HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-05-17, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018. PAGE 17.
Raw recruits could reduce Wingham Police budget
Continued from page 17
to learn like we all have. The benefit
here is they won't be working
alone."
Poole said the existing police
department structure, which only has
one officer on duty at any given
time, meant newer officers learn on
the job without the support of a more
experienced officer. Under the new
system, however, recruits could be
paired with veterans.
Through that discussion it also
became public that while Seip had
originally told council a sergeant
would be hired alongside four
constables, the reality of the
situation was that five constables
would be hired while the sergeant
would be promoted from within the
department.
Poole went so far as to say that he
would recommend promoting the
department's current sergeant to
inspector and promote one of the
senior constables in the service to
sergeant or have a competition for
the position. Poole also reminded the
board that it should be looking for a
replacement for him as he can't
work past April, 2019, when he turns
60 years old. He pointed to a fire
chief in a similar situation who was
told he could no longer work once
marking his 60th birthday.
Poole's plan to reduce the budget
saw three recruits being trained from
September to late December and
being on duty as late as Jan. 1. The
Leaps and bounds
The Londesborough Community Hall played host to a community talent show on Friday.
Above, dancer Jazlyn Wright soars through the air. Other acts included fellow dancers and
singers. (Quinn Talbot photo)
Sale probes Festival's longevity
Continued from page 12
for and working at the event, just the
wonderful community event that
results from it.
"That's the true value of an event,
a community event," she said. "You
get to work alongside people you
otherwise might not have even met"
She said that community groups
like the Blyth Lions Club as well as
different church events are a
testament to that and, just like their
events, the book sale draws a large
number of people in.
Much of the success of the event
can be tied back to the volunteers,
but without the event's co-
ordinators, it wouldn't exist.
McGregor pointed to people like
Jerry and Carol McDonnell and
Marg Webster as a reason for the
event's success. She also lauded
Blyth Festival Audience Services
Manager Lisa Harper for her success
in taking over the event.
The event provides an opportunity
for the community to give to the
Festival, but it also provides a
chance for the board of directors to
be involved in fundraising in a
hands-on and meaningful way,
McGregor explained.
"The event is run by volunteers
and the board of directors is
welcome to be a part of it," she said.
"Does it make a lot of money? No. It
brings in thousands, but there is a lot
of work for that money."
"The value is the people coming
together, showing that the Festival is
still here and working with the
community and keeping it in
people's minds before the season
starts," she said.
The sale raises the profile of
the Festival, so, while it may
never raise $20,000 a year, the
continuum of the sale is proof
of the Festival's longevity. herself having a long night at home
Having the book sale happen preparing pie shells, but two of the
while the box office is open has also volunteers stepped up and
proved to be good synergy, volunteered to help out.
McGregor said, as people have "They said they weren't doing
bought tickets when there for the anything at that particular moment
book sale, or visited the book sale and asked for the ingredients,"
when they normally might not have. McGregor said. "I trust those two
Personally, the event also teaches implicitly and my trust wasn't
McGregor something new every misplaced because, between Friday
year, most often in the kitchen. and Saturday, they made 30 more
"I always learn something, and it's pie shells."
usually from the real pie -makers and The effort was worthwhile,
cooks," she said. "I've learned McGregor said, as between the
different ways to crimp a pie, smaller pies introduced this year and
different ways to put the ingredients the regular large pies, the sale set a
together and other tips and tricks." new record for pies sold.
McGregor said the skills that the The sale was a success according
volunteers bring are different every to Harper who said it raised more
every year, but always valuable. than $7,000.
"The value of those skills was The sale brought in so many book
magnified 1,000 times over last donations that organizers had to start
week," she said. "At Trinity turning late donations away.
Anglican Church, we prepared 80 Harper said that the 30 volunteers,
pie shells but, by Friday, I knew we both in the book sale and in the
would run out of them" kitchen, made the event a success
At that point, McGregor saw and she was happy with the results.
