HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

THANK YOU TO ALL THAT READ THIS BLOG. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THAT COMMENTED. ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOME. I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS SEASON AND MAY YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE
SHERRIE
NORTH PERTH ADVOCATE

LETTER TO SANTA

Have a safe and Merry Christmas
Dear Santa
I have been a very good girl this year. I ran in the municipal election, I gave to those that needed it, I helped my neighbour. I ask for nothing for Christmas but for others. Could you please help Dolton McSquinty and his flying monkeys find the yellow brick road to the wizard so they can find a brain. And PLEASE do not let him get voted back in. I will leave you a beverage and goodies when you stop by, but please no gifts.
Thanks
Sherrie in Atwood

MY LOVE TO THE MAN WHO TAUGHT ME THIS

GOD GRANT ME THE SERENINTY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CAN NOT CHANGE
THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

T' WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was
stirring ..... except me.
Dog is sick from eating all the cookies, room mate finally found something to do after 2 months of being laid off and asleep at 7, like always and I am totally exhausted. It is Christmas Eve at 8 pm and I hope to sleep in tommorrow. To everyone who reads this blog, may the spirit of the season over take you, may you be blessed with people who care, may you all have a wonderful day tommorrow and lets all remember all the ones we wished were still here. And to all the people who know they are important to me, "May you all have a safe and Merry Christmas"

AND THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

CAMBRIDGE ADVOCATE
ELMIRA ADVOCATE
NORTH PERTH ADVOCATE
h1rippoff
THE GARY DOYLE SHOW on 570 news
JEFF ALLAN SHOW on 570 news
101 7 the one for news

AGAIN SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AND YOU DECIDE

Application filed today in superior court requesting a new election for the city of Cambridge
Dec 22nd, 2010 | By Debbie Duff Vitez | Section: 2010 Municipal Candidates

Early this afternoon an application(s) under section 83(1) of the Municipal Elections Act was filed with the Superior Court of Justice challenging the the 2010 Cambridge election process and its results.

The Applicants, Thomas Vann and Deborah Vitez, list the irregularities of the process as:

A. inaccurate/incomplete information;

B. inconsistent/inappropriate planning;

C. mal-functioning equipment;

D. lack of accommodation for aged, infirm, and disabled persons; and

E. A lack of adequate communication between the Returning Officer for the Cambridge 2010 Municipal Election (Mr. Alex Mitchell) and the candidates, as well as the public

The Applicants state that:

The rights of the electorate were so encumbered prior to and during the Cambridge 2010 Municipal Election (October 25, 2010) as to warrant a new Municipal Election in Cambridge, Ontario. It is in the spirit of ensuring that these issues are reviewed, addressed, and redressed that we respectfully submit to the Superior Court, a request for a nullification of the results of said election. We further request that the people of the City of Cambridge be permitted to fully exercise their franchise with amply accessible (in number and in amenities) Voting Stations, Polls, and an old-fashioned, more reliable, human counted ballot method of determining who will represent them.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AND YOU DECIDE

December 18, 2010 (WITH OUT PREJUDICE )

Municipality of North Perth
330 Wallace Ave. N.,
Listowel, ON N4W 1L3
Attention: . Mayor & Council
Dear Mayor & Council:
Re: Improper Conduct of Municipal Staff
Bylaw Enforcement Violations

I would request this matter be dealt with immediately at the December 20, 2010 council meeting in open session as new business.

I am in the unfortunate position of having to inform Council of deceitful conduct of staff regarding the passing of Bylaw 89-2010. I am also informing Council that this matter specifically involves Councillor Paul Horn and his disregard for the Municipal Act, the Planning Act and local bylaws.

For those who are not aware, I appealed the above said bylaw to the Ontario Municipal Board. (OMB) Mr. Horn using the services of the municipal solicitor and paid for by the municipality brought a motion to dismiss my appeal. That motion was granted however, I have since appealed that decision to Division Court and to the OMB. My appeal of this zoning application are far from frivolous nor vexatious and the details of my concerns have been filed with the municipality and the OMB.

This issue started when Bylaw 89-2010 was presented to Council at the July 26 2010 council meeting. At this meeting the Clerk and the Mayor illegally signed the bylaw as if it was passed. Ms Berfelz and Mr. Hollinger’s signatures were affixed to the bylaw itself despite the fact the bylaw could not be deemed as officially passed until the appeal period had passed or an appeal was dealt with through the OMB or the courts.

It is asserted that the Clerk and Mr. Hollinger deceitfully signed Bylaw 89-2010 as if it was officially passed. Councillor Horn in a continuing act of deceit delivered this bylaw to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Inspection Corporation (OMVIC) as evidence that the municipality had officially approved his zoning application in order to obtain his “dealer licence” concealing the fact that there was an outstanding appeal.

In addition to the above, our CAO Mr. Snell has alleged that the OMB provided the advice that the municipality did not have to close Mr.Horn . In telephone conversation with OMB legal counsel Stan Floras he asserted that;

a) The OMB does not provide advice to anyone outside of their organization, and;

b) The advice alleged to be given was false as the bylaw should not have been signed or released until the appeal period was over or the appeal had been defeated or abandoned.

To make matters worse, municipality staff has ignored my complaints regarding their actions and the fact Mr. Horn had opened his used car business illegally. I have demanded that they have this operation closed but to date are ignoring my complain and the obvious gross bylaw infraction. It is asserted that by this abdication of duty or refusal to address the bylaw infraction, staff is effectively party to this gross breach of laws and conduct.

I would draw your attention to Sections 123 and 380 the Criminal Code that states;

MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION

123. (1) Every one is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years who directly or indirectly gives, offers or agrees to give or offer to a municipal official or to anyone for the benefit of a municipal official — or, being a municipal official, directly or indirectly demands, accepts or offers or agrees to accept from any person for themselves or another person — a loan, reward, advantage or benefit of any kind as consideration for the official

(a) to abstain from voting at a meeting of the municipal council or a committee of the council;

(b) to vote in favour of or against a measure, motion or resolution;

(c) to aid in procuring or preventing the adoption of a measure, motion or resolution; or

(d) to perform or fail to perform an official act.

Influencing municipal official

(2) Every one is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years who influences or attempts to influence a municipal official to do anything mentioned in paragraphs (1)(a) to (d) by

a) suppression of the truth, in the case of a person who is under a duty to disclose the truth;

b) threats or deceit; or

c) any unlawful means.
FRAUD
380. (1) Every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service,

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding fourteen years, where the subject-matter of the offence is a testamentary instrument or the value of the subject-matter of the offence exceeds five thousand dollars; or

(b) is guilty

(i) of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or

(ii) of an offence punishable on summary conviction, where the value of the subject-matter of the offence does not exceed five thousand dollars.As you can see the conduct of staff members Kris Snell and Pat Berfelz is indeed serious as is the conduct of Councillor Paul Horn who should be leading by example instead of exception. Not only are these individuals in serious violation of the legislation it is asserted that they are collectively in violation of the criminal code.

I would also draw to your attention the fact that the municipality paid for Mr. Horn’s legal costs through the use of municipal legal counsel Mr. O’Melia. I have made several efforts to determine if Mr. Horn has at least paid the municipality back for these legal costs however, I have been denied information from Mr. Snell and Ms Hale.

I am therefore requesting of council as follows;

1. The formal correction of Bylaw 89-2010 as NOT PASSED removing the signatures from the bylaw.

2. Formally informing OMVIC that the zoning on the Horn property has not been approved.

3. An investigation into Councillor Horn’s debt to the municipality regarding legal expenses and possible fraud charges related to his misappropriation of municipal funds.

4. An order and direction to staff to close the operation of Councillor Horn until such time as the appeal has been dealt with fully and completely

5. The termination of staff as identified with cause for their improper and illegal conduct related to this matter.

6. A demand for the resignation of Mr. Horn for his improper conduct related to the use of municipal resources (money and lawyer).

This is a very serious matter that questions to the core the integrity of the municipal offices and puts a dark mark on this new councils term of office by the conduct of one its own, Councillor Horn. It was apparent that the election mandate of this council was “time for change” and this issue is the first opportunity to draw a line in the sand and make stand for good governance, honesty and integrity.
Ron Scott

EXPLANATION FOR POSTS

I have included 2 different versions of the Obituary of Common Sense and although both are similar they are both different. It is a perfect time of year to reflect on how Common Sense has been lost in our world. And after my loss this year of a wonderful man and consultant, I have gone back to it to try and make sense of such a great loss. And one of my favourite men and talk show host does not allow this term to be used anymore because he feels it has been lost in out society. Maybe it is time to bring it back. Something for all of us to think about.

OUR BEST FRIEND VERSION 2

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of COMMON SENSE.
Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools;hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.
For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from the rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliably parenting stratigies ( the adults are in charge, not the kids) and it's okay to come in second.
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and a new math.
But his health declined when he became infected with the "if -it-only-helps-one person-it's-worth it" virus. In recent decades,his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.
He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies, when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexuall harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.
Finally Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treament than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low flow toilets, smart guns, the nuturing of Prohibition Laws and manditory air bags.
Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife Discretion; his daughter, Responsibilty; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him; Rights,Tolerance and Whiner
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone

OUR OLD FRIEND COMMON SENSE VERSION ONE

The Death Of Common Sense
12-13-10

Obituary
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair; and
- Maybe it was my fault..
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers:
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because
so few realized he was gone..
If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

WINTER IS HERE.........

