Category: LOCAL

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND ATTENDANCE

Are there attendance requirements for members of municipally-mandated committees?

I understand that people are busy, and I further understand that there ought to be some degree of flexibility when it comes to balancing a person’s personal and occupational life with the requirements of being involved in a committee.

That said, what’s the point of a committee, made up of a number of “civilians,” when half the civilians aren’t present at the meeting?

The last Economic Development Advisory Committee was held a week ago, and had it not been for the presence of town staff and a pair of councillors, the room would have been essentially empty, with only three non-council and non-staff members present.  It may be enough for a quorum, but it’s not enough to satisfy the requirements of a mature and responsible advisory committee.  And by the way, a quorum is a minimum requirement, and doesn’t in any way convey a sense of responsible government.  It simply sets a minimum standard, but is in no way to be confused with effectiveness of purpose.  We’re better when we have the whole team on the bench, and weaker when we don’t.

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COUNCILLOR ASKS FOR BAFN REPORT

Props and bravo to John McDonald.

The Renfrew councillor introduced a motion whereby town staff is to identify and and provide all relevant documentation outlining the relationship existing between the Town of Renfrew and the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation, especially as it pertains to the BAFN presence at Ma-Te-Way.

This is one of two items I requested information on last October, but was told to go stuff myself by Clerk Carolynn Errett and former Acting CAO Kelly Latendresse on the grounds that the request was “political” in nature.  And staff doesn’t do political.  They told me to direct the question to Council instead.  Which was really cool because that was the very body that refused to even acknowledge my request in the first place, much less respond to it.

But now, after eight months, a real live councillor, John McDonald, is going to take a crack at it.

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STATIONWALA RELEASES RVH REPORT

Corporate expense accounts have been around for as long as corporations have been around, so it’s no big surprise that top executives at Renfrew Victoria Hospital — RVH — had expense accounts.  And as far as corporate accounts go, there’s always been the requirement that receipts be gathered and tendered to back up any expense claims.  It’s simply just a part of good corporate governance.

Often, senior officers in a corporation or other high-level institutions need to get out of their offices and connect with other people in the interests of, and often at the behest of, the corporation that they represent.  There’s absolutely nothing unusual about that practice, and you can’t expect people to pay out-of-pocket for expenses incurred in representing the corporation.  But again, just keep those receipts.

Because corporate credit cards and the honour system are a really poor match.

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RUNAWAY WATER BILL

Generally speaking, the movement of fluids throughout a home can be heard by occupants of the home, whether it be forced air from the furnace, the air conditioner kicking out comfort on a blazing hot day, or water moving through the pipes doing the chores that water does.

Watering the lawn with a sprinkler, watering the plants and shrubs and flowers, and filling the pool are all uses of water where the occupants of the home can hear, as much as see.  If the hose is being used outside, you can hear the water moving under pressure from the inside.

Doing the dishes by hand, or using a dishwasher also produces the sounds of fluids in motion, again in this case water.  Taking a shower, drawing a bath, shaving, these all require water, and therefore also make enough sound to be noticeable to anyone in the home.

Either the flushing of a toilet, or a toilet that doesn’t complete the flushing cycle all make water-in-motion noises.  So too does every faucet in the house when in use.

My point here is that we generally have a pretty good idea when our water usage is in action, mostly because we can hear it as much as we can see it.  So if the water was running, from whatever source, for six consecutive days without reprieve, then we’d have some notice of it, with our ears as much as our eyes.

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COMMUNITY GARDEN PARTNERSHIP FORMALIZED

The creation and implementation of a community garden at Oddfellows Park on Sidney Avenue in Renfrew is a really good adaptation of a really good idea.

In association with the Renfrew Food Bank, the town has set aside one of its several parks for use as an urban agricultural experiment, where citizens can rent a plot of land, or space if you will, to cultivate for themselves any fruits or vegetables they may desire to bring into this world.

Not only does such a program benefit from a “farm to table” aspect on a smaller scale, but it also fosters a sense of community through interactions with others tending their own plots.

And further, it benefits the efforts made by the volunteers over at the Renfrew Food Bank.

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