Is Council Making the Right Decisions?

Fine and Performing Arts Centre...Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Library...bicycle lanes...outsourcing city landscaping work...walkway across Martindale Pond...urban farming...and so on and so forth...

I recognize that each of my blog readers will feel differently about the above-mentioned projects/issues. Some will be in favour of all, some will be opposed to all, some will be in favour of some and opposed to others. I feel differently about each of the above. However, what I really want to know about each/all of these is: Are city councillors making the right decisions? Are they even educated decisions?

In the case of the walkway at Martindale Pond, no, it's not even an educated decision. On Monday, August 23, according to an article in the St. Catharines Standard by Peter Downs (http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2725509), Council opted for a walkway at Martindale Pond, including a system of floating docks, despite not knowing what the long-term operating costs will be for maintaining the walkway and docks.

I understand the pressure that comes with not wanting to miss out on federal funding for a project (up to $1.9 million for three related upgrade projects in Port Dalhousie - and the work has to be completed by next March in order to qualify); however, how can they justify agreeing to do this work when they have no idea how much they will spend on operating costs, which will include occasionally cleaning up floating debris along the system of docks and adjusting concrete anchors that will hold the docks in place. That's right. No idea how much it will cost for this. None.

Additionally, the costs of the project that are known don't include the cost of creating trail connections in the parks that will be connected by the walkway, engineering costs in the neighbourhood of $99,000 and other "miscellaneous" costs.

I'm not disputing that a walkway over Martindale Pond would be a nice addition to the parks, but should Council be making decisions so blindly? I have a problem with that. Would anyone of them purchase a house without having any idea how much the taxes and utility costs are going to be? Probably not. So, why would they make a decision like this without any idea what the long-term operating costs are going to be and, therefore, how those costs are going to affect taxpayers over the long-term?

Councillors need to be making educated decisions. Period.

Please don't hesitate to e-mail me at lauraipforstgeorgesward@gmail.com.