I am looking out my window as the light fluffy flakes of snow fall to the ground. I live in what people affectionately call the snow belt. 4 months of unpredictable stormy weather and bone chilling temperatures to come. Last winter was a good winter and although we hope for another one like it, we know it is unlikely. And finally at noon a snowplow/road grader finally comes by to move the several inches of snow on the road. Lets see how badly he snows me in this year. My unique property, my home ( and previously a horse barn) is very close to the road and most years I have to dig my way out the front door, which is six feet from the road. Not much room to pile the large amounts of snow we get.
Well he is back to do the second run on the street,my side, and surprise, it may be a good year. He did not move the snow any farther than neccessary. I may not have to dig my way out. YET

THE VIEW OF LISTOWEL ???????

With the permission of Joe Lethbridge of The Cambridge Citizen

When city folk go to Smalltown-A parody of sorts
November 26, 2010
By joel
When city folk go to Smalltown
This past weekend a friend and I went to Listowel , a town of about 3500 . We drove through the hamlet of Conestogo and up Highway 86 . We stopped along the road and stepped out of the cab of the truck and stood on the gravel and looked skyward .

Emblazoned with stars . I counted at least six shooting stars and my friend had seen about the same . Some were vibrant ;while others were shadows we could see above the light cloud cover.

We arrived in Listowel and toted our backpacks and blankets into the trailer. After unpacking we walked up Main Street and gave him the grand tour; speaking like a deep south tour guide.

Standing at the edge of the street we seen a sign .

“Raise hand and point ” to cross. I pointed at a riding lawnmower in the window of the local Home Hardware

“That there is the mode of transportation in this small town”

I thought he would get embarrassed but he just smiled and laughed,saying “OMG ! ”

We went to Tim Horton’s Donuts. There was no seating,only two round tables but no chairs. I would soon find out why there were no chairs.

We crossed Main Street and checked out a few stores.

Walking back up Main Street ,a car was parked and a boy about 16 was smiling at us through the window.

As most often; I smiled back . We continued walking and passing the car. When we were adjacent to the passenger window, the boy quickly reached over and locked the door. What a welcome !

We stopped in Giant Tiger and picked up some required eating. Willy Wonka chocolate covered pop rocks for a quarter a pack . Turns out they merely fizzled . There was no POP in the pop rocks. As a kid growing up on Willy Wonka I was pissed ! Willy Wonka had become corporate and did not care about us kids anymore. Okay !! SO I am not a kid but in my mind I am

I digress.

We left Giant Tiger and passed a grandmotherly type woman sitting in her car. She flashed us ! No ; she flashed us a huge and seemingly genuine smile. .

As we passed the car ; that fiesty grandma quickly yanked her purse from the passenger seat, locked the door and held to it tight on her lap; as though it was a Bingo Dabber at a bingo hall.

We walked back towards the trailer.

“gimme a piggy back ride ” I yelled and jumped up on my friend’s back .

That lasted but a minute. We didn;t wanna share our big city ideas of fun with the townsfolk .

Okay . so back to why Tim Hortons has no seating in Listowel. A proven fact as it was proven when my friend and I were in Listowel

I think there are no seats in Listowel because I aint to sure if they looks kindly on city folk coming to town. Maybe they should consider having a Welcome Wagon or at least a Welcome Riding Lawnmower .

Next time I may venture there on my own riding lawn mower or tie up my horse to a parking meter , downplay on what I wear; settling on blues or browns only and play the part of a local .

I almost heard the townsfolk on their porches with a loud send off .

“Y’all don;t come back. Ya hear ! ” and I can almost swear I heard loads of buckshot coming through the air ; ready to hit us in the ass. Lucky for us ; we were not on a riding lawn mower or maybe we would have left with souvenirs of buckshot in out city asses.

* In actuality Listowel does have quaint shops . I suggest bringing a deck of cards and a can or two of beans and weiners as most folk seemingly head off to bed at 7 pm.. and maybe a lawn chair if you want to sit and enjoy your piping cup of Timmies@

IT IS WITH DEEP SADNESS ............

On November 16 2010 at the age of 67 my friend and business consultant Bruce Karcher passed away after a very short and sudden illness. He was my rock for the last few years and has helped me through some very tough times in my fight. He was a kind and caring man and helped in many quiet ways, not expecting anything in return but knowing he was doing the right thing. I learned alot from this wonderful man and he will be deeply missed. My thoughts are with his family and the world will be a sad place without him

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY

Friday Novemeber 12 has been chosen as Random Act of Kindness Day. It was started many years ago to promote doing random acts of kindess for one day of the year and is being celebrated in many communities. I do feel it is a great and powerful idea. It is one day to slow down and see the people around you and help without expecting anything in return. I have been doing this for years but not just on this day ,but everyday. We as a society should not need one day to be kind to our fellow man. It should be any day. So on Friday try to do one act of kindnes and it will be paid forward and it just might makes this a better place to live.
JUST MY OPINION

REMEMBERANCE DAY, LEST WE FORGET

THE POPPY
The blood red poppy of Flanders is immortalized as an emblem of sacrifice and remembrance for the honouring of the thousands who laid down their lives for those ideals which we, as Canadians, cherish.
The poppy calls upon us to remember not only those who have died, but those they left dependent, and those who still suffer from honourable wounds and disabilities. The poppy challenges us to serve in peace, as in war, to help those who need our help, and to protect those who need our protection.

SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT

Please respond to this new post... Please leave your comments and share any stories you wish to share about your voting experience
on October 25/2010
Cambridge Ontario, polling Stations Reduced from 238-50, Voting Public not Notified!..Seniors/Handicapped left stranded, Voters turned away! Local and National Press ignoring our story?


http://cambridgeadvocate.com/archives/cambridge-ontario-polling-stations-reduced-from-238-50-voting-public-not-notified-seniorshandicapped-left-stranded-voters-turned-away-local-and-national-press-ignoring-our-story/

Then please send it to everyone on your mailing list.

CAMBRIDGE DESERVES A DO OVER.. Our right to a fair vote was encumbered....

LANDSLIDE WIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deputy Mayor and Warden of Perth County won the election for Mayor with a landslide win against Mayor Ed Hollinger. Official results show that Julie Behrns received 2428 votes and Mr. Hollinger received 1097 votes. In the Listowel Ward the vote was 1066 for Behrns and 705 for Hollinger. In Wallace Ward it was 418 to 107 and Elma Ward was similar with 763 to 205. I guess the people have spoken up loudly and they want change. Good luck Julie Behrns on bringing neccessary change to North Perth.

ELECTION RESULTS

Well North Perth has spoken and we now have a new mayor and a lot of newcomers. Only 4 of the previous councilors will be returning. I will not becoming a councilor this time but would like to thank all of my supporters who voted for me. I had a hard time deciding to run because I feel that I can make change better outside of council, as I have been doing in the past. I now will have the freedom to continue to do this. I just wanted to make sure that someone who lived in this community was running for the better of the community. Matt Duncan, Dave Ludington and Ken Buchanan are all in for an enlightening 4 years and will do a good job at serving our community. I wish them the best and will help them in any way that I can.

ATWOOD CANDIDATES MEETING

The Candidates meeting held at the Elma Public school, out side of town, was well attended with approxiamtely 150 people. It was not held at the Community Centre located in town because the Municipality would not waive the $400.00 fee. Questions were taken from the audience and many were well answered by the candidates. After the Q&A candidates took some time to mingle and talk to the audience. Many questions were about the $21 million dollar debt and how to get it under control and the proposed rec complex. Bill and Sue did a great job arranging this event.

ELECTION DAY

OKAY PEOPLE YOU HAVE YOUR DAY TO VOICE YOUR OPINION AND IT IS MONDAY. GET OUT AND VOTE......IT TAKES BUT ONE VOICE........TO MAKE CHANGE.
MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN AND VOICE YOUR OPINION

QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON A NEW RECREATION CENTRE BEING BUILT IN LISTOWEL?
I think that more thought should have been put into the recreation complex many years ago and if the need was there, then budgeting for it should have happened. Planning to build such a large complex without any funding available is not logical and is a waste of time. Even if funding covers most of the cost to build it, it will still be on the backs of taxpayers to keep it running including taxpayers who will not be using it. Taxpayers money is already being spent on this endeavour and this should not have been done until North Perth was in a better financial position. I also think the location is wrong and that it should be centrally located to allow children to walk to the arena and not have to be driven everytime.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AUTOMATED WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM BEING PROPOSED FOR NORTH PERTH?
I do not feel that the automated garbage system for North Perth is neccessary. It has not been requested by the taxpayers and many oppose it including me. It has not been researched enough and I do not feel it will have any cost savings at all, but will increase taxes. I do not create alot of garbage and do not want to keep my garbage for weeks at a time especially in summer. I also do not think it is fair to ask our elderly to haul such large containers, especially in winter. It was a poorly thought out idea.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY TO COUNCIL, AND IS A CODE OF CONDUCT PART OF THAT ?
A code of conduct is absolutely neccessary for North Perth. It is neccessary for government to be open, honest, accountable and transparent to the taxpayers who elected them to work for the people. Several issues in the past , including conflict of interest issues, would have been avoided if the rules were clear and concise and were being followed. The code of conduct that was previously submitted to council was a good document and should have been implemented by council. More people may attend council meetings if they felt they were welcome to be part of the process and that their views were bing listened to.

HOW WOULD YOU FACILITATE FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH PERTH?
Future growth for North Perth needs to be done in a more logical process that takes into account the huge debt left from the previous council and all of North Perth not just Listowel. Other parts of North Perth also need to be locked at for future develpoment to make loogical use of all of North Perth. High taxes will hinder any expansion of business. This and other issues makes North Perth not business friendly. We have an empty, unneccessary industrial park that was a waste of money and we should be supporting our existing businesses and encouraging them to expand. Our Economic Development Department through Perth County has done a good job defining what is needed but due to the economy it should be updated.

AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THE PROJECTED $21 MILLION DEBT THE MUNICIPALITY IS FACING?
It is unfortunate that the previous council put the municipality into such a huge debt and have locked the municipality into future, expensive projects. This will make it hard for the next council to make many decisions but the most important decision should be to get the debt down. It is time that North Perth live within its means, like the taxpayers have been forced to do and if cuts are neccessary then they need to be done. Excess needs to be stopped and any future spending must be absolutely neccessary and not more of a fincial burden to the over taxed citizens of North Perth. All in an effort to finally give the taxpayer a tax break instead of more increases.

WHAT SERVICES IN NORTH PERTH WOULD YOU ADD TO OR IMPROVE UPON?
Unfortunately with the huge debt improving services in North Perth can not be done unless it can be done without any money. Past experience has shown me that the Municiaplity could do a better job with customer service, access to information and applying the rules fairly and consistantly to all. It will take creative ways to improve services without any money but it can be done. Our service clubs have always been good at improving the community and they should be continued to be supported

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Legislature should be an exact portrait, in miniature, of the people at large, as it should think, feel,reason and act like them.
This cannot happen without a fair and just electoral system----in a society that knows what is going on------and in a society where people stop taking a passive role in democracy and actually start participating
John Adams

HOW DO YOU SPELL DEBT....NORTH PERTH

Being involved as much as I have in the last few years and knowing, I am surprised that the Deputy Mayor Julie Behrns and Warden of Perth County has finally come out and stated how far in debt North Perth actually is,........... $21 million dollars in debt and they are only able to borrow $1.8 million until that debt is paid. And as she said it will take 40 years to pay this debt off. Does anyone other than me think that is to big a debt for our community???????? REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU VOTE.

MEET THE CANDIDATE FOR ELMA

I have been a resident of Atwood for over 5 years. I was born and raised in Listowel but moved away in my teens. After my divorce I moved my children back to Listowel so they could live in a small town and not the city. My five children are now all grown and I have 3 grandchildren.
After our children all moved out we decided to buy a property in Atwood and open an Antique Store and this is where my education started about municipal politics. I have learned alot in 5 years and feel it is time to put it to use for the betterment of my community, as I have been doing all along. It was a hard decision to make. My personal issues with the municipality are personal and running for council is business. But my personal issues have given me a great education.
I stand for fair, honest, transparent and accountable government. I am not running against any other candidate but running with them for better representation for the Elma Ward in North Perth. I will not be polluting the country side with plastic signs trying to get people to vote for me. I will not be accepting donations and will not be using large amounts of money for my campaign during these hard economic times.
I will stand up for and represent the taxpayers of Elma for a better North Perth

DEPUTY MAYOR ACCLAIMED

Vince Judge has been acclaimed as Deputy Mayor for North Perth. I called him and had a great discussion with him on his outlook for North Perth. I think he is one of the right people to help North Perth get back on track.

IT IS OFFICAL

Yesterday at 1:56 I signed the paper work to register to run for Council and represent Elma Ward. As has already been questioned here about the reason for running and it being self serving I would like to make clear that I am very adamant that my issues are personal and running for Council is business. I am doing this because North Perth needs a huge change and better representation from all of North Perth and not just Yes men and the old boys club. Better decision need to be made and putting everyone in North Perth into major debt is not the way.
It is time for change

LOOK OUT NORTH PERTH

Okay, for the last 4 years, due to the situation I have been put into, I have had a wonderful education about municipal politics and how it should run. I have learned this by finding out that North Perth does not run that way. I have scarificed alot, taking a stand in what I believe in and have suffered financial losses along the way, among other things. But it would be a waste for me not to make use of what I have learned and I want to put it to some use.
So after much thought about what I have learned and what I believe in and my belief that it truly is time for a change in North Perth, I have decided that I will be filing with the Municipality of North Perth, tommorrow, that I intend to seek the nomination and run for council member for Atwood/Elma Township.
Not sure how many people actually read this but I am sure that you get that I am doing this for the right reason. I look forward to representing the PEOPLE and bringing change to not only North Perth as a whole but helping the town of Atwood develope into the thriving community it should be

IT REALLY IS TIME FOR A CHANGE IN NORTH PERTH

The issue with Emily saving the trees was stuck in my head so I did some research. Back in December the Municipality brought forward a by-law to amend a by -law "WHICH MAY BE CITED AS THE ZONING BY-LAW OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH." They passed this off as just being a "housekeeping by-law" and of no real importance, I should know better by now. But if anyone like my self has read it, they would have realized it is a 14 page document that makes many changes in North Perth without consultation, hearings or the knowledge of most taxpayers and some people that it affects. It is not a housekeeping by-law.
To my point about Emily, deep inside the document on page 13 is a paragragh that states in part "That all woodlots that are between 1 hectare(2.47 acres) and 3.99 hectares (9.86 acres in size in the Wallace ward and the Elma ward of the Municipality of North Perth shall be removed from the Agricultural zone and placed in the Natural enviroment Resources Zone 2. By being placed in this zone the permit uses are conservation,forestry and existing uses.
Ironic that they passed this by law but forgot to include Listowel and the woodlots there, or the 6 acre woodlot that Terrier Inc wants to turn into a subdivision Kinda makes you wonder how up and up our Council is. Only time and an election will tell

UPDATE ON PLEE TO SAVE TREES

12 year old Emily Qureshi from Listowel is taking her concerns about a proposed subdivision to the Ontario Municipal Board. She has made an appeal to give Terrier Inc Draft Plan Approval . She is concerned about the impact on the wooded portion of the 6 acre property where the subdivision is planned. Allowing the subdivision to advance goes against North Perth and Perth County by-laws with regards to woodlots. But as alot of us know in North Perth......some can and some can not. Good going Emily, you are a wonderful example for all.

SOMETHINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE VOTING

In case some people have forgotten some of the things that the sitting council has done during their term here is a list of some of the things I can remember.

-the debt in North Perth has gone frome $3million in debt to $26 million in debt
-illegally constructed an ashpalt recycling plant, spending thousand of dollars only to have to put it back to the farm land that it was
-$80,000.00 crosswalks that are not working and need repair after only a couple years
-an empty industrial park that cost a fortune to service and an investment that did not pay off
-Urbanski fiasco
-several lawsuits
-higher taxes in tough economic times with no regards to tax payers
-inflicting a financial burden to the residents of Atwood for a government mandated sewer project that they did not budget any money for
-the loss of the Campbell Soup plant and 650 jobs
- an expanded dump that is paved
-the loss of many good municipal employees
-questionable conflicts of interest and questionable use of policy and procedure
-the treatment of some taxpayers ie search warrants, stop work orders and the forcing of businesses to close,bullying
-a woodlot that will now be a subdivision against the wishes of tax payers
-poor planning
-lies, corruption,misuse of taxpayers dollars
- eloborate spending on unnecessary municipal buildings, vehicles, cellphones and blackberries
-not voting in the much needed code of conduct

Just to name a few things that I can remember. So if my readers have more, lets get the word out so people do not forget come election time. And this year get out and vote your opinion counts and it is the way to make your opinion known.

HERE ARE A COUPLE MORE DECISIONS MADE BY THIS COUNCIL THAT ARE QUESTIONABLE
-the price paid for a Fire Training Trailer that was to be used in North Perth as well as Perth County, that never leaves Stratford and can not be used in North Perth
- thinking that they needed to buy the Listowel Golf Course, that was not making money but close to bankrupcy
-no money for training the volunteer fireman, but money to build a Fire Department that is way to extravagant
-not allowing the Atwood Firemen, with their own money, to build a necessary shed for storage and when it was partially finished telling them to take it down

GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

On Monday August 23,2010 another Atwood resident threw his hat into the ring for council. Kenneth Buchanan will also being running for council. I wish all the Atwood candidates Good Luck, we hope you all win. Also on Monday the now Mayor of North Perth, Ed Hollinger, made his intentions known that he intends to and is seeking another term as Mayor.............hence the bad news.

UPDATE ON OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENTS

In a previous post on the Amendment issues and the map that did not show the proposed changes to the zoning in Atwood, I have now viewed the Map that was amended for the August 12,2010 Public Meeting held in Stratford. All corrections to the commercial district have been made, except for the building I call the Bee. Atwood can now retain its commercial district and hopefully in the future will be able to expand and become the thriving community we all want it to be. The only thing that will stop the community of Atwood from developing will be the powers that be in Listowel who will still have the final say. At least until the Election this fall when hopefully we get some new people and new ideas with morals and ethics

EXPENSIVE CROSSWALKS

It appears that the $80,000.00 crosswalks that North Perth installed in Listowel have done nothing to make crossing the street in Listowel any easier. Mayor Hollinger is receiving many complaints and feels that nothing else can be done to make crossing the road any safer. He feels that it is up to the pedestrians and drivers to be more responsible for solving the problem, because the police and by-law officer are just to busy. Last I checked, the crosswalks with the long lasting paint job and the expensive emblem are in need of some repair and are starting to look pretty shabby. The paint is starting to peel and are dirty looking. You would think that for the amount of money that was spent it should have lasted longer or worked.... or was the crosswalk really necessary in the first past and just a waste of money

ATWOOD CANDIDATES

Well we have Jeff Bannerman, Robert Martin, Atwood resident Dave Ludington and now Matt Duncan also of Atwood, who has also thrown his hat into the race. Things are looking up but we still need one more person to run to bring some new ideas, stronger support for the people of Atwood and to get rid of part of the old boys club.

