Is gazebo a flawed decision?

Letter to the Cramahe Now BLOG

So Cramahe Council is proceeding with an unbudgeted item, a GAZEBO for Victoria Square.

Yes, Council has some money set aside in a reserve for this item (about $25,000). In my memory, it had been set aside because the community is conflicted about the location for the GAZEBO.

So, at a private, unpublicized meeting to finalize the budget (the meeting was not noted on the Township website and when I phoned on the Tuesday afternoon I was told that Council was not meeting that night), this Council brought the item to the top of the pile and attached some Investing in Ontario (CBJO) Funds to bring the total money to be spent to $40,000.

By way of explanation at the next Council meeting, Council said that they “always saw it in Victoria Square” and it was timely to help the 150th Committee celebrations. This confirmed what I’d heard ie, that Council had always intended to do what they wanted, not what the community wanted.

Later, Council said the Heritage Committee supported the proposal and that the previous objection was from the LACAC Committee and LACAC no longer exists – inferring that, therefore, all the objections had disappeared. And here I thought the Local Architectural Conservancy Advisory Committee had simply changed its name to Heritage Committee retaining their same purpose.

Then I read that it was Ted Pedlar who brought it forward. Was he at the budget meeting?

At the last Council meeting the Director of Community Services presented a source and picture of a 12’x24’ vinyl gazebo. The inside measurements might be 10’x22’ but with attached benches and the corners angled in, the usable square footage will be less than 220. Some details were to be verified ie, are the pillars a minimum of 6”x6” so that its construction will meet the local building code.

My questions are:

What is the purpose of this Gazebo?

For electioneering?

If so, it is a pretty short-term and very expensive stage.

Is it to copy Brighton or Campbellford?

Maybe.

We have been told that Cramahe does not have a mission statement because it would only read the same as the others. Why not copy the pavilion at Cobourg’s Victoria Park?

For entertainers?

Where will Council find the money to hire the entertainment? Will Council tap the pockets of the small businesses in the Village? Council should ask the companies and small businesses out of the Village where they now send their business.

For other uses?

The Community Care summer lunches will certainly not fit, they will have to continue to get a tent.

Why is Council creating yet another centre of activity?

The Keeler Centre is not yet finished – among many things, it needs signage, a name on the building, a covered entry, a paved and drained parking lot, lighting, landscaping etc and none of this was considered in the budget……

The Rotary Centennial Park needs signage, low voltage or solar lighting for security, sports equipment for the kids to play hockey or basketball etc, a paved parking lot, repairs to broken concrete, entry stairs to the concession storage area, a covered picnic area attached to the concession, barriers at the washroom entry doors and money requested for some of these items was removed in last years budget and not even considered in this one……

The natural area south of the Victoria St ball diamonds between Victoria Street and Elgin needs repairs to the drainage tiles – they have been stolen – the area is so wet it is no longer walkable and there is no money budgeted to make these necessary repairs…..

The Cramahe Forest has a partly cleared area for parking with no money budgeted to finish the project and it too needs signage as half of this community does not even know it exists…… and yet Council is building a gazebo

Council tells us they have no money to repair our roads; no money to conduct a train whistle noise study to allow the one percent of the Cramahe population near to the train lines a restful night of sleep; no money to complete Council’s job and responsibly install signs where Council has now allowed, by bylaw, the less than one percent population ATV riders, use of Township roads north of the 401, etc, etc, etc, etc... and yet Council is building a gazebo.

Does Council have any idea how many Cramahe residents are being financially affected by what is happening in the auto industry? …but Council will have a gazebo.

Just what gives?

If you must build a gazebo at this time of great financial concern, why not build it in the Keeler Centre location as a small outdoor event venue where washrooms, water and parking are already available at the arena building.

Another possibility is at Rotary Centennial Park where a covered patio area would be useful for the whole community and washrooms, water and parking are available.

Do not rush this.

Construction of this sort of structure can be a project that builds this community. It can be a project that defines the proclaimed policies of this community.

In fact, does Council even have a policy to ensure we are all represented? Will the structure be wheelchair accessible or will we taxpayers once again be required to spend great sums of money to modify it once the government funders learn how we spend their money?

Does this structure comply with Council’s proclamation that Cramahe is a “green community”?

When the issue of sludge spreading came to Council, Cramahe proclaimed it was a “green community” and did nothing to convey this proclamation to this community or to Northumberland Council or to the Provincial Government and sludge is still being spread.

A “green structure” would not be made of vinyl.

Shirley Ross, May 12, 2009