL……FOR POLITICAL ASTUTENESS IN FRONT OF OTHERS…..INCLUDING THE FICKLE MEDIA. THIS IS NOT TORONTO. IT'S NOT EVEN THE SIZE OF MOST WARDS IN THE CITY. THIS IS A SMALL RURAL ONTARIO TOWN. ONE THAT SEEMS TO ENJOY TOSSING DOWN OBSTACLES TO TRIP OVER. THEY BURN THE BRIDGE AT BOTH ENDS, AND THEN AT THE MIDDLE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS LOOKED AFTER.

     WE PRACTICE THE "FORWARD-BACKWARD" PRINCIPLE A LOT IN THIS TOWN. WE ARE A TOURIST TOWN, WE NEED THE TOURIST INVESTMENT, WE'RE TRYING TO REVITALIZE THE MAIN STREET, KEEP BUSINESSES OPEN AND THRIVING ON THE MAIN STREET, YET WE SEND THIS MUNICIPAL TWOSOME ALONG OUR UPTOWN CORRIDOR, TO BUST OFFENDERS OF THE RIDICULOUS HOUR MAXIMUM FOR PARKING. THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS "WELCOME TO GRAVENHURST" LIKE A BYLAW OFFICER AND A CHALK-STICK. IT'S THREATENING, FIRST OF ALL, AND IT DOES NOT PUT OUR GUESTS AT EASE, TO SHOP ON THE MAIN STREET. I REMEMBER SEEING THIS SAME TWOSOME GOING AFTER PATRONS OF THE OPERA HOUSE, EARLIER IN JUNE, AND BAGGING SOME VIPS IN THE PROCESS. "THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOW BETTER, RIGHT?" THERE IS A MOVE TO PRESSURE THE TOWN INTO INCREASING THE MAIN STREET PARKING BUDGET TO TWO HOURS. MAKES SENSE. OR, AND I HATE SAYING THIS, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE PARKING METERS ON THE STREET, WHERE WE COULD AT LEAST PAY FOR THE EXTRA TIME WE NEED, TO BE PARKED WHERE WE NEED TO BE.  AND MERCHANTS WOULD ALSO HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF THROWING SOME COINS INTO THE METERS, TO BUY THEIR CUSTOMERS SOME EXTRA TIME. THIS WAS DONE BY A SEGMENT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN BRACEBRIDGE, IN THE PAST, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A BRILLIANT PLAN…..AND GOOD BUSINESS. WE NEED OUR CUSTOMERS TO BE AS HAPPY AS POSSIBLE……AND HONESTLY, WHEN YOU SEE BYLAW FOLKS COMING AT YOU, EVEN IF YOU'VE JUST THEN PARKED ON THE STREET, IT IS AN INTRUSION ON THE MIND. NO ONE ON THIS EARTH WANTS TO GET A PARKING TICKET FOR SHOPPING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE TOWN SHOULD BE CONSULTING THE MAIN STREET MERCHANTS NOW. BUT MAYBE TOWN HALL COULD SUGGEST OF ITS OFFICERS, THAT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF BYLAW ENFORCEMENT BETTER SERVED IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, THAN TAGGING THE PEOPLE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE AS CUSTOMERS.

     IN OUR SHOP…..AN HOUR SLIPS BY, AND THERE'S STILL MORE TO LOOK AT. HAVING PEOPLE SAY TO US, "SORRY, I HAVE TO GO NOW, BECAUSE MY HOUR IS UP," MAKES US CRAZY MAD, AND HONESTLY, REVITALIZATION IS POINTLESS, UNTIL AN ISSUE LIKE THIS…..WHICH IS PRETTY FUNDAMENTAL, IS RESOLVED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE MAIN STAKE HOLDERS. OR YES, THE PLAZA AREAS AND THE WHARF WILL KICK OUR ASSES DOWN THE PROVERBIAL ROAD. WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH AREAS THAT HAVE NO PARKING RESTRICTIONS. A PRETTY SIMPLE ISSUE TO RESOLVE. PUT THE PARKING BYLAW ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE, ON THE MAIN STREET, ON HIATUS FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER. THE TOWN DOES IT FOR ALMOST TEN MONTHS OF THE YEAR. CARE TO CONTEST THIS? IF WE ONLY CHALK TIRES, AND GIVE PARKING TICKETS FOR ONE HOUR VIOLATIONS, FOR TWO SUMMER MONTHS, THEN THE BYLAW IS BEING SELECTIVELY ENFORCED AND THUS, COULD BE CHALLENGED IN COURT. BUT WHO NEEDS THIS? WHY NOT JUST STOP AND CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVES……AND LET THE MAIN STREET MERCHANTS CATCH A BREAK FOR TWO CRITICAL SUMMER MONTHS? IF THE TOWN CAN BE SELECTIVE ABOUT ENFORCEMENT IN THE OFF-SEASON, THEY CAN DO SO DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.

     THANK YOU FOR VISITING THIS CRABBY OLD MAN OF GRAVENHURST.