Coles notes version of Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

November 5th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Some thoughts and observations on the Committee of the Whole meeting that took place on Monday.

The number of city hall employees who quit increased by more than 80% during January to October 31st, 2019 when measured against the 2018 numbers for the same period.

Sharman at transit

Councillor Sharman explaining his Father.

Councillor Sharman told the world that his 98 year old father still drives a car, has a new girlfriend and is moving into a condo.

The difference in salary for people holding senior jobs who have decided to work somewhere else was reported to be as high as $15k to $20k

Retirements are up 67% over last year.

Council went into a closed session to discuss an Appendix to a report from Human Resources Director Laura Boyd who has told the city that there are some serious problems with the city’s pay rate.

Commisso stare

City manager Tim Commisso spoke about the The Evolution of the Customer Experience.

They also went into Closed Session to discuss The Evolution of the Customer Experience. The report came from the hands of the City Manager who delivered it to Council late in the evening.  That customer being you.

Mayor Meed Ward made it clear that she wanted to see more action and less waiting for reports from outside consultants.
Centurions are going to get a lot more attention in the months and years ahead. There are plans in the works to pay much more attention to those who have lived for 100 years. The city has literally dozens of them.

Lining up for a Brown Bag lunch - annual Seniors' Centre event held at Central Park this year. Last year the LaSalle Park event got rained out.

Lining up for a Brown Bag lunch – annual Seniors’ Centre event held at Central Park this year.

The Seniors’ Centre is said to be busting at the seams – but there are no plans to build another one elsewhere in the city. Councillor Stolte didn’t see it that way and let the meeting know that she thought it was time to look for a location north of the QEW.

Councillor Sharman let it be known that he thinks Freeman Station should be operated by the Museums group.

There is a longish list of projects the city has been asked to take on – but they aren’t funded. Shortfall is $720,000 in 2020 alone.

Meed Ward with chain Sept 23-19

Mayor wants the city to be “nimble, agile and to move quickly

Mayor Meed Ward told her colleagues that she is a little jaded on “plans”. She said she thinks she has seen four or five on transit alone.

She added that “we know we are going to plant thousands of trees – why do we need to wait until a plan is written?”

She wants city staff to be “nimble, agile and to move quickly”

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

3 comments to Coles notes version of Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting

  • Penny Hersh

    I have to agree with the Mayor. There are some issues that should be able to handled quickly “in house”. It seems that staff don’t want to make a decision with outside consultants backing. Why? Is staff not able to make some of these recommendations to council on their own?

    • David

      Is the problem that this staff are unable to do the jobs they are paid to do? Or is it that council does not trust them to do the jobs they are paid to do? Because you only really need to hire consultants if you don’t have that particular expertise on your staff.
      Maybe we should just privatize the whole thing and be done with it.

  • David

    Oh dear me no Madam Mayor! you can’t just go around just doing things! That would never do.
    Committee’s have to be appointed, consultants hired, plans to be drawn up.
    (recommend watching an old British comedy called ‘Yes Minister’)