More on Sidewalk Snow Clearing

Kearney councillors Barry Dingwall and Steve Sainsbury live in Barrie.

The City of Barrie clears their sidewalks.

Kearney Deputy Mayor Art Murdy lives in Sudbury.

The City of Sudbury clears his sidewalks.

Kearney councillor Louise Wadsworth and Mayor Paul Tomlinson live in Proudfoot.

There are no sidewalks in Proudfoot.

Kearney councillors Ken Ball and Yvonne Wills actually live in Kearney! 

But do not have sidewalks.

See now why Council doesn't give a rat's ass if a few stupid Townies have to clear their own sidewalks?

Are you surprised?

Council's Latest Trick

Since the new council took office last year, council meetings have been held at 7PM on Friday nights so, according to Mayor Paul Tomlinson, cottagers and working townsfolk can easily attend:

"[Weekend meetings] was a big issue that was in my campaign platform and we heard from the public, in no uncertain terms, if we are to [be] open and transparent Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm does not allow residents of Kearney to attend the council meetings."

And attendance didn't increase one iota.

At least not because of the new and improved day and time. Attendance has only increased recently because of huge delegations of pissed off residents trying (unsuccessfully) to get council to do something for the Town instead of themselves for a change. "You want Council to apply for provincial/federal grant money for road improvements the Town won't fund? We've got better things to do. Next!"

Now, Mayor Tomlinson and council are backing away from their commitment to greater accessibility and starting the meetings at 6PM, but still advertising on the Town's website that meetings start at 7. So anyone hoping to attend the Question Period will discover they've arrived an hour too late. "Gosh, Council would have loved to have answered your questions about the current mess the town is in, but you came too late. Next!"

And even if people know that meetings really start at 6PM, does Tomlinson really expect that 9-to-5ers and cottagers are going to be able to get there in time? Apparently, Tomlinson doesn't really care all that much "allowing residents of Kearney to attend council meetings" after all. At least not the Question Period part, eh Paul?

Are you surprised?

From the Town of Kearney website, today.

From the minutes of the October 28th Council Meeting

Another Voice Heard

Barrie resident, and sometimes Kearney councillor, Barry Dingwall once described his critics to the newspapers as "a small group of small-minded people". While he still might want to argue that we're "small-minded", he has to admit that the not-so-small number of critics is growing steadily.

The most recent voice of reason comes from Kearney resident Edward Dorion who wrote this Letter to the Editor of the Almaguin News.

Are you surprised?

Council Replaces Rink Attendant with Porta-Potties

Well, you won't have to pee in the bushes, unless you're disabled. The town has installed its portable toilets for skaters this winter now that the lack of a rink attendant will prevent our use of the indoor toilets. Unfortunately, the portable toilets are not wheelchair accessible, so the disabled will have wheel up the road to one of the businesses on Main Street. Hopefully, no one on Main Street went out for the day and the route is clear of ice and snow. (And we know the disabled don't skate, Paul. But they might want to bring their children and grandchildren to the rink.)

But even if you can use the portable toilet, will it be stocked with toilet paper? Where will we wash our hands? (Alcohol hand-rub is not a substitute for handwashing and you can bet it won't be heated.) Is there a change-table for infants? Lights? Hopefully, Who knows, Tough luck, and you probably don't want to see anyway!

Kearney's Lions Club worked hard and raised all the funds through the generosity of the good people of Kearney to build the park pavilion and its washrooms. Didn't cost a single tax-dollar. Previous councils, through good fiscal management and community spirit, provided a part-time rink attendant so that families could enjoy the rink to its fullest. 

But Mayor Paul Tomlinson promised his masters a 9.5% decrease in their municipal property taxes to offset the MPAC increase of 9.5% on their Proudfoot lakefront properties. Then he pissed off every other mayor and reeve within a 100 miles, forcing the town to hire a full-time CBO instead of sharing a CBO with other municipalities, as did every other council before him.

It just goes on and on.

Are you surprised?

Kearney can afford a full-time CBO, but not a rink attendant

We hope skaters don't mind peeing in the bushes this winter. Mayor Paul Tomlinson and his three minions have axed the part-time Rink Attendant job at the Lion's Park skating rink. No attendant, no public washrooms. 

Last year, the attendant did a great job helping young children learn to skate and making sure that older kids didn't get too rambunctious around the younger ones. All the while keeping the washrooms neat and clean, the garbages emptied, and the ice maintained. Not that Proudfooters ever use that stupid Townie rink anyway.

Are you surprised?

Another Good Point

The sidewalk clearing issue seems to have struck a cord with many concerned citizens of Kearney. Another wrote in with this excellent point and a great suggestion:

"The current Council can afford to hire a full-time CBO [It was always a part-time position under previous councils], so why not let Henry Hess earn his $100,000-plus a year and get HIM to shovel the sidewalks? Or, if he's too busy wallpapering the town with tickets and bureaucratic red-tape, or running new businesses out of town, maybe Council can hire someone. They certainly act as though there's money to burn. Like the overtime they spend on town staff for weekend meetings that no cottagers ever attend. Or the money they WILL spend [again] if someone slips on ice because some little old lady's pension check couldn't cover the cost of having rock salt delivered with her groceries. A**holes."

