Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-01-24, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1990. Editorial What a mess At the January 10 meeting of Blyth council some councillors were indignant at the suggestion by a fellow councillor that the public might get suspicious if things are done in committee meetings when the public and press isn’t invited. They need look no further than the current mess over the completion of the reconstruction of the “Radford” ball diamond to see just what can happen when council deals behind closed doors too much. Since the September 13 meeting of village council the issue of the reconstruction of the diamond has never been dealt with in open session of council even though as winter set in it was obvious the projectwould not be completed in the fall. The first public discussion of the issue was January 16 when council was asked to meet in open session with the contractor, and the other groups involved in the project, the Blyth Slow-pitch League and the Huron County Thresher and Hobby Association. When council did open the meeting, it had a lawyer from Stratford present who presented the village’s entire case before council allowed a word of explanation from the contractor or others present as to why the cost was higher than council figured, and why the project didn’t get finished on time. According to the council’s lawyer, the council feels it shouldn’t have to pay for additional work at the ball diamond because the contractor had given an estimate in writing to the Slow-pitch League in 1988 (confirmed in early 1989) as to how much the work should cost. According to the lawyer, the fact the plans were later altered to include huge changes, doesn’t effect the council’s case that the original estimate should still stand. Council apparently feels it did not approve the changes so it is not responsible for the additional costs. The changes apparently were discussed at a site meeting at the ball diamond on Sept. 11, 1989 attended by two members of council as well as the contractor, a representative from the Slow-pitch League and the Threshers. At least one of the councillors admitted that the meeting took place and that changes were discussed but no one from the village apparently took minutes. At the regular Sept. 13 meeting of village council the changes were discussed but not in detail. One reporter’s notes at least showed that the extra costs involved were mentioned. The matter wasn’t mentioned again until January 16 meeting in open session but obviously was in meetings not open to the public because a stop-work order was issued and the village engaged a lawyer. It’s council’s contention that the town council representa­ tives at the Sept. 11 site meeting were not authorized to approve the changes. If so, why did they not seek approval of Council at the Sept. 13 meeting? If council did not approve the extra costs (only someone who believes in the tooth fairy could think all the additional work could be done at the same price) why weren’t the other participants at the Sept. 11 meeting notified that their plans were no longer in effect? If the excuse of council is that the construction changes weren’t valid because they weren’t approved by council, then is the decision to drain the ball diamond, also made at the Sept. 11 valid? For that matter, is the hiring of a lawyer, which was not made in public council session, valid? The secrecy continues because council discussed the issue in private session following the January 16 meeting, then issued a written judgement that said it expected the various parties to ante up more money (see letter to the editor, page 5). If council had sat down with the various parties and negotiated the settlement it might have worked but issuing it without discussion like a papal edict isn’t likely to bring solution to the issue, only make the parties more angry. For the taxpayer of Blyth the issue is important. This case may end up in court yet. Council’s decision to have a lawyer present to speak its part at the meeting which others thought would be a chance to clear the air, has turned this into an adversarial situation. Council may end up going tocourt with a case that, despite the vociferousness of its laywer, seems to be filled with holes (the original estimate it wants to hold the contractor to wasn’t even issued to the village). The result could be legal bills that will make the construction bill seem small. There’s no doubt this project is royally screwed up. There’s no doubt the contractor has to take the blkme that the project wasn’t finished when it should have been, even if there were extenuating circumstances. There’s also no doubt council bears part of the blame for losing control of a project because it didn’t have close enough supervision over the many groups involved. Beyond that it’s hard to know where the blame lies because nearly all the dealings involved in the planning and execution of the project were carried out when the public was excluded. Of the nine meetings listed in council’s chronology of events leading up to last week’s meetings, only three were public meetings. Not included in the list was a closed session at the conclusion of the regular monthly meeting January 10. P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 January thaw Letter from the editor Playing games with others’ lives BY KEITH ROULSTON With the decline of communist party fortunes in Eastern Europe there is pride in Western countries that capitalism has proven itself the superior system but let’s not count communism dead just yet. It isn’t just the possibility that civil unrest in Soviet republics may undermine Mikhail Gorbachev and turn the country back into t..e hands of hard-line communists that is to be feared, it’s also that the problems of unrestricted free en­ terprise can drive people to wonder if the system works. The danger to free enterprise has always been just as great from the people within the system as the godless communists on the outside. The very strength of free enter­ prise, the ability of the individual to make a different through ideas, hard work (and money), also is its weakness. One person can also ruin the lives of hundreds, even thou­ sands or millions, in his hands. Take the case of the shattered empire of Robert Campeau for example. Today across the United States 100,000 workers in Campeau-owned stores are worry­ ing about the futures of their jobs. Now lots of people in these days of free trade and the global economy are worried about their jobs but the workers at the Federated and Allied department stores aren’t in trouble because their businesses weren’t competitive; they’re in trouble because the greed and ambition of one man totally chang- Continued on page 5 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.00/yr ($40.00 Foreign). Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968