Tag Archives: Ald. Gord Campbell

12.15.12
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The meter keeps ticking to maintain the status quo

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A supplementary item St. Thomas council will deal with Monday leaves the distinct impression we are going to be slowly nickle-and-dimed to death while some aldermen press their case to rehabilitate the existing police headquarters in the Colin McGregor Justice Building.
To wit, a report from John Dewancker, director of environmental services, requesting $24,000 in additional funding to complete the Phase 2 environmental site assessment at 30 St. Catherine St.
The work is being undertaken at the request of those members of council who would rather pump money into a toxic site, rather than construct a new facility on land the city has already purchased for that purpose.
To date, the environmental assessment, undertaken by Conestoga Rovers, indicates soil samples from the northern portion of the property exceed Ministry of the Environment standards for benzene, lead and petroleum hydrocarbon contamination.
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06.16.12
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Thank goodness they only lost some money

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It seems like just yesterday that Ald. Gord Campbell made this observation regarding Ascent, formerly St. Thomas Holdings Inc.
“I can’t support this recommendation. St. Thomas Holdings had a difficult year, lost some money.”
Campbell was referring to a council vote a month or so ago on whether the Ascent board of directors should receive a hike in remuneration. Board members currently receive in the neighbourhood of $8,500 for attending 10 or so meetings a year and then chairman, Ald. Tom Johnston, was seeking an unspecified increase in that compensation.
Thankfully, council was united in deep-sixing the motion.
But, when Campbell notes they “lost some money,” how much might that be?
Lots.
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05.26.12
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Health unit ‘reverses and changes’ will impact ratepayers, warns London developer

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We opened up City Scope seven days ago by suggesting the ball was in the court of London developer Shmuel Farhi.
The comment was in reference to the decision by Elgin St. Thomas Public Health to seek new digs, not located on property owned by Farhi in the city’s west end.
Well, Farhi has rifled the ball back into this corner in convincing fashion.
He is most upset at a comment we made as to where the allegiance of members of council lie.
Specifically, my observation “any dissenting voice on city council (on a minor zoning variation needed by Family and Children’s of St. Thomas and Elgin to move into the 99 Edward St. location that is the current home of the health unit) would certainly be based on allegiance to Farhi . . . rather than to city ratepayers.
That prompted a terse email from Farhi, who asserts he had a deal in place with the health unit for his Talbot Street property.

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04.30.12
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The full story, Elgin St. Thomas Public Health – as related in a Shmuel Farhi email

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

London developer Shmuel Farhi’s accounts of the events leading up to a tentative deal with Farhi for property at the west end of Talbot Street to be the new home of Elgin St. Thomas Public Health as taken from an April 19, 2012 email to Ald. David Warden and Mayor Heather Jackson, with copies to Ald. Gord Campbell and Ald. Tom Johnston. This follows April 28,2012 discussion in City Scope which you can read here. The email is entitled Without Prejudice . . .

Hello Dave:

I am very pleased we finally had the opportunity to talk at length yesterday about the history of the Health Unit’s search for a new building.

As I told you, I met with Paul Smith, Cynthia St. John, Amy Dale and others in my office in the early fall of 2009 and we received “verbal agreement” on a design/build/lease package.

On November 5, 2009, Cynthia sent an email that included the following: “I am pleased to report that Amy will be in touch with you and Colleen to finalize the offer to lease. The board did have some specific questions about materials used in the design and such but nothing that will hold us up. Once Amy, Colleen and I have finalized the offer to lease, I have direction from my board to sign it so we are moving ahead which is great news. Thank you for your patience and availability over the last while to finalize this deal.” (Emphasis mine.)

On November 5, 2009, Kim Eitel of the Health Unit emailed the following to me: “Amy Dale will be in touch with your office Friday or Monday to finalize the “offer to lease”.” (Emphasis mine.)

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04.07.12
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Hey, I was just trying to be helpful!

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The Oopsie of the Week award winner is no contest as Ald. Sam Yusuf’s decision to forward a personal email from the executive-director of the St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Foundation on to all members of council proved to be somewhat embarrassing, especially to its author, Allan Weatherall.
While Weatherall asserts, after the fact, there was no ill intent in his correspondence to Yusuf, the Times-Journal has obtained a copy of the email and it definitely has a sucker-punch quality to it.
He is miffed the city will not put aside hospital funding in the 2012 city budget.
“That is not forward thinking at all as the hospital will in some form, in some way need rebuilding. So why does the city not set some money aside to be ready for a time when it will be required? That is true community leadership and forward thinking, being proactive and not reactive.”
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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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02.18.12
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It’s full steam ahead in spite of railway museum audit

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Disturbing news emanating this week from the Elgin County Railway Museum hinting at possible financial irregularities.

We’re hearing of the treasurer either being dismissed or asked to step down; a new treasurer brought in; speculation about an upper level government funding application and HST submissions.

A call to museum executive director Michael Adams resulted in this official statement from the executive committee.

“It has come to our attention that recent financial statements presented were neither audited or reviewed. The audit report attached to the statements were not issued or authorized by the accounting firm involved in the preparation and review of those statements.

“The person involved with the creation and delivery of the subject audit report is no longer associated with the Elgin County Railway Museum Inc. Arrangements have been made for proper audits to be conducted for financial years 2010 and 2011.”

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02.04.12
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Of camels and rich men and costly back-tracking

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The cost of the proposed new police headquarters has nearly doubled over the past eight years because
of the feet dragging of successive councils.

Dithering being perpetuated by some aldermen who, as a result, are directly hitting ratepayers where it hurts most — the pocket.

In 2003, a building condition assessment and space needs assessment study of the justice building was undertaken by the Stonewall Group.

Its recommendation: “the principal strategy to meet the long-term accommodation needs of the St. Thomas Police Service would be best served by building a totally new facility.”

Estimated cost, $10.5 million.
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01.28.12
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I have Googled, therefore I am . . . an expert

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Wednesday’s special meeting of council to deal with the proposed new police headquarters provides further evidence much of what transpires at city hall is driven by personal agendas.

Which, in turn, sucks more dollars out of the pockets of hard-working ratepayers.

Council was presented with a report from Rebanks Pepper Littlewood Architects that outlined the specifics of the project, including the sticker price of approximately $19 million.

That figure sent some members into shock, with the result their ability to think logically was severely hampered.

Let’s review some undeniable facts.
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