LONG OVERDUE RANT

Okay, so I have now read the Master Growth Plan , the Official Plan Amendments and I have come to some very awful conclusions. Under the guise of following policy and procedure it appears that all rules were followed, sort of. Well all the rules that are basic but nothing that would allow the taxpayer the correct information and that just burns my ass. The map that was included with the notices did not show any of the proposed changes being made and many people have no idea what the changes are or what the ramifications will be. Jack and Jill taxpayer do not have the time to read the unbelievable amount of documents needed to make an informed decision on some very important issues within our Municipality, and should not have to. We have elected officials that we entrust with representing us and looking out for our best interests. Shame on the council of North Perth. I hope none of you get voted back in, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. You are not looking out for the taxpayers .....just yourselves. One of the most important things missing in our Municipality at this time is accountability and transparency. The "do not tell them", they will not notice mentality has to stop. These people depend on the fact that no one is paying attention and can pass whatever they want because if no complaints are made.....everything is fine. And then try and change things, not gonna happen. I have personally filed a complaint against the North Perth Offical Plan and the Perth County Offical Plan to protect my property and others. But why should I have to? They should not be able to change any thing about my property without my knowledge and especially without my permission. I have spent 5 years arguing with the Municipality on many issues but the one that got me the most fines is with regards to where the Residential zoning is on my property which is zoned residential and commercial. That is why I bought my property and that long story is on here in older posts. I say it is above building number 1, they say it is building number 2. Now it no longer exist with the new amendments. Come on North Perth ,it is way overdue for a change, make this vote count this year and get rid of the crooked politicians who have got us into so much trouble. Put people in council who care about our communities, are accountable and transparent and are not part of the old boys club that got us here to begin with..... almost bankrupt of money and bankrupt of morals and ethics.
Just my opinion
Sherrie
North Perth Advocate

ATWOOD AND THE NORTH PERTH MASTER GROWTH PLAN

I have now read and digested the over 100 page Master Growth Plan for North Perth and it fully explains to me the Official Plan Amendments to not only to the North Perth Official Plan but also for Perth County. Perth County initiated the Official Plan Amendments but they are based on the Master Growth Plan. I the beginning of the Plan it states that North Perth has an over abundance of certain lands, commercial, industrial and residential. By the end of the Plan they have managed to make the 20 year plan by getting rid of everyone elses commercial, residential and industrial developement. In a nut shell all development that is allowed to take place in North Perth will be directed to Listowel and no where else. It fully explained to me why most of the commercial district of Atwood had disapeared in the new map for the amendments to the Official Plan. All commercial properties that the Municpality of North Perth could get rid of they did. The Gas Station in Atwood is now going to be zoned residential. More in the next post about how irate I am about that. But again Listowel is the supposed king and to hell with Atwood. If you thought Atwood was able to now expand and become a thriving community, guess again. Listowel will not let it happen and is trying everything it can to do that..........................SHAME

NEW CANDIDATE FOR DEPUTY MAYOR

After the last post I thought I would check and found that at 1:27 today August 9, 2010 that a long time resident and previous Mayor Vince Judge has thrown his hat in to the election as Deputy Mayor. (Municipal website) I was not really in the area when he was on council or as Mayor but we can only hope that this is a good thing. Comments on his past record are welcome, is it a good thing ?????? let me know.

NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK

Surprise at tonights council meeting, Councilor Dave Johnson has backed out of the Municipal race stating he needs more time for his family. He was running for Deputy Mayor and now that he is not running, I wonder who will take his place. It really is a shame that most of the useless and crooked municipal politicians will all end up be acclaimed because no one else wants to run. I understand not wanting to be painted with the same shameful brush as the ruling crew but the only way to make change is to be the one making it. And we need more to be doing that.

THIRD TIME IS NOT A CHARM

Again for the third time the Municipality has turned down my request to refund my money for connection to a Municipal well. Previous posts will give you an idea of the nightmare this has been and as stated previously they can file this for every council meeting until they decide to give me my money back. Are you listening council.

ATWOOD, ATWOOD,ATWOOD

For the first time the Municipal Council meeting was held in Atwood to a dismal showing of five people. Come on Atwood, I know how pissed off everyone is about the way that we have been treated by North Perth but if there ever has been a time to show solidarity as the proud people we are this would be the time. The next council meeting is August 23 and it would be great for more people to show up and and not back down from these people.

"If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything" -Malcolm X

HAVE YOUR SAY

OKAY, so I no a few people are reading this and some actually from North Perth so now is the time to have your say. Comment on this post with questions, concerns or issues and even opinions and I will try and see if we can find the answers. There are many issues in North Perth and not just mine and it is time to get them out there. The best way to resolve issues is to talk about them and find solutions, so lets give it a try.

COUNCIL MEETING IN ATWOOD

Well they wouldn't have one here last year but the people of Atwood will now have the privilege of having our Municipal council meetings for Monday August 9 and 23, 2010 at the Elma Community Center in Atwood. All should attend to show our support for the people who show no support for the people of Atwood. Coincidence that the are holding the INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION SESSION for the Atwood Sewer Project the week before. Could they be hoping that the irrate citizens will not bring some uncomfortable issues to the council meeting ?????? Hmmmmmm. I will be there...............

SEWER PROJECT MEETING

Residents of Atwood have now recieved or will be receiving their final price for sewers and it is sticker shock. The Municipality has also decided to hold an INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION SESSION on August 4,2010. No appointment necessary. Here are the highlights

Municiapal staff will be there ready to :

Answer questions about your final capital invoice
Discuss your financing options and accept your Payment Election Form
Accept and record your cheque and/or post-dated payments
Discuss road issues
Answer questions about your sewer connection

You can also
Apply for a Building Permit for your sewer connection
Pick up a backflow prevention valve

And here is the good one

Verify that you have completed all of the required inspections for your sewer connection

I think that maybe the Building Inspectors should be doing this job not me. I am already paying enough for getting nothing. Or how about the engineer, or as in other communities who pay much less than us......do the whole job if you want to get paid
JUST MY OPINION

TO THE ATWOOD SEWER PROJECT COMMITTEE AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH

Please be advised that the recent sewer project that was forced on the residents of Atwood has been finished or at least most of it has been finished, not my property and the people of Atwood have still not received the final cost per household. As residents of Atwood we have faced the added unnnecessary cost of also bringing the sewer line into our buildings and as the cost continues to mount I think it would only be fair to let the residents know the final cost on your side and whether the Municipality plans on offering some more funding to help cover the cost of your Municipal asset. The recent reconstruction of water and sewer lines in Listowel where people received all the new infrastructure and curbs and new sidewalks and new sod was not a $20,000.00 burden to anyone who received the new municipal services. In Atwood we did not receive any of this and are expected to pay.
I hereby request the Municipality find more money from it's tax base from the whole municipality to help pay for the sewer project that was mandated by the Provincial Government, to help with the poor water quality issues in Atwood, to ease the burden on the already overtaxed Atwood residents.

Side line
Why should a 77 year old woman who has paid tax all her life to this community have to take out a loan to pay for a municipal assesr
Why should a 93 year old woman have to take out a loan to pay for a municipal asset

NO ONE IN LISTOWEL HAS BEEN ASKED TO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEW POSTS TO COME SOON

Sorry for not posting lately. Since I contracted a bacterial infection from contaminated water I have had a hard time getting my health back. I continue to try and get healthy and have accepted the fact that I will never be as healthy as before and try everyday to get my life back. Best advice I was ever given "always watch your health and put it first" New posts will be coming soon.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

BY Pastor Martin Niemoller
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communists.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me"

STICKER SHOCK HITTING THE RESIDENTS OF ATWOOD

I have started receiving calls from some of the residents of Atwood who are now getting angry at the cost of hooking into the new municipal sewers. The Atwood Sewer Servicing Committee at one point was telling the residents that they would try and get the companies doing the installations to give us a fair price. Some of the trades are giving fair pricing but some are gouging the people with very high costs. The shock of just putting the sewer line into the homes and redoing plumbing is an added cost over and above the inital cost that people are facing. I know of 2 women, one 77 and one 93 who have had to take out loans to pay for the sewer project and also have had to pay to put the sewer into their homes. How is this fair to the elderly residents who have been paying taxes in this community for years. Others will be putting the intial cost on their taxes and amortized over 30 years which doubles the cost due to the high interest rate offered. This also puts up the taxes on the property. Although the project has been finished for months the residents of Atwood have still not been told what their final cost will be. Initial cost for me is anywhere from$11,000.00 to $14,000.00 plus installation into the building. All attempts to try and get the municipality to put more money into the project have been turned down. The municipality put 1 million dollars into the project and left the 342 homes in Atwood to pay almost 4 million plus the cost into the buildings. This project was mandated by the government due to the poor water quality it Atwood. Can you say E coli.
Now the residents are getting angry, now that the costs are adding up. And they should ,this is unfair of the municipality who is the owner of this municipal asset not to help the residents of Atwood with more of the costs
The final cost should be out shortly and the residents of Atwood should voice their opinions and loudly voice it come the election this fall. Vote out the ones who showed they did not care about Atwood

WHAT'S A CONFLICT

EDITORIAL IN TORONTO STAR SATURDAY JULY 10, 2010

Mississauga residents and, indeed, people across the province have been well served by a judge's decision this week to take a broad view of alleged conflict of interest in Mayor Hazel McCallion's city hall.
McCallion's lawyers had attempted to narrow the scope of the inquiry by defining "conflict of interest" in strict legal terms as applying only to votes at meetings of council or one of its committees. In other words the only test for McCallion would be whether she declared a financial interest in a matter at a public meeting and refrained from voting. What she said or did in private meetings would be off limits.
Justice Douglas Cunningham who is heading up the inquiry, found that definition to limited. "Members of city council are entrusted by those that elect them to act in the public interest," Cunningham said in a strongly worded ruling this week. "Optics are important. In other words, members of a municipal council must conduct themselves in such a way as to avoid any reasonable apprehension that their interest could in any way influence their elected responsiblity. Suffice it to say that members of council (and staff) are not to use their office to promote private interests, whether their own or those of relatives or friends. They must be unbiased in the exercise of their duties. That is not only the common law, but the common-sense standard by which the conduct of municipal representatives ought to be judged."
The inquiry has only just begun examining the mayor's role in a failed land deal involving he son, Peter McCallion. (Its initial hearings probed the signing of a controversial utility deal.) In fairness to both the McCallions, the public should avoid leaping to conclusions before the inquiry has heard from everyone and reported.
Whatever his findings, however, Cunningham's decision to take an unihibited look at conflict of interest is a welcome indication that his report will be comprehensive in nature.