God's love already given
Continued from page 14
good. I wouldn't take money for
helping them, and to offer is
insulting. It makes me a hired hand,
not a friend. You help your friend
because you love them. It is a gift,
freely given. Not a service to be
bought.
We simply cannot earn God's
love. We cannot pay for it. We're
trying to pay God for something that
is a gift.
It's already been freely given. And
given and given.
In this world of earning our place,
the presence of God is the place
where you don't have to earn
anything. In this world of work and
owing and doing, the mercy, love
and grace of God are all free gifts.
Jesus says in John 3:17: "Indeed,
God did not send the Son into the
world to condemn the world, but in
order that the world might be saved
through him." Jesus wasn't sent to
be yet another person telling us that
we have to work harder in order to
earn his love. Jesus came not to tell
us that we're bad, or evil, and going
to hell. Jesus came to save us.
To throw his arms around us and
pull us in for a hug. To see into our
hearts, and pull out the best that we
can be. He came to whisper in our
ear, "it's all right. You're enough. I
love you."
other two recruits would then be
sought out in a similar way, meaning
that the 2019 budget would have the
full complement of five new officers
as of Jan. 1, leading to a significantly
higher budget in 2019.
Another question that arose from
the discussion was a Memorandum
of Understanding that the Wingham
Police Association had signed with
the board, guaranteeing two-man
shifts starting in April. Poole, when
asked by van der Meer, said that his
plan, including the 17 per cent
reduction in the budget for the
remainder of this year, could meet
that requirement the board had
contractually obligated itself to
meet, but there wouldn't be time for
delays.
Seip, however, said he didn't feel
the association would strictly adhere
to the memorandum, explaining that
in his discussions with the group's
president he understood that "as long
as the association is kept in the loop,
it's not a hard deadline." The
purpose of the document, according
to Seip, was to make sure that both
sides were working towards the
same goal.
"It's really a conversation about
communication from now until
then," he said.
Police Services Board Member
Bill Gregoriadis said that reducing
this year's budget wouldn't impact
next year's budget, which would be
at least $1.6 million. Poole agreed,
saying it would likely be higher.
"People will be going through pay
increases," he said, referring to the
recently completed contract
negotiations the Wingham Police
Association and Police Services
Board undertook giving existing
officers a 4.5 per cent pay increase
this year and four per cent increase
next year.
Gregoriadis asked if there was any
way to increase the police
department's revenue to offset costs
and Poole said that, once upon a
time, it was possible, but in the
modern police landscaping, the only
revenue was from grants.
After some discussion about those
grants and the difficulty with
overtime the department has faced in
the past, van der Meer said she was
"annoyed" by council's actions.
"Trevor and I spent a lot of time
bargaining in good faith with the
police association to come to an
agreement that was hard to get and
to bring the Wingham force up to
standards with other forces across
the province," she said. "Council
was presented with all the
information in their process
regarding the OPP costing and they
were given a number of opinions for
and against and, for some strange
reason, all of them except Trevor,
chose to... ignore very good advice
that was presented to them."
She said information given by the
chief and the association wasn't
heeded when council decided to
keep the Wingham Police Service.
"I've got to say that I find it
somewhat annoying," she said.
Vice -Chair van der Meer
continued explaining her frustration
with the situation, saying that
council was sending the budget back
because "it's not popular now" due
to the increases.
"Council made the choice," she
said. "I don't know, you think people
are informed and they know what
they're doing."
Seip shared some of van der
Meer's concerns, saying that while
council was frustrated with the
sergeant added to the budget, he
didn't believe that dropping one
officer, even at $100,000 in salary
and more in benefits, would have
made a difference in their decision.
"When I presented the budget two
weeks ago, I only got two
questions," he said. "[The first was]
'What are we hiring? Are we hiring
recruits or experienced officers?'
[The second] was, 'In the capital
purchases is there another police
car?' Those were the only questions
that were asked."
Seip said he respected the decision
and stance of council but didn't
agree with it.
Seip's original suggestion was to
provide the three-year budget for
information, but also to provide
Continued on page 18
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