OPINION: Council needs to park their issues

As far as Grimsby council meetings go, Monday was pretty soft.

There were a couple of dust-ups but nothing few “Points of Order” couldn’t clear up.

Funny side note…I was talking with someone last week who did take one of my suggestions a few months ago and made a drinking game out of council sessions. Every time someone said “Point of Order” him and his buddies did a shot. After a few weeks, they had to stop – too inebriated.

There was a lot of ground covered, most of it just plain weird, so we’re going grab bag on this one.

The mortally wounded Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee will continue for its one meeting left in 2022, or two meetings, nobody seems to know – without replacing the quality people who resigned from the group after the mockery which was made of the heritage file. Honestly, they may as well fold the entire advisory committee thanks to the efforts of The Grimsby Five. To call it weakened would be like calling what Putin is doing to the Ukraine a skirmish.

Hopefully there are changes and some teamwork with Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority where Beamers and parking up on Quarry Road is concerned. I’ve heard from a lot of cheesed off residents about getting tickets for parking up there on a remote road.

It was noted Monday, contact will be made with NPCA to see what they have in the works in an attempt to improve the situation. That spot is a regional draw and people come from all over to use that facility so it would make sense to maximize parking there to accommodate and not shun those who want to use.

Funny, you’d almost think the same for downtown….maximize parking as part of efforts to ‘reimagine’ downtown into a destination which draws visitors from all over…doesn’t look like that’s happening though, just the opposite in fact. We need to stick to council matter or we’ll never get through this…

My favourite one was appointment of a representative to Niagara Transit Commission Board. While Lincoln chose Coun. J.D. Pachereva in a matters of minutes with a simple vote, anyone who has taken in Grimsby council would have known something was up when the matter was deferred to Monday’s meeting.

Usually deferral means The Five want to communicate off grid, determine how things will roll out at council and then go ahead and stuff it through. That is exactly how it transpired when Coun. John Dunstall put his name forward for the post. Reg. Coun. Wayne Fertich also asked for his name to stand, too. Each had a few minutes to state their case.

Again, you have to work your way through the Town site to see this footage yourself, but the strongest point Dunstall made for himself was he knew J.D., so he’d make a good choice.

Fertich has been vice-chair of key transportation committees, has an extensive financial background and, simply, is a vastly superior choice. The Five stuck with their man, except one wayward soul. Coun. Dave Kadwell opted out of the pack to stick with his long-time amigo, Fertich. There certainly was no guarantee that would happen and a betting man would have lost, but it was the right thing in the end.

The most intriguing item, of course, was the filing of the Ontario Ombudsman report in response to the five-motion extravaganza council generated in their tantrum after Integrity Commissioner refused to give them an answer they wanted regarding the conduct of Mayor Jeff Jordan in dealing with early days staffing matter in 2019.

In the end, the Ombudsman listened to all the allegations and insinuations, confirmed much of what the IC had confirmed, and determined no further investigation was required. Some administrative recommendations were made.

Yet, because Coun. Kevin Ritchie said he could not comment in his allotted time, he and the rest of The Five motioned to have a special meeting on Monday, April 25 solely to deal with this matter. That should be fun.

There are 186 days left until the Oct. 22 municipal election.