The Seniors thought they were going to work the problems out with the city - instead the city pulled the rug out from under them.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

November 3rd, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The city manager now has a Senior Manager, Government Relations & Strategic Communications to help him get through a day.

Mr. Kwab Ako-Adjei advised us earlier in the week that: “Following a lengthy internal review we have decided not to renew our partnership agreement with the Burlington Senior’s Centre Inc. (BSCI) which will therefore conclude our relationship.

“Through the review we were able to determine that we have the capacity to deliver all the services directly, including those delivered by BSCI. This conclusion in our relationship will have no operational impact on service to the 3800 members of the Seniors Centre. All the programming members have come to enjoy will remain the same including the operation of the Bistro and organization of the day trips. In short it will be business as usual at the Seniors Centre with no changes.”

It is clear now that the internal review was done at city hall with next to no input from the seniors or its board. Fred Hendriks thought they were getting ready to “begin” talking about changes.

In his statement said: “The City and BSCI have been in discussion for many months about BEGINNING negotiations to renew the MOU. BSCI is disappointed that the City chose to end the relationship in this premature and disappointing manner without any BSCI consultation.”

The city decided to just pull the rug from underneath the BSCI board and just tell them that there had been a change in command.

They were given six days’ notice before the locks were changed as it were. Hendriks reports that “On October 26th, 2016 the City notified BSCI that it would assume these responsibilities as of November 1st, 2016.

Chris Glenn

Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation was reported to have never been happy with the Memorandum of Agreement the city signed.

The Parks and Recreation people that are part of the city managers leadership team should have explained that the seniors have to be handled just a little differently – and we might add – with a little more respect.
Are there some of the old arbitrary ways creeping back into city hall?

Mr. Ako-Adjei added that the BSCI Board has not dissolved, the Board is an independent not-for-profit so the City has no authority to dissolve them.

While the board itself may not have been dissolved – the use of the Board Room has been taken from then. The only thing they are able to do is complain.

It was the very loud complaining six years ago that led to the signing of a Memorandum that turned over the running of the operation to the seniors.

There were people within the Parks and Recreation that didn’t like that arrangement which led to the review.

The biggest problem area at the time was the kitchen. In many ways it is the heart of the Centre. They call it the Bistro and is run jointly with the city. The one employee is on the city payroll, mostly because the Centre doesn’t have anyone who can process a payroll and ensure all the proper deductions are made.

With the kitchen manager on the city payroll – the city wanted to ensure they had the required oversight and that was the problem – the seniors didn’t want the city getting involved in the running of the kitchen and the city didn’t want to be in the kitchen either. When there is any food handling involved the city out sources the work.

The Bistro, the heart of the Seniors'entre and the focal point for many of the administrative problems. The new agreement with the city didn't resolve this problem but they have agreed to give it a year to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

The Bistro, the heart of the Seniors’ Centre and the focal point for many of the administrative problems. The 2012 agreement with the city didn’t resolve this problem but they have agreed to give it a year to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

They had a neat little kitchen operation and they wanted to keep it that way. Fine said the city but if the employee is on our payroll there is some liability that lands on the city’s desk and if there was going to be liability – the city wanted control, or at least enough control to be able to manage the problems when they crop up.

City manager Jeff Fielding doesn't win every time. Joe Lamb, negotiating for the Seniors' Centre basically took Fielding to the cleaners with the deal he talked the city into.

Former City manager Jeff Fielding didn’t win this time. Joe Lamb, negotiating for the Seniors’ Centre basically took Fielding to the cleaners with the deal he talked the city into.

And that is where the working relationship between Lamb and Fielding, the city manager came into play. They agreed that an agreement was necessary but they didn’t have one – so they would agree to work together with the revised MOU for a year and during that time let experience and time get put to use to find something that works for everyone.