IT JUST IS NOT RIGHT

There is a man and family in Cambridge who is going through a situation that is similar to mine and many others in North Perth and many other municpalities across Ontario. A Mayor and a municipality that has gone to far. His name is John Newton, a senior who wants to live in the same house as his children. His batttle with his municpality seems to be an ongoing vendetta by his mayor who seems to want to make his life hell , similar to what North Perth can do. Please check out thecambridgeadvocate.com for a full explanation of his situation which is just how a municipality can go wrong. There is the high road and then there is the intimidation road and the municiaplity in all it's wisdom has taken the intimidation road. If I was better at this computer thing I would include it all here and as soon as learn how I will. It is just not right how some in power can abuse it to there benefit and use it to make someones life unbearable. Mr Newton my support is with you on this issue and for anyone else who goes through this. To stand up for what is right is a hard thing to do but it is the right thing. Sometimes mayors need to be reminded............. what the right thing is to do ???????????????????t

LISTOWEL LCBO OPENING SUNDAYS

It appears that the new manager at the LCBO is bringing Listowel into the present day. The LCBO will now be open on sundays from 12 to 4. In the past the Municipality did not want the store open on sundays because of the 17 churches in town. And out of courtesy the LCBO complied. So all the people in the area had to drive to neighbouring towns on sunday to restock. It is a bold and wonderful move and will get many of the tourists who drive through town on sunday to stop. Long overdue but finally a step in the right direction.

DOES COUNCILOR HORN HAVE TO GO BY THE RULES????????

In Monday nights agenda package was a letter from Councilor Horn requesting that council allow him to fast track opening his new car dealership without having to go through the normal process for a zoning by law amendment. He states in his letter that this has been done before in the past to help new businesses open faster. I do not know if it was approved but am pretty sure it would have been. And again the municipality shows it's corruption and that there are rules for some and different rules for others. Bring on the election!!!!!!!!!

FRIDAY IN ATWOOD

HELLO NORTH PERTH. AS I FINISHED MY SUPPER TONIGHT AND WENT TO THE BACK YARD FOR A QUIET EVENING, FIREWORKS , SOME SPARKLERS, I NOTICED THE MASS COLLECTION OF STRANGE PEOPLE ON THE CORNER OF MY INTERSECTION WHERE MY STORE IS LOCATED.

When I started to walk towards the group the discussion of drug deals became quite loud and clear. After several minutes of voicing my opinion ( cleaned up for the blog unfortunately) about how they could get there drug deals out of my town and wondering if the police would even show up even if I made a call because normally they do not , I continued to tell them to get out of my town that what they were doing was not acceptable. Get your drug deals out of my town , and take it to where you live. How many people care enough about a community to do that and would take the chance? It really changed the way I had planned on spending my night . But at least I managed to diffuse something that could have beeen alot worse and something most people would not to do...... it takes but one voice ......... to make a difference.

And i do every day........and sleep well at night

HAPPY CANADA DAY ATWOOD

TODAY'S ATWOOD PARADE AND CELEBRATIONS WERE THE BEST THEY HAVE BEEN IN MANY YEARS. THE NEWLY BUILT PAVILION IN ATWOOD IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO HOLD THESE EVENTS. IT WAS MONEY WELL SPENT. THEY HAD MANY GAMES FOR THE KIDS, MANY CAKES TO WIN AND ALOT OF GOLDFISH WHO FOUND NEW HOMES. THOSE DIGNITARIES IN ATTENDANCE WERE MAYOR ED HOLLINGER , DEPUTY MAYOR JULIE BEHRNS, COUNCILORS RANDY PETTAPIECE, ROBERT MARTIN, JEFF BANNERMAN . WE WERE SURPRISED NOT TO SEE JOHN WILKINSON OUR MPP AND THE HATED HST GUY AND MR SCHELLENBERGER MP. THE PARADE WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN LAST YEAR AND LASTED FOR ALMOST AN HOUR . SQUIRT GUNS WERE USED BY MANY. HEHEHEHEH HAPPY CANADA DAY MAYOR HOLLINGER.

AND NOW FOR THE TRUTH

After speaking to some people who are unaware of the time line with regards to the well, I will try to clearly explain.
In May of 2005 we entered into a purchase agreement for our property and one of the conditions was to have a good water test and a well agreement for the property. The well serviced 4 properties and after many months and negotiations between the town and lawyers and the previous owner a well agreement could not be reached. At this time it was quite clear who owned the well, the Municipality. At that point I stepped in and contacted Councilor Terry Seiler who took us down to the municipal office where we had a discussion with Kriss Snell the clerk at the time. He explained that the other people on the well did not want a new well agreement and he offered to sell us the well for $1.00 and although we did think about it we refused the offer. It was decided at that point that the municipality would bring us water from their other well. This was the only reason the purchase agreement went through, in August of 2005. We moved onto the property with the understanding we would be receiving municipal water that fall. When winter started to approach we started to realize we would not be getting the water supply until the following spring. It was during the fall and winter that the well was found to be contaminated with E.coli by someone else on the well who had it tested. When spring came I contacted the municipality about getting the water. It took me contacting the Mayor to finally get the construction started and finally get a potable water source. We only signed the documentation for the water to get the water, we had no choice and they gave us no other choices. It was made quite clear to the Municipality that I had been on this well contaminated with ecoli for 10 months and I was not happy about it. They never offered to correct the contamination or monitor the well. The Municipality was now a year later, after offing to sell the well to us and trying to negotiate a well agreement started stating the MTO owned the well. I contacted the MTO to correct the unsafe condition of the well, the road grader blades had been moved and the well was open. They came out the next day and surveyed the well and found they did not own the well. The municipality owned the well. The municipality had continued to say the MTO owned the well until this year and I have stated right from the beginning that we should not have had to pay a hook up fee for the water. We were already on Municipal water. It has always been their responsibilty. I have been asking for my money back since 2006 and will continue to, five years later.

MUNICIPALITY STANDS GROUND ON WELL REFUND

As reported in the Listowel Banner on Wednesday June 23, 2010 by Andrew Smith
A dispute between the Municiaplity and a resident continued last week with the decision to again deny a $3500.00 water hook up refund. The request from Sherrie McTaggart came forward at the June 14 meeting of North Perth Council, where it was explained that McTaggart is seeking the refund as payment for hooking into a municiapl well. McTaggart wasn't present at the meeting but was later contacted by the Banner. She said the issue goes back to May 2005 when she bought her house in Atwood and was of the understanding she was already hooked into a municipal well. When it was discoverd the well was contaminated by E.colli Mctaggart sought a new water source and went to the municipality. "We needed a potable water source and the municipality offered us the water" "It didn't matter what documentation the municipality sent me I wanted water" The $3500.00 fee attached to that second well connection remains the point of contention for McTaggart who says she shouldn't have to pay for accessing municipal services when she was already receiving them. "I was already on a municipal water supply, it's not my fault they had no care or control and it was contaminated". However, the ownership of the contaminated well has been another unresolved matter. When McTaggart first approached North Perth for a refund in 2006 the municiaplities stancewas that the well belonged to the Ministry of Transportation and they had no responsibilty for it. A survey by the MTO in 2006 later revealed the well was indeed on municipal property, but neither had monitored or maintained the well. At the June 14 meeting Deputy Julie Behrns commented that everyone pays to to hook into municipal services and that the McTaggarts are no exception. Treasurer Frances Hale also stated they have documentation of McTaggarts decision to hook into the municipal well and pay the fee. "We do have her request to us signing up for it and giving us permission to put it on her taxes." McTaggart's response is that she had no choice but to switch wells, or else continue using contaminated water for ten months. "I am going to have to worry about the health issues from that for the rest of my life". McTaggart hasn't proceeded with legal action yet but is considering it after having her second request denied. Lawsuit or not she plans on submitting the request until council listens to her."They can file this with the municipality every Monday night at every council meeting until they decide to deal with it. Hale said McTaggart has the right to continue her protest against the Municipality and they will co operate in any way possible." We don't want to impede her ability to express what she has to express. She can do what she needs to do and certainly we will respond to that."

PERTH COUNTY COUNCIL ACTS ON PLEE TO SAVE TREES

As reported in the Straford Beacon Herald on Friday June 18, 2010 by Laura Cudworth
A group of Listowel school kids can take some of the credit for Perth County council's desire to get tough on developers who build over treelots. Currently the county's wood lot bylaw has an exemption for subdivisions and some councilors are looking to change that. Counc. Bob Wilhelm suggested the exemption is unfair. "Here we are prosecuting farmers for cutting trees down but if you subdivide it you can cut down anything you want". Coun. Bob McTavish agreed and asked the planning department to write a report with a resolution council can vote on that would restrict removing trees for subdivisions."The report will be presented at the July 15 council meeting. The issue came up when Terrier Inc applied to build a subdivision with 25-49 dwellings on a six acre site in Listowel. A petition with 250 signatures and a passionate letter from 12 year old Emily Qureshi urged council to save the trees on the site. A report from the county tree inspector Marvin Smith indicated the site does fit the criteria of a woodlot. Subdivisions go through a two step approval process. In the first draft approval council can attach conditions which the developer then has five years to satisfy before final approval is given. Councilors agreed to proceed with the first draft. McTavish asked as much tree preservation as possible be one of the conditions.

