posting
12-03-2009, 12:27 PM
Report on the December 1 2009 Council Meeting
Jason here. I can’t imagine how the mayor stands these meetings. There is so much bad feeling. The mayor is rude and Councillors are rude to him. I think such meetings are an argument for having a ‘speaker’ take the chair on a regular basis. The division of opinion on issues is marked. The mayor’s point of view is not being properly articulated. Get him out of the chair! It wouldn’t make meetings any nicer but it would make them more interesting. I wonder what would be thrown – shoes? muffins? agendas? The mind boggles!
Among the many presentations last night was one from the prison system ostensibly to speak about the recent ‘escapes’. I think this presentation was made to reassure citizens that they were in no danger. Instead it made us realize that we are all in this together and that the prison system and the city had better talk to one another more often. The prisons are part of our community. Their concerns aren’t debated in City Council. The effect of the prisons on our community is undocumented and that is a problem. As long as the correctional system doesn’t bear part of the responsibility for social services necessary to support those who are discharged into our community, the city will have to pick up the cost. Many prisoners have mental health issues. How many? We don’t know. Some are or become homeless. How many? We don’t know. How many non-Kingstonians prisoners are discharged into this community? We don’t know. How does the prison system inapt police services? We don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t have to know. We don’t have to know because it isn’t on anyone’s agenda. It is time that it was and last night’s ‘briefing’ underlined that. We now talk with Queen’s. But does Queen’s talk to us? With good will anything is possible.
Does anyone know what Joyce MacLeod-Kane was talking about last night? She is a good argument for ignoring population and letting geography play a part in designing wards. There should be at least two representatives of the rural area of Kingston now that our borders have been expanded. There is simply no other Councillor who shares her rural concerns. Probably no one has any interest in Sunday hunting (apparently the adjacent municipalities don’t) but the other item she raised sounded more important (whatever it was). Ms M-K is not an articulate representative. She should work harder to present her concerns. At least she isn’t grooming herself for the Mayor’s chair – some are! (Gerretsen, Hector, Smith?)
City Bits: Hey something unknown is happening at the North Street extension to the inner harbour. Coloured lines seem to be marking a path. We should thank Kingston Elector’s ‘Needs Fixing’.
Last Saturday marked (Has it been used before?), the roll out of the city’s new ‘public participation’ format. The café. Participants – who registered in advance- toured around several tables each marked with a topic area. Then we sat at the table of our choice where we relieved ourselves of our pertinent thoughts. Our thoughts were recorded by an impartial note taker and in 20 minutes the uber organizer blew a whistle and we were told to move to another table of our choice. I was told that this format has been successful all over the US. So it must be good. Right? The crowd notably thinned as people relieved themselves of their thoughts. I expect that our thoughts will be gathered and published. I was somewhat annoyed by this format until I realized that the go or no-go on the bridge over the Cataraqui was at the feet of council and if I expected to hear that issue discussed I was in the wrong place. I really would like to hear such a discussion, but I suspect that the time for it has passed. Starting on an environmental assessment assumes a ‘go’. When it comes time to debate the cost the ‘rubber will meet the road’. I look forward to it.
Jason here. I can’t imagine how the mayor stands these meetings. There is so much bad feeling. The mayor is rude and Councillors are rude to him. I think such meetings are an argument for having a ‘speaker’ take the chair on a regular basis. The division of opinion on issues is marked. The mayor’s point of view is not being properly articulated. Get him out of the chair! It wouldn’t make meetings any nicer but it would make them more interesting. I wonder what would be thrown – shoes? muffins? agendas? The mind boggles!
Among the many presentations last night was one from the prison system ostensibly to speak about the recent ‘escapes’. I think this presentation was made to reassure citizens that they were in no danger. Instead it made us realize that we are all in this together and that the prison system and the city had better talk to one another more often. The prisons are part of our community. Their concerns aren’t debated in City Council. The effect of the prisons on our community is undocumented and that is a problem. As long as the correctional system doesn’t bear part of the responsibility for social services necessary to support those who are discharged into our community, the city will have to pick up the cost. Many prisoners have mental health issues. How many? We don’t know. Some are or become homeless. How many? We don’t know. How many non-Kingstonians prisoners are discharged into this community? We don’t know. How does the prison system inapt police services? We don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t have to know. We don’t have to know because it isn’t on anyone’s agenda. It is time that it was and last night’s ‘briefing’ underlined that. We now talk with Queen’s. But does Queen’s talk to us? With good will anything is possible.
Does anyone know what Joyce MacLeod-Kane was talking about last night? She is a good argument for ignoring population and letting geography play a part in designing wards. There should be at least two representatives of the rural area of Kingston now that our borders have been expanded. There is simply no other Councillor who shares her rural concerns. Probably no one has any interest in Sunday hunting (apparently the adjacent municipalities don’t) but the other item she raised sounded more important (whatever it was). Ms M-K is not an articulate representative. She should work harder to present her concerns. At least she isn’t grooming herself for the Mayor’s chair – some are! (Gerretsen, Hector, Smith?)
City Bits: Hey something unknown is happening at the North Street extension to the inner harbour. Coloured lines seem to be marking a path. We should thank Kingston Elector’s ‘Needs Fixing’.
Last Saturday marked (Has it been used before?), the roll out of the city’s new ‘public participation’ format. The café. Participants – who registered in advance- toured around several tables each marked with a topic area. Then we sat at the table of our choice where we relieved ourselves of our pertinent thoughts. Our thoughts were recorded by an impartial note taker and in 20 minutes the uber organizer blew a whistle and we were told to move to another table of our choice. I was told that this format has been successful all over the US. So it must be good. Right? The crowd notably thinned as people relieved themselves of their thoughts. I expect that our thoughts will be gathered and published. I was somewhat annoyed by this format until I realized that the go or no-go on the bridge over the Cataraqui was at the feet of council and if I expected to hear that issue discussed I was in the wrong place. I really would like to hear such a discussion, but I suspect that the time for it has passed. Starting on an environmental assessment assumes a ‘go’. When it comes time to debate the cost the ‘rubber will meet the road’. I look forward to it.