“Right now, the scenario isn’t good if you’re a lighthouse.” —Councillor Stephen Adams
“I was very disappointed this sumer, having family from Toronto, not being able to have an ice cream at the canteen.” —Councillor Bill Karsten, on Point Pleasant Park.
“Thank you councillor cranky birthday boy.” —Deputy Mayor Darren Fisher, on councillor Matt Whitman.
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Not counting public meetings, in camera minutes and breaks, yesterday’s breezy city council meeting was only slightly longer than the screening of Gone Girl I shouldn’t have bothered with later that night. Still, some things were accomplished, even with the clipped pace.
First on the list, and subject to most of the day’s discussion, was the salvation of Park Place Theatre. Rising from the ashes, it will once again house Shakespeare by the Sea after council voted to repair the fire-damaged structure. The theatre had been ravaged by arson back in June, and staff recommended demolishing the current property and building a fancy new $2.4 million facility. Councillor Waye Mason called that a “generous offer,” but one which didn’t address the troupe’s immediate need for storage and rehearsal space. The superintendent’s cottage staff said SbtS could use while waiting on the new facility would be too small for a rehearsal space.
“We are at risk of losing this theatre in the park,” Mason warned.
So council rejected staff’s recommendation, and voted instead to spend $125,000 “or less” on bringing Park Place back to usable conditions as quickly as they can. The door will remain open for future partnerships to renovate and expand the theatre down the road.
BUS BLUNDER
It was surprising news last month when Halifax Transit told the transportation standing committee they were seemingly abandoning the high-frequency, transfer-based system overhaul council wanted. So HT’s Eddie Robar was put into the hot seat yesterday to give some real answers. Or, that was the idea anyway.
Robar said Halifax Transit was still committed to the objectives put on them by council and the public. It was just taking some time to figure out how to meet those goals.
“We have ideas on what that looks like,” Robar said. “We need to draft that, cost it out and make sure that’s a fiscally responsible way of achieving the objectives.”
The project just turned out to be bigger than they were thinking. Also Halifax’s streets haven’t been helping at all and plus Transit’s grandma is really sick. It’s just been a difficult semester and they could use an extension. They promise though, highly frequent transfers are almost probably definitely going to be in some places.
Council seemed pleased by Robar’s apologies, and took the time to admonish the public and media for getting the wrong idea that Transit announcing it wasn’t going to meet council’s directives in any way meant Transit wasn’t going to meet council’s directives.
“There are people in the public who are confused,” Bill Karsten mansplained.
“I don’t know if this has to continue to happen,” added councillor Tim Outhit, “if we just did a little better communicating.”
“We could have been more clear,” Robar admitted.
A 10-week public consultation period will be held, involving online and in-person feedback starting in mid-January. Halifax Transit will release its new system ideas one day.
CONCENTRATED COMPOST
Brad Johns has been frothing mad in the press lately over the proposed motion to treat composting wastewater (leachate) at the old Sackville landfill. Two weeks ago he fought to have the matter discussed then and there at council, but had to wait until yesterday to continue his crusade.
Which is why it was surprising any and all discussion happened behind closed doors.
Council went in camera for around 20 minutes, seemingly about a land sale matter, and when the public and reporters were allowed back in Johns had changed his mind.
Metro says “discussions of the contract negotiations around the existing treatment facility” were to blame for the altered motion. Johns tells the Herald that council was presented with “a number of options” that made his motion “somewhat moot.”
Staff will now compile a report looking at alternative methods of treating the leachate.
From most everything published, the additional four percent of wastewater treatment the Landfill was looking at seemed a safe, reasonable choice. But there were a lot of angry people in Sackville who felt otherwise. Taking the matter in camera to discuss options cuts those people out of the picture. That stinks.
WRITE-OFFS
A provincial commitment of funds in the range of $700,000 for rapid transit was written-off by council, who had left it uncollected for ten years. Since there was never a formal agreement negotiated, only a letter of commitment, HRM is out of luck. Councillor Brad Johns was annoyed the province wasn’t going to give Halifax the money it once promised. He wondered if mayor Mike Savage had tried asking them for it.
“We kind of missed the bus on this,” Gloria McCluskey said, winning council for the day.
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Schooner General Contracting won an increase in their renovations to the Bicentennial Theatre in Musquodoboit. The project increased by $75,000, up now to $300,239. David Hendsbee wondered why there were only two bids on the tender, and why one was $200,000 and the other $2 million. No one knew.
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What are we going to do with all our surplus lighthouses? We’ll discuss that next time instead, council decided. While you wait, have your vote here.
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Yesterday was councillor Matt Whitman’s birthday. It was also David Hendsbee’s eight-year wedding anniversary. Gloria McCluskey was honoured last night by the Maritime Heart Centre as one of 2014’s “Heart Heroes.” McCluskey took the opportunity to launch another zinger.
“When I had to have open heart surgery, everyone was surprised to learn I had a heart.”
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Grade: D+
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This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2014.
I am all with Councillors Karsten and Outhit: ‘“There are people in the public who are confused,” Bill Karsten mansplained. “I don’t know if this has to continue to happen,” added councillor Tim Outhit, “if we just did a little better communicating.” ‘
How about some grammar, which would reading comprehension so much easier, Jacob?
“The superintendent’s cottage staff said SbtS could use while waiting on the new facility would be too small for a rehearsal space. “
The uninitiated is left to wonder: Does the superintendent have cottage staff that is speaking, or does the word “said” rather belong to “SbtS”, as in in ‘the before mentioned SbtS’? Of course, neither of these make sense. A comma after “cottage” and before “would” would help the reader.
And why the heck would you capitalize “Landfill”? and, and, and …. But really, I am no-one’s grammar Nazi. I can live with missing commas or messed up capitalization. What really bothers me is a sense of disinterested arrogance and the lack of concern for the reader and for the subject matter, which I seem to detect in your writing. THAT I if find truly upsetting.
Bus Blunder
Council and Transit should wake up and use the St Pats site to build a terminal to replace the twin nightmares of Mumford and Barrington/Duke. Yes it would be costly, however it would set-up transit in this city for the next 25-40 yrs…..give up on the 1, 10, 61/14 getting caught up in bridge traffic snarls, and create a 10 minute St Pats to Bridge terminal express. Some vision could be used here ! The old terminus sites of Mumford and Barr/Duke are ill served with the 60ft buses, routes then could be revamped with more emphasis on a wider transfer based system.