The following commentary on the November 13th Meeting of Council was submitted by Paul St-Pierre. It was sent as well to the Mayor and all councillors. Only one councillor, Pauline Farrugia, has replied and her answer follows.

FANHCA is publishing this now, just prior to the December 4th meeting, in the hope that more citizens will become aware of the processes of Council and will participate in them. 

FANHCA encourages, as well, those candidates who were unsuccessful in the recent election to monitor the activities of those elected to Council in the seats for which they were running, to question activities that need questioning, and to report their concerns and findings to the citizens.

– The administrators.

On the agenda of last Monday’s meeting (13 November 2017) of the North Hatley Town Council were two items concerning the replacement of the bridge on Main Street, in the heart of town. The work will take place in 2019, most likely over a period of five months, and the solution as to how traffic (and fire trucks) will cross from one side of town to another during the work still has not been decided. The items on the agenda were based on a study by EXP, paid for by the town (16,300$ authorized for a study of the ‘visual signature’ of the new bridge) and did not include the further costs of putting the electrical and other wires in the bridge itself (evaluation by EXP authorized for 20,100$ in a different study – and, apparently – this will surprise no one – extremely costly; the mayor, however, has refused to divulge the estimated amount relating to the electrical and communication wires). The two items on Monday’s agenda were technical in nature, and residents of the town were not given access to them before the meeting. But it would appear that the town is applying for certain ‘upgrades’ on the standard bridge, paid for by Transports Québec (Ministère des transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l’Électrification des Transports). These ‘upgrades’ would amount to 400,000$! The hope is that the ministry will pay for these, and, if not, that grants will (but most likely only partially) cover them.

There are at least two issues here. The money involved – with no indication of how much of our money Council is willing to spend if the ministry does not come through. But even more importantly, whether the population of the town even wants such upgrades, is willing to spend money on them, has other ideas about what could be done, etc.

Yet again, a major project affecting everyone in North Hatley is being undertaken without proper consultation. The EXP study on which the ‘upgrades’ are being based was completed mid-May 2017. There has been ample time, if Council had thought it necessary or desirable, to call a public meeting on the issue, to inform the public properly, and to ask for feedback. But no, the members of Council – the old Council, four of whom, along with the mayor, sit on the new Council – have not seen fit to do this.

For my part I have had enough of this paternalistic approach, in which Council seems to assume that it knows best and can decide on its own. Wherever did it obtain such a mandate? None of the candidates indicated in her/his campaign material the position she/he would take on this major project, and only one even mentioned it. Council needs to realize that all residents and property owners have a stake and an interest in the town’s future, and it needs to take as its guiding principle, in such major projects, that residents and property owners need to be involved as collaborators in the elaboration of such projects.

– Paul St-Pierre

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