Well, that didn’t take long. We hinted in this corner last week debate on a new home for Elgin St. Thomas Public Health was likely to heat up in the near future, however we didn’t expect matters to flare up in such threatening fashion over the course of seven days.
To recap, the health unit board of directors has indicated a move is in store from their current home at 99 Edward St., to a yet-to-be-determined two-acre site.
That new home will not be located on property owned by London developer Shmuel Farhi at the west end of St. Thomas on Talbot Street.
Farhi thought he had a deal with the board of directors and health unit CEO Cynthia St. John in 2009 for a 30,000 sq. ft., purpose-built structure on a long-term lease.
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Tag Archives: Cynthia St. John
No financial accountability? Then no public funding
Members of city council will don their referee shirts Monday as the Downtown Development Board and North America Railway Hall of Fame escalate their funding feud.
The jousting dates back to last summer when the DDB, under chairman Mark Cosens, “loaned” NARHF the sum of $10,000.
Now, the DDB wants the sum repaid, however it is being stymied at every turn by NARHF.
Dan Muscat, current DDB chairman, is attempting to obtain records from NARHF to determine the status of the loan.
“This situation is a city council issue as it is the past DDB board (under the leadership of Cosens) that sanctioned the loan,” asserts Muscat, in a letter to council.
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Sutherland Press building a backdrop for ‘smear’ campaign
The Sutherland Press building casts more than a shadow across Talbot Street . . . the moribund edifice projected a pall over last October’s mayoral race and ultimately proved a game-breaker in the final days of Cliff Barwick’s campaign.
Days before the trek to the polls, building owner David McGee dropped a bombshell — he was suing the City of St. Thomas, Barwick, St. Thomas police and other defendants for $3 million for punitive damages and aggravated damages as well as “mental distress, economic interference and, specifically, loss of income” for what the claim states was “unnecessary demolition” in July, 2008.
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Pharmacist takes up challenge and foregoes flattery
You had to know this would be coming. One week ago, City Scope documented a totally unsubstantiated claim by Ontario health minister Deb Matthews, tossed out at last Saturday’s liberal nomination meeting where Ald. Lori Baldwin-Sands was acclaimed, that PC leader Tim Hudak is running pharmacists as candidates across the province.
An obvious jab at St. Thomas pharmacist Jeff Yurek, sporting the Tory banner in Elgin-Middlesex-London for the fall provincial vote. And a claim Matthews is unlikely to repeat beyond a room full of her supporters.
In a letter to the T-J, (read full letter here ) Yurek writes, “While I am flattered Ms. Matthews would think that I was hand selected by the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Tim Hudak, her statement is false.
“Through a democratic process, I was elected from a field of five candidates by members of the Elgin-Middlesex-London riding association.
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Health unit budget a case of shuffling deck chairs
Not a good week for the guiding light over at Elgin St. Thomas Public Health. But then again, CEO Cynthia St. John hasn’t enjoyed many shining moments over the past year or so.
Following last Saturday’s revelation St. John has called in city police to investigate the actions of a dismissed inspector, we learn she was summoned to appear before Elgin county council Tuesday to shed light on the health unit’s 2011 budget.
Council has expressed concerns about a number of increases in this year’s budget versus the 2010 edition.
Specifically, a whopping increase in the service/repairs line item from $30,000 last year to $208,460 this time around.
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Behind the scenes financially after the 2010 municipal vote
Lost in the swirl of indignation following Round 2 of public sector salary disclosures this week were revelations contained in the financial declarations of all candidates in the 2010 municipal election.
This week, we’ll take a look at the three mayoral contestants in what proved, at times, to be a nasty battle, with the beleaguered Sutherland Press building serving as a bizarre backdrop.
Suffering through a double downside was Al Riddell, who lost at the polls and in the pocket.
According to his financial declaration, Riddell poured $17,062.69 into his bid to sit as mayor, nearly double the combined amount of the other two candidates.
That works out to nearly $6 for every vote he garnered. A poor investment for a third-place finish.
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A last-minute change to your PC nominee line-up
UPDATE: Jeff Yurek won the Ontario PC riding nomination for Elgin-Middlesex-London Saturday on the fourth ballot at Parkside Collegiate Institute.
Seems provincial Conservatives ensconced at Toronto headquarters turned their noses up at, and thumbs down on, Peter Osjotic’s nomination bid for today’s Elgin-Middlesex-London run-off at Parkside Collegiate Institute.
No reason given, when this corner approached Alan Sakach, director of communications for the Ontario PCs.
“It’s an internal organizational matter by the party,” was the extent of Sakach’s enlightenment.
Read the full story here .
However, a hot rumour making the rounds infers a copy of the 2003 McCarthy Tetrault report somehow made it’s way to TO and may have influenced the Ostojic decision.
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County to city . . . pay up or take a hike
Upon her election in October, Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman made it clear a priority would be a harmonious relationship between the city and Elgin county.
That will be put to the test Monday when a county delegation appears before city council with the expectation of St. Thomas ponying up $118,000 this year (up from $89,000 last year) to remain in a tourism partnership with Elgin.
At the very minimum, the county is demanding $99,000, and for that piddling amount the city’s voice in the partnership would be reduced from two to a single representative.
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Fiscal restraint at city hall a matter of attitude
Totally unsustainable. That’s the only conclusion following the disclosure this week of municipal staff who earned more than $100,000 in 2010.
Membership in the sunshine club mushroomed by 44% — 39 city employees are included on the list, up from 27 in 2009. However, only 10 are city hall employees, while 16 are firefighters and 13 are with the police department.
Is overtime part of the problem, questions Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman.
“Can we do something to curb that? What can we do to keep this in check to deal with this?”
Yes, overtime is a factor with both police and fire and, for the time being, there’s little St. Thomas can do.
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