THE ANSWER IS THE SAME

I received a call last night from Andrew Smith, a reporter for the Listowel Banner. He told me that again at Mondays Council meeting my request for the refund of my money for connection to a different Municipal water supply was denied. No surprise. The Municiaplity started out saying the Municipality did not own the well and that the Ministry of Transportation owned it. They can no longer say that now that I am in possession of the survey from October of 2006 by the MTO that shows they do not own it the Municipality does and always has owned it. Now they say they did not have care and control of the well.
The issue of ownership of this well has been going on since 2005. If the Municipality new there was a question about whether thay owned a contaminated well, you think that in those 5 years they would have found out if they did or not. The MTO dealt with the issue immediately. North Perth has been avoiding it. I will file a letter for every council meeting until I get my money back including interest and penalties. They have put this amount onto my tax bill and have started tax sale proceedings against me.
I guess I will be in the local paper again and I look forward to the article and the quotes from council. It is easy to solve GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK !!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THOSE MEN WHO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN.

WHO OWNED THE WELL?????

Until this year the Municipality had been standing firmly that the well was owned by the MTO. When the MTO was contacted by me about the well and it being contaminated they took quick action and had a survey done to prove they did not own it. Earlier this year the MTO sent me a copy of this survey and they were not very happy that the Municipality of North Perth was still saying they owned a well that was contaminated. All of a sudden the Municipality is not saying that the MTO owned the well. Should they now take responsibility for it and quit passing the buck ??????

LETTER FOR JUNE 14, 2010 COUNCIL MEETING

As I was not told my issue would be discussed at the council meeting and was not invited to attend the meeting to defend my case this is the letter that I sent. I requested that the Clerk give this letter to the council members at the meeting.

June 13, 2010
TO THE CLERK AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH
RE: JUNE 14, 2010 COUNCIL MEETING AND REQUEST FOR REFUND

I have read the report by Fran Hale with regards to my request for the return of the $3500.00 for connection to Municipal water. A few corrections need to be made and I submit the following.

1. The well has always been the property of the Municipality of North Perth and previously by Elma Township. It had been used for many years as a water supply for many homes and for firefighting. Many of these wells in Atwood were decommissioned and this one was left for the homes that were connected to it. The lid of the well was a road grader blade installed by a town employee. The Municipality of North Perth decommissioned this well when all the homes were connected to a new potable water supply offered by the Municipality.
2.The previous owners lawyer did not tell us the well was on someone elses property but informed us that it was owned by the Municipality of North Perth. A new well agreement could not be reached between the home owners and the Municipality. The former CAO never had any discussion with us on this issue, but the former clerk Kris Snell and Terry Seiler were involved in trying to find a solution to the problem and connecting to another well was offered by the Municipality. An offer was made to us to purchase the well for $1.00 which we refused. We were told they could not locate the documents from Elma Township. Whether the Municipality ignored the care and control of the well is irrelevant.
3.I have been requesting my money back for this well since 2006 and most recently in a letter to the Municipality dated Monday April 26, 2010 when council again took no action. The well was owned by the Municipality and when the water became contaminated it was their responsibilty to bring us a potable water source at their own expense not mine.

Sincerely
Sherrie McTaggart

CURFEW IN NORTH PERTH

Perth county OPP have implemented a curfew for unsupervised children under 16 years of age. All children found unsupervised between 12 midnight and 6 am will be held until parents arrive to pick the child up. They have done this due to complaints received from residents and municipal officials about late night damage to public and private property.
What are children under 16 doing out after midnight ?????

LAST TIME I REQUESTED MY MONEY BACK.....BEFORE YOU STARTED TAX SALE PROCEEDINGS

Just so I can get this out before I sleep and I am not on the balcony screaming........... I have been requesting my money back since 2006 and my last request was denied by the Municipality on April 29 2010 when the town sent me the letter that states" Please be advised , the Council of the Municipality of North Perth at their regular meeting on Monday April 26, 2010 received your correspondence for information and no action was taken."


Lets see what action they take now............. don't get your hopes up

And that $3500.00 is part of that tax that is owing........or should not be part of that tax owing and then should they be able to sell my property for taxes owing............ if they owe me???????

AND IT CONTINUES.....NORTH PERTH

MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH
TO: Council
FROM: Frances Hale, Director of Finance/Treasurer
DATE: June 14th
SUBJECT: Request to Refund Municipal Water Connection Fee #F18-10
, 2010
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To bring a request to Council by Ms. Sherrie McTaggart to refund the Municipal Water connection fee of
$3,500.00.
BACKGROUND
Ms. McTaggart has requested that she be refunded the fee she was charged to connect to municipal
water services in Atwood. She has made a formal request which is attached for Council’s consideration.
This is the second request made by Ms. McTaggart to Council. The first request was made last year and
Council considered her request July 20th
, 2009.
The previous owner of the McTaggart property brought it to the municipality’s attention that their shared
private well was on either MTO or municipal property. This happened when they were trying to sell this
property. After some confusion, it was determined that their private well was on municipal property and an
encroachment agreement for the well was in the process of being arranged but never was completed.
The previous owners solicitor did advise the municipality that they informed the purchaser that the well
was located on someone else’s property. The former CAO, former Director of Public Works and former
Clerk had tried to assist the McTaggarts in arranging an alternate water source. Ultimately, the
municipality was able to offer the property owners municipal water services at a cost of $3,500.00. This
was the same charge the municipality had for all other Atwood residents, which was made available when
the municipality looped the water service between the two municipal wells. Both Sherrie and Jamie
McTaggart signed the request form to have the municipal water connection and corresponding $3,500.00
fee financed and collected on their property taxes.
COMMENTS
In Ms. McTaggart’s letter, she indicates that the well that she used before municipal water service was a
municipal well. It has been determined that the private well servicing her property was located on
municipal property; the municipality did not know the well was located on municipal property and did not
monitor, maintain or have any charges applicable.
It appears that being able to connect to municipal water services has been of significant benefit to the
McTaggarts as property owners.
MOTION (proposed)
That the Council of the Municipality of North Perth denies the request to refund
municipal water connection fees as requested by Sherri McTaggart and that Council
directs the Director of Finance/Treasurer to respond in writing.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Letter to Municipality from Ms. Sherrie McTaggart
Prepared by: Reviewed by:
________________________________________ ______________________________________
Frances Hale, Director of Finance/Treasurer Kriss Snell, CAO

.......... SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

IF YOU ARE A MINORITY OF ONE ..... THE TRUTH IS STILL THE TRUTH

MAHATMA GHANDI

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

GREAT MINDS DISCUSS IDEAS

AVERAGE MINDS DISCUSS EVENTS

SMALL MINDS DISCUSS PEOPLE



ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

MAIN STREET ATWOOD

WhenI first moved to Atwood and started my dream for my store the first thing I wanted to do was make the Main Street of Atwood a much more pleasant view. There was the derelict store invested with rats, the vacant lot that never had the grass cut, the sidewalks that were never swepted and the road where the sand from winter was never cleaned up. The sidewalks that were never shovelled in the winter. There were no flowers no banners and the town looked deserted, even my store had looked deserted. So we started to clean up our property. Many loads to the dump some to recycling. A new lawn and flower beds and a beautiful urn with flowers out front of the store with a bench. A bench for the people of town to sit and take back their town and sit to watch the traffic go by. We seemed to be the only people that sat out front but slowly so did others. And slowly the Main Street started to change. I got the Municipality to cut the grass in the vacant lot. They came in and cleaned out the derelict store of all the rats but that is as far as that went and it is still the eye sore of the town. We finally got flower boxes on the Main and garbage cans to get rid of the litter and although not as nice as Listowel we did not mind their hand me downs. We finally got the sidewalks shovelled on one side of the street and then last year the snow was cleared on both sides of the street and I no longer had to watch the children walking down the highway to deliver the papers. We still got the ugly flower boxes and small Canadian flags for July 1st celebrations but it was a start. The sidewalks are now swept by the Municipality and the Ministry of Transportation (great guys) clean the street every spring, which kepts the dust down and makes the town so much cleaner.
Which brings me to the biggest change made so far.
Today I watched town employees hanging flower baskets on the hydro poles, just like in Listowel. The Lions Club has hung large Canadian Flags banners and slowly the Main Street of Atwood is looking like someone finally gets it. The Main Street of your town shows people what your town is about. The run down buildings and uncut grass and dirty sidewalks and sidewalks not shovelled makes it appear that no one cares. The Main Street is cleaner,people have urns with flowers , the benches are out and the look of the Main Street is improving and it makes it a much more pleasant view. And all it takes is people to care ............ and make an effort. It takes but one voice............