The reality of this is that the employee is on the city payroll in a building the city owns – that boils down to the city having the final word. That is something the seniors are going to have to accept. Fielding just has to find language that keeps the seniors happy. The seniors all recognise the phrase “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” and they have a year to figure out just how much sugar is going to be needed. The city doesn’t appear to have too many problems spending money on seniors.

Five thousand for incorporation, $9,000, give or take a couple of hundred for insurance – tasting pretty sweet at this point.

The BOM (Board of Management) owns some of the equipment in the kitchen, the city owns the rest. BOM reimburses the City for Maria’s costs and any profit or loss for the kitchen goes to the BOM

The kitchen is rented out many times in the evening and weekends by the city. Both parties share keeping the place clean and for the most part the city is responsible for bigger maintenance and capital items. It is a unique arrangement which seems to work.

BOM doesn’t want to take over the operation of the kitchen; to do so would mean taking on the same contingent liability. The Board turns over quickly with only 2 year terms, and although have some kitchen knowledge there are no assurances that this will continue in the future.

More than 150 members showed up to learn about the new agreement with the city and to vote for it unanimously. quite a difference between this meeting and the 300 members who were angry at a February meeting.

More than 150 members showed up to learn about the new agreement with the city in 2012. The first meeting to explain the problems drew 300 +. City hall just might hear from these folks again.

That’s where things were left five years ago – something went wrong – was it with the city or were there problems with the board that was running the place – there were some personality conflicts with one particular member of that board – was that enough to scrap the relationship and begin to treat the seniors like children that can’t run their own affairs?

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5 comments to The Seniors thought they were going to work the problems out with the city – instead the city pulled the rug out from under them.

  • Lonely Taxpayer

    How hard is it to do a payroll?
    Get an on-line payroll service – enter hours & rate – let the program calculate deductions and remit the employee’s pay (and T4 at year end). D’uh.

  • doug

    Don’t people understand, this Centre was running too smoothly, how can the City tolerate such a thing. It must be brought down to their level of competency, just like the BPAC it will have a new director every month.

  • Stephen White

    You are absolutely right Phillip! It is seriously time to start laying the plans to clean out Burlington Council …starting with the Mayor.

    A culture of arrogance, contempt and disinterest in public opinion permeates City Hall. Rick Goldring talks the talk but he certainly doesn’t walk the walk….and neither do his minions. This incident at the Seniors’ Centre is the latest in a litany of activities and events that have denigrated the City’s reputation. Certainly, seniors in this City deserve a much better deal than this.

  • Joe Lamb

    The sad part of all this is Seniors now lose their formal voice at the Center. The city has let individual conflicts rule the day and taken this drastic step. They have cut the Board off at the knees and expect them to reinvent themselves with little or no responsibilities or power. The city has learnt very little from the past and have showed no regard for the bigger picture.
    Have they forgotten the enormous contribution of members over the last many decades both in terms of their hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and direct financial contribution to the current building?
    We were able to come to a great agreement years ago because we put aside the pettiness and worked in the interest of both parties towards the bigger goals. The problem today is that many of the same list of people are still in charge and have let personalities and hurt feelings rule the day. Surely more common sense must prevail .
    Seniors need to remember that it was their dissatisfaction at the situation years ago that scared all the politicians into negotiating the last MOU. You do have a vote and an individual voice. Don’t forget what has happened here when the next municipal election comes around.
    Finally do you really trust the city when it comes to the Bistro? They don’t want to be in the food business.Get used to vending machines once current arrangements and agreements expire.
    Just my thoughts for what they are worth.
    Joe Lamb.

    • Phillip Wooster

      Joe, this decision is following a pattern at City Hall. Whether it’s the new 25 year plan, the lane closures on New Street, or the Senior’s Centre, the elites at City Hall–Goldring, the councillors, and the bureaucrats–are making these decisions based on lack of REAL public input. As you have indicated, in 2018, a clean sweep is needed at City Hall to get rid of these elites and special interests and elect representatives who consult with & listen to ALL Burlington residents.