Wow.
Nice work if you can get it.
In 2008, the planning fees paid to Mr. Jorden, planning consultant for the Township of Melancthon, were $66,916.17.
AND he never set foot in the office on any regular basis, nor was he dealing with a massive planning issue such as a 2,400 acre, 200 foot deep open pit mine.
The 2009 actual budget shows planning fees of $73,760.00 were paid. AND the planner only started attending at the office ONCE A MONTH as of April 2009.
The estimated planning fees for 2010 are $77,000.00. But of course effective this spring he will start attending, by appointment only, twice a month in the office. Wonder how he has the time and I wonder if he bills mileage to get there? Just asking.
THEN this bombshell is dropped at Council.
Andrew Fyfe, yet another contract planner, estimates it will cost him $10,000.00 (YES, $10,000.00) to draft a demolition control bylaw. I presume, and I stand to be corrected, that this is in addition to the $77,000.00 that is budgeted for 2010.
And out of payments by Melancthon ratepayers over the past six years we have paid approximately $20,000.00 a year for "work" on the OP, according to the Mayor.
In 2008, the planning fees paid to Mr. Jorden, planning consultant for the Township of Melancthon, were $66,916.17.
AND he never set foot in the office on any regular basis, nor was he dealing with a massive planning issue such as a 2,400 acre, 200 foot deep open pit mine.
The 2009 actual budget shows planning fees of $73,760.00 were paid. AND the planner only started attending at the office ONCE A MONTH as of April 2009.
The estimated planning fees for 2010 are $77,000.00. But of course effective this spring he will start attending, by appointment only, twice a month in the office. Wonder how he has the time and I wonder if he bills mileage to get there? Just asking.
THEN this bombshell is dropped at Council.
Andrew Fyfe, yet another contract planner, estimates it will cost him $10,000.00 (YES, $10,000.00) to draft a demolition control bylaw. I presume, and I stand to be corrected, that this is in addition to the $77,000.00 that is budgeted for 2