ARE SMART METERS A GOOD THING

I having been dealing with Hydro One since November of 2009 with regards to some billing issues on my bill. I have emailed I have faxed and I have even sent the documentation by mail and still could not get anyone to look at the billing mistakes and correct them. I did have an account that was outstanding and the Hydro had been disconnected but after finally paying the bill in full I received a large credit from Hydro and wondered why did I receive the credit. Did I over pay and if I had why. Then I started seeing charges that did not make sense. Then I noticed that the building that is not using any hydro at this time jumped in usage. Every time I contacted Hydro to talk to some one the version would change and no one would resolve the issue. I did receive disconnection notices and threating collection calls to pay the bill but I stated I would not pay the bill in full until the mistakes were corrected. I was promised several time that someone would get back to me and no one ever did. I finally contacted the Ontario Energy Board and filed a complaint with them. Within 24 hours I received a call from Hydro that was a lot nicer than usual and was told they would look into it. But again I still have not heard anything. I am now learning that there are many people with the same problem and there is a great blog on it called h1ripoff.blogspot.com that is taking on this issue. And good for Richard for doing this and all the radio talk shows that are bringing this out to the public. There is something wrong with these new meters and we need to force Hydro to fix this problem not threaten us with disconnection notices. Check out the blog if you to are having problems or question whether you are actually using that much hydro and watch your bills.

DANGEROUS OFFENDER MOVING TO LISTOWEL

The Police have issued a warning to the residents of Listowel a dangerous offender has moved to town. He has a long list of offences including sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm and weapons charges.
Hopefully he is here to get his life together......... but why Listowel?????

LISTOWEL STUDENTS TRYING TO SAVE TREES

Listowel students have started a petition to protect trees and wildlife on a roughly 6 acre site that is proposed for residential development. The students and adult supporters have signed a petition to Perth County council aimed at leaving the naturalized area alone. This was reported in the Stratford Beacon Herald on Friday May 21, 2010 by Donal O'Connor. Letter writer Emily Qureshi, 12, said that cutting down another tree would be "committing a crime and you would rightfully belong in jail". Council defferred a decision on the subdivision proposal, agreeing more information on the trees is warranted. Councilor Bob McTavished asked whether the treed lot meets the definition of a woodlot in Perth County but received no definite answer. Dave Hanly, the county planning director, said North Perth had designated woodlots in the municipality some time ago but the site in question was not one of them. He advised council that preparation of a tree conservation plan could be made a condition for final approval fo the plan of subdivision. The Mayor said he felt something could be worked out. The issue will return to the county following a North Perth council meeting on June 14, 2010.
Redesignating the property from Industrial to Residential was earlier the subject of an Appeal to the Ontario Muncipal Board and was eventually withdrawn. An aerial photographof the property shows about half of it is covered with trees and bush. A public use trail runs just beyond the south property line. The area is many residential accept for the factory to the west.
There is also a an appeal of North Perth's By-Law No 2-2009, which the municipality has stated was just "Housekeeping" but in fact changes alot. Daivd Laidlaw has filed an appeal of section 76 which says THAT all woodlots that are between 1 hectare(2.47 acres) and 3.99 hectares(9.86acres) in size in the Wallace Ward and Elma Ward of the Municipality of North Perth shall be removed from the "Agricultural Zone(A) of by-law No 6-ZB-1999 and placed in the "Natural Environment Resources Zone Two(NRE2) of by-law No. 6-ZB-1999. NRE2 used to apply to woodlots 4 hectares or larger. The permitted uses are conservation,forestry,maple syrup production and existing recreational trails Mr Laidlaw does not feel that the rezoning of his property is appropriate and that the Municipality should not be able to tell him what he can do on his own land epspecially his woodlot. The hearing is scheduled for June 8, 2010 at the Municipal office at 11 am.

WHAT STARTED THIS......OR WHO ???? AND WHY

At the time of applying for a residential renovation permit for the one room in my building, the Municipality had a CAO who was running by the seat of his pants. He was responsible for many problems and now many lawsuits and Council and the Mayor let him have full run of the Municipality. Okay I just sugar coated that and I must be honest, he was doing alot of things illegally and if it was not for the people that stood up to him, he would still be here. He was a piece of work. And unfortunately he was given the golden handshake by the Municipality and moved on to another community where he lasted 14 weeks and was given the boot. That community caught on quickly.
When I received the huge price for my permit I contacted all Council Members, the Mayor and then I foolishly put my faith in this CAO and trusted him when he said he would take my issue to council and fix the problem. This CAO must have thought "I was just a girl" because this started the big farce and my 5 year learning experience. I requested information from him which he either never gave me or gave me information that was not correct. He never took my issue to council to correct, he wanted to make sure that he could extort the permit money out of me. A meeting was arranged and it took place in my store with the Mayor, the Clerk, a Council Member and the not invited Building Inspector. The Building Inspector was told his presence was not welcome, but he was allowed in anyway. I foolishly assumed this meeting would be the way to get this problem fixed. It was not. The Building Inspector tried to say I had changed the Zoning on my property when I had it reassessed. No one appeared to know anything about Development Charges and although minutes of the meeting were taken by the Clerk, they are still unavailable to this day. At least to me. When I received the reply letter from the Municpality about the meeting I was confused and called the municipality for an explanation. The meeting was for an exemption from development charges,something I never requested.I always new development charges did NOT apply to a one room residential renovation.My next step was to contact the Ontario Municipal Board.
I wanted to be able to use my rights and be able to bring my issue in front of council myself, which is procedure. I was not allowed to speak about my issue but was requested at 5:45 on a Friday to speak in front of council the following Monday night on how development charges related to my community as a whole. I did take the chance to speak in front of council only to let them know I am not an expert on the development charges as they relate to my community as a whole.I was pretty angry at this point after listening to council joke about putting $700,000.00 in to fill pot holes when our community needed sewers. Again the CAO used this to continue to cover his tracts and would not be doing a review of residential development charges. Something I never request and my speach was not about that. When the Clerk was confronted she said she was just told to get me there. I then firmly stated I would be filing with the Ontario Municpal Board and I paid the fee and filed it myself. Within 2 weeks the Buildiing Inspector, the By Law Officer and a Police Officer show up at my store with a customer inside to execute a search warrant on me to see if any renovations had been done. None had been, but a few days later on the front door of the store was a Stop Work order and and Order to Comply. This all because a town employe saw a Bell Technician putting in the second phone line for the buidling. It was at this point that I new this was going to be bigger and I was right. It is now 5 years later and I have paid dearly for standing up for what is right. Would I do it again???? Yes, in a heart beat. IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO..........

THE COST OF BEING A CHANGE AGENT FOR THE COMMUNITY

When I purchased my property in 2005 I was looking forward to my new business venture with such enthusiasm, a feeling that was very quickly deadened never to return. I was finally going to be my own boss and open the store I had been dreaming of for years. I worked many long hard hours to clean up and repaint, restoring an old building to the all it's glory, new lighting, new shelves and then the inventory. I had a great time visiting auction sales looking for the perfect antiques for the store. I had consignments from all over Ontario and locally. Some very unique and one of a kind objects, my own line of jams and preserves, another of my passions. All was great and I had a wonderful customers from all over Ontario,out of province and several from the United States. It was the perfect location and with the business starting to take off I moved on to the next part of my business plan. I was getting ready to renovate the second floor, which I was told when I purchased my property was the residential part of the property and was so looking forward to living above my store and waking up each morning and just walking down the stairs to my job, being able to just run up the stairs for lunch or anything I needed. In December of 2006 after many months of planning I applied for a residential renovation permit for one room on the second floor so the renovation could get started. And this is when my whole life was turned upside down and my new job of CHANGE AGENT FOR THE COMMUNITY began.
When I asked the building inspector (and I use that term loosely) what the cost was going to be I was floored to hear it would be $5000.00 plus. For one room?????? This cost included development charges. Having done many renovations and building a 2000 sq.ft home I new something was not right and decided to stand up and say so. I now understand why people do not stand up, but that could be the problem they should. Change never happens if no one tries. It takes but one voice....."The Municipality may by law impose a development charge against "land" to pay for services not already being paid for through taxation". The building in question was constructed somewhere between 1860 and 1880 and had been paying, through taxation for services it did not receive for many years. This began my research and subsequent filing and mediation with the Ontario Municipal Board.
It was wonderful dealing with the Ontario Municipal Board. They were helpful understanding and spoke a language that I understood. They helped me through the whole process and made mediation an alot easier than I thought. The only problem from mediation was that the Municipality got it's hand slapped and were told that development charges did not apply to my one room renovations and this made them mad, they would not go by the decision. This forced me to ask for a full hearing to force the Municipality to go by the ruling. And the war began.......next, the lengths a Municipality will go to when caught in a lie

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO HACKER

DEAR MR OR MRS COWARD HACKER.
PLEASE GET A LIFE BECAUSE IN THE REAL WORLD IF YOU HAD ENOUGH GUTS TO COME UP AND TELL ME YOU THINK MY BLOG SHOULD BE GONE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE REASONS I AM DOING THIS. MY MUNICIPALITY HAS ILLEGALLY MADE MY LIFE A NIGHTMARE ON EARTH AND CONTINUES TO AND I BELIEVE IN FAIR AND EVEN. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE A COMMENT YOU ARE WELCOME TO BUT REMEMBER IT IS ONLY THE COMPUTER AND THE INTERNET......THERE IS MORE TO LIFE



P.S WARNING MOTHER OF MANY CHILDREN, STRESSED, OVERWORKED, SICK AND TIRED AND NOT THE WOMAN YOU WHAT TO FIND IN A DARK ALLEY.