Will Mayor Paul Tomlinson, or any of the other Proudfoot Four (Councillors Steve Sainsbury, Barry Dingwall, and Louise Wadsworth) step up and declare they were wrong? Never. Tomlinson has never admitted to being wrong about anything and in the end he'll just continue to whine about how he's "just one voice" and how it's everyone else's fault. As for the other three boot-licks? Well, we all know whose drum they march to. And, of course, Tomlinson would never have Henry Hess out shovelling snow when he could be out ticketing the crap out of the townsfolk or chasing off new business (unless they're planning to do business in Proudfoot). No sidewalks in Proudfoot...

Are you surprised?

Consider This:

A concerned citizen wrote us with some additional thoughts on the Sidewalk Snow Clearing bylaw issue.


Scenario 1:

An owner or tenant of a property, worried about being fined, is outside in the middle of a winter storm, furiously shovelling snow and chopping ice on the sidewalk.

He or she would certainly not be doing this miserable job (which the Town is responsible for under provincial law) were it not for the bylaw and the ever-circling Henry Hess. What happens if the homeowner or tenant is injured? He or she may suffer a disabling back injury or a heart attack from lifting the heavy snow. Would the Town be liable?

If so...


Scenario 2:

An owner or tenant of a property throws out his back while carrying firewood. In agony, he or she grabs a snow-shovel and stumbles out front to collapse on the sidewalk, where they wait for Mayor Tomlinson to show up with his chequebook.

Tomlinson's Winter Cash Cow

This week's Almaguin News ran an article on Kearney's new by-law that requires citizens to clear the sidewalk adjacent to their properties. Like the roads, sidewalks are municipal property, but no one expects residents to clear the roads in front of their properties. But Mayor Paul Tomlinson is already counting the bucks that By-law Enforcement Officer (and sometimes CBO) Henry Hess will be able to pull in when Townies are away and can't shovel the snow off municipal property.

And as usual, Tomlinson doesn't care that in 2000 the Ontario Court of Appeals ruled that sidewalk clearing is the municipality's job regardless of by-laws or fines:

“snow and ice accumulating on public sidewalks . . . are the legal responsibility of the municipality, not the property owner.”

Councillor Barry Dingwall - who doesn't live in Kearney and probably won't be seen much after he closes his cottage -  whines:

“It originally came to us based on some concern by the senior citizens’ club and that’s why we took some action on it and put a bylaw in place. But since that time many of the people who were supposed to be people who were demanding this have come forward and said they would prefer that this bylaw didn’t exist.”

Kearney Dogsled Races 2012

Well duh, Barry. The by-law discriminates against the elderly (and disabled) who would be forced to hire someone to chop ice and shovel snow from their share of the sidewalk, or struggle to do it themselves if their fixed-incomes can't bear the cost. The elderly who asked the Town to keep the sidewalks cleared didn't expect the Town to pass a by-law making them do it! All because (according to Tomlinson) the big, burly men at the Public Works Department can't figure out how to shovel around a lamp post.

Not that the Proudfoot Four or their Fat-Cat buddies care one way or the other. Tomlinson and Wadsworth need every cent they can shake out of Kearney and its citizens to get that 9.5% for the ruling-class in Proudfoot; Everything else is our tough luck.

Mayor Tomlinson caps off his interview with the Almaguin News by saying that a new sidewalk plow would cost about $100,000. Sure, if you're planning to plow the sidewalks with a Ferrari. The truth of the matter is that a used machine can be purchased from a reputable dealer for a fraction of that (around 10 to 15 thousand), which would be fine given that Kearney has a relatively short run of sidewalk.

But with Mayor Tomlinson it's never about solutions. It's always about why it can't be done: There's a stupid lamp post in the way, stupid snow shovels cost millions of dollars, I'm just one voice. Or who's to blame: The stupid previous council put the lamp post in the wrong place, the stupid seniors won't shovel the town's sidewalks, the stupid taxpayers don't want to pay taxes, I'm just one voice.

Are you surprised?

Footnote: It's since been confirmed with the original engineering firm that the lampposts are exactly where they were supposed to placed per the plans. Nice try, Paul.

The Hole Just Gets Deeper

Remember how Mayor Paul Tomlinson and Councillor Louise Wadsworth reduced the 2011 tax rate by 9.5% to offset the 9.5% increase in Proudfoot waterfront property taxes? As you may recall, Tomlinson and Wadsworth had to take money out of town's Reserves and forced a 5% reduction in departmental budgets. Then, when it was discovered that there was a huge surplus from 2010 (thanks to the previous council), this money was rolled into the 2011 Budget as "Working Capital".

This sounds a little complicated but basically it means that Tomlinson and Wadsworth skinned the 2011 Budget to the bone. They are not getting the revenues they expected and the departments can't meet the 5% reduction. That budget that Tomlinson had promised to deliver in 60 days (it actually took him more than 3 months) is a FAIL.

So, they have already sacrificed our town's future by taking from Reserves. Now the surplus the previous council gained last year, which should go into the Reserves, is being used up as so-called 'Working Capital'. 

Think of it like this:

In 2010 you worked extra hard and saved a lot of money (for home repairs, a new furnace, your kid's education, etc.). But then in 2011, you decide to put your feet up and not to work at all and just use your 2010 savings to pay the bills. Hey, the bills are getting paid, so what's the big deal, right? And if your spouse asks you if your spending your kid's college fund, you say, "No, honey! It's 'Working Capital'". 

Welcome to Kearney.

We are still 3 months away from the end of the year and the town's out of money, so stay tuned. It will be interesting to see how Tomlinson wiggles out of this one. Or who he blames for this monumental screw-up.

Are You Surprised?