Monthly Archives: March 2012

03.31.12
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Oh, that’s the way we’ve always done things

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It’s no longer business as usual at city hall, asserts Ald. Gord Campbell.
“Or, this is the way we’ve always done it,” continues the chairman of the city’s personnel and labour relations committee.
“We’re taking a look at everything – the departments, departmental structure and not just to save money, but to make things more efficient and to improve the system.”
City Scope contacted Ald. Campbell after learning deputy clerk Rick Beachey had been laid off earlier this week.
The re-structuring is the brainchild of CAO Wendell Graves, whom Campbell praised for the initiative.
The purpose of the exercise is not to get rid of people, Campbell stressed.
“The purpose of the exercise is simply to make things more efficient. And to look at everything. I don’t know how many outside contracts we have, and you say something to someone and they say: ‘Oh, that’s the way we’ve always done that.’ Well wait a minute, things have changed over the last 20 years.”
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03.24.12
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Skateboarders doff hats in show of respect

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The skateboard park may be nothing more than a memory, however the young boarders who saw the facility as a second home are not about to abandon the cause.
A group of them were in the gallery for Monday’s council meeting, but were not allowed the opportunity to have a representative present their case at that time.
The collective cold shoulder by council has prompted a rebuke in the community in the form of letters to the editor and numerous comments on the T-J website and on Facebook.
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03.17.12
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Skating around the anger of boarding enthusiasts

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Our elected representatives at city hall have been the target of considerable abuse this week following their decision Monday to level the downtown skateboard park.
Little more than 12 hours after the motion was approved, the ramps and associated paraphernalia were reduced to rubble.

The move was prompted by safety concerns at the park located in the Moore Street parking lot, west of Ross Street.
PlayChek Services had inspected the $130,000 park and confirmed the ramps and decks were in poor condition.


The quick demolition, during March break no less, was surely prompted by advice from the city’s legal counsel and insurers.
The obvious question: How much has the city spent on maintenance of the equipment since the facility opened eight years ago?
Surely the park had an expected lifespan far beyond that short time span.
So, while temperatures hovered in the record-breaking range for much of the week, the frustration level of park users and parents boiled over as the skateboarders sought alternative locales to perfect their craft.

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03.10.12
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No need to look to Ottawa for political shell games

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We briefly alluded last week to the 2011 public sector salary disclosure for city hall employees who earned more than $100,000.
Here is the full list and the previous year’s salary in brackets:
Bridge, Tim, lead hand building maintenance – $101,483.03 (new)
Brisseau, Mark, captain fire department – $107,871.76 ($106,709.75)
Broadbent, Robert, fire chief – $127,496.56 ($120,384.15)
Butters, Kevin, captain fire department – $104,962.28 ($101,462.01)
Carroll, Michael, Valleyview administrator – $107,975.14 ($107,836.12)
Dart, Graham, director human resources – $116,552.80 ($116,435)

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03.03.12
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Slim pickin’s in 2011 for city’s Sunshine Club

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An initial scan of the public sector salary disclosure for city hall employees seems to indicate restraint was in order in 2011.

A total of 39 city employees are ensconced in the Sunshine Club — those earning in excess of $100,000 — unchanged from 2010.

Topping the list is police chief Bill Lynch at $150, 976, but that’s a decrease of almost $7,000 from his previous salary reporting.

A close second is the city’s new CAO/clerk, Wendell Graves, checking in at $146,217. As city clerk only in 2010, Graves earned $126,338.
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