PLEASE BE ADVISED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS WEEKS RANT... AND IT IS NOT GOOD

WELCOME BACK TO THE NORTH PERTH ADVOCATE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO FIND IT. HOPEFULLY THE HACKER HAS NOT STOPPED ME FROM GETTING THE TRUTH OUT.
IT HAS NOW BEEN 5 YEARS TODAY SINCE I PURCHASED MY PROPERTY AND THE DREAM OF RUNNING MY OWN BUSINESS AND HAVING A PROPERTY TO MAKE MY HOME BEGAN. I WRITE THIS NOW BECAUSE TODAY I WAS REMINDED THIS IS MY BLOG AND I CAN BLOG ABOUT ANYTHING. I WAS ALSO REMINDED TODAY ABOUT THE MANY THINGS MY MUNICIPALITY HAS DONE TO STOP ME FROM DOING WAHT IT IS THAT MY PROPERTY IS AND THE QUESTION "Why are you still harming me" I PURCHASED A PROPERTY LEGALLY AND FOLLOWED THE RULES AND I AM NO FARTHER AHEAD THAN WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE HAD SEARCH WARRANTS,STOP WORK ORDERS, ORDERS TO COMPLY, FINES AND A TAX BILL THAT WAS BEHIND A FEW THOUSAND DOLLLARS THAT IS NOW IN THE TENS OFF THOUSANDS BECAUSE THE MUNICIPALTY CAN DO WHAT IT WANTS AND IS. NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND NO WAY OTHER THAN THE COURTS TO MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE. HOW IS THAT RIGHT THAT MY MUNICICPALITY CAN TAKE MY PROPERTY ESPECIALLY IN THESE HARD ECONOMIC TIMES. I WAS PAYING ON MY TAXES BUT BECAUSE I STAND UP FOR MY RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF MY FELLOW TAXPAYERS I TAKE THE ABUSE THAT THE MUNICIPALITY THROWS AT ME. TODAY I SAY THAT THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR OF THE MUNICICPALITY OF NORTH PERTH SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES, EXTREMELY ASHAMED. THIS IS NOT HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS. AND AS I AM EXTREMELY KNOWN FOR THIS IS IT WILL NOT BE OVER UNTIL THINGS ARE FAIR AND EVEN, AND I WILL BE HERE AND STILL GOING UNTIL.......... THINGS ARE FAIR AND EVEN
COUNT ON IT
AND AGAIN JUST MY OPINION
SHERRIE

CODE OF CONDUCT-NOT IN NORTH PERTH

The Code of Conduct was again brought in front of North Perth Council meeting on Monday May 17, 2010 and again was defeated in a recorded tie vote of 5-5. Those in favour were Deputy Mayor Julie Behrns and Councilors Jeff Bannerman,Dave Johnston, Randy Pettapiece and Meredith Schneider. Those against were Mayor Hollinger Councilors Paul Horn,Doug Kellum, Robert Martin and Terry Seiler.
Those opposed to the Code of Conduct said it was a duplicate of information already in the Municipal Act and Conflict of Interest Act. But the Code of Conduct was in a concise form with the intention of having all the relevant information from each lengthy document in one document and make it easier to digest. Having read the document and past experience with the Municipality it does not surprise me it was not passed. Some of the people voting against it have clearly in the past broken most of the rules of the Conduct of Conduct. Other communities have adopted a Code of Conduct. It would have been prudent for this council to have adopted this for future councils. Unless they really think they are all getting voted back in !!!!!!!!

WALKERTON...TEN YEARS LATER WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED

It has been 10 years since the Walkerton Water Tragedy and we are here 10 years later and what have we learned. We have learned that people when not forced to go by the law or forced to be accountable make big mistakes. And we really do not want such a big mistake to happen again. Big mistakes can change peoples lives forever and in some causes kill you.
It is good that the issue is again back in the public. The quality of someones water can affect their life and the Municipalities who are in charge of the water going to everyones tap needs to be held accountable, and not only to the Ontario Water Source Protection Agency and their laws and guidelines to make sure that we are getting the quality of water we are paying so much for. But also to the taxpayer who is paying for the water and possibly may become sick in the future because someone made a mistake.
again just my opinion

REAPPOINT ANDRE MARIN AS OMBUDSMAN

Andre Marin the Ombudsman of Ontario has been given a 6 month extension of his position as the head of the Ombudsmans office. His contract ended in March and the government is taking applications and is interviewing for the position. Andre Marin has shown that he can fullfil his position of Ombudsman and has done a great job showing mistakes that the ogvernment agengies are making. He also introduced the Sunshine Law that makes Muncipalities accountable for what is discussed behind closed doors at Municipal council meetings. He has also requested to be given the authority from the government to introduce the MUSH progam and investigate further agencies that are able to run without any accountablitiy or transparency. MUSH stands for MUNICIPALITIES,UNIVERSITIES,SCHOOL BOARDS and UNIVERSITIES. A petition has been started to voice taxpayers concern, that we want this watch dog that does such a good job to be reapointed.

WE,THE UNDERSIGNED,CALL ON THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT TO REAPPOINT ANDRE MARIN AS THE OMBUDSMAN FOR THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO FOR ANOTHER TERM.
The petition can be found at the following link.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reappoint-andre-marin-as-ombudsman-of-ontario.html

I encourage all to sign this petition and let the government know we want to keep Andre Marin as the Ombudsman of Ontario

MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH ARE YOU LISTENING

INTEGRITY
FAIRNESS
RESPONSIBILITY
PERSERVERANCE
OPTIMISM
COURAGE
RESPECT
COMPASSION
EMPATHY
HONESTY
INCLUSION


A COMMUNITY OF CHARACTER...........???????
Municipality of North Perth's Motto????????

OMBUDSMANS OFFICE AND THE SUNSHINE LAW

The Provinces Sunshine law is a public complaints system to enforce the requirement that ALL municipal meetings be held in public. It was intoduced by Andre Marin the Ombudsman for Ontario.
Having now received the final report of my complaint against my municipality I would like to share part of the findings.
"The reason for the request is with regards to the refund of money charged to connect to another Municipal well for the property and whether this fee should have been charged under the circumstances"
Findings
"My review of the minutes indicate that there were 3 items discussed during the in camera meeting of July 20,2009. One of these items dealt with a report from the Municipal lawyer concerning an employment related litigation. A second matter dealt with the location of the proposed new firehall. The third matter of discussion involved a request from Ms. McTaggart to the municipality for the refund of $3500.00 previously paid for a water hook up. In my interview with Ms. Mctaggart she expressed concern that her request for reimbursement was discussed in closed session when it should not have been"
" The minutes of the closed session indicate discussion pertaining to the request of a refund. The Council was informed that the well in question was the property of the Ministry of Transportation and not the Municipality. Council agreed it would pass a resolution to deny the request" "That Council for the Municipality of North Perth dismissed the request to refund Municipal water connection fees as requested and that council directs the Director Finance/Treasurer to repond in writing"
Opinion of Gregory Stewart - Investigator
"The matter was clear and concise"
"It is my opinion as an investigator that the item concerning Ms.McTaggart's request for reimbursement of funds was not a matter that should have been considered and discussed in closed session. This request does not fall under any of the categories which outline matters for which discussion and debate can occur in closed session. The request for refund does not properly fall under security of the property of the municipality nor does it fall under the category of litigation. There had been no legal action by Ms.McTaggart with repect to the refund"
"The fact that a matter is controversial, or that discussing the matter in public may be awkward,does not justify discussing the matter in closed session"
This report has been made public by the Municipality and is now public knowledge that the Municipality does discuss things behind closed doors when they shouldn't. My issues with the Municipality have always been discussed behind closed doors which explains all the lies and why they have been able to get away with what they have. In future posts I will possibly discuss some of the issues in hopes that it may help someone else through the maze we call municipal politics. As a side note the contaminated well in question was never owned by the Ministry of Transportation and has always been owned by the Municipality. It has now been proven by the MTO.

THIS WEEKS RANT

In Monday nights agenda package (which is somtimes on time for reading and sometimes not)was the Municipality of North Perth"s new Code of Conduct Policy. A very well put together document that would hold all employees,council members, Mayor, committee members etc to a very strict Code of Conduct.Something they should already be doing in my opinion. But when it came to a vote it was a tie 5-5. As stated by the Mayor in the Listowel Banner article by Andrew Smith "he has attended several sessions on codes of conduct, and found that most of the rules and regulations are already held within seperate legislations such as the Ontario Municipal Act, Municipal Election Act and the Conflict of Interest Act. In addition, members of council have already swore to uphold those rules."" Introducing a code of conduct is just tinkering with the laws that are already in place, so the need is not evident to me." The article stated that the deputy mayor is for it and as are some council members.
Having read the code of conduct I am not sure why the Mayor would not think it was not a good idea.It is a clear and concise document that can be enforced and hold the people wasting my tax dollars accountable. Does the Mayor have someting to hide or does he not think he could follow the code of conduct? Past performance shows he has not followed any code of conduct. There are minimal checks and balances to ensure that municpal government act in accordance with any of the laws. People have few resources in provincial government to turn to when issues arise and are left to there own devices. For many the cost is prohibitive facing an opponent with deep pockets and seemingly nothing to lose. We are left to defend ourselves against a corporate-orcracy whose management is accountable to no one. A Code of Conduct is long overdue in North Perth and hopefully when it comes back to council for a recorded vote that it be adopted and implemented.
Just my opinion........

WELCOME TO THE NORTH PERTH ADVOCATE

Welcome to the North Perth Advocate.
My name is Sherrie McTaggart and for the last few years I have be forced to learn a lot about Municipal Government. Some of it has been good but some of it is not. I hope with this blog to not only help fellow taxpayers through the beauracy but to also bring to light some of things about Municipal Government that need to be changed. I also want to have an open forum on many issues and welcome all opinions, but I will be holding all comments and opinions to a very strict code of conduct and will not tolerate the misuse of this blog. This is not meant to make personal attacks on people, it is to bring the issues out and have an open honest discussion about the issues. I thank all who pushed me to do this and they know who they are and I look forward to your wonderful insight here. I look forward to this and a very Happy Mothers Day to all. It takes but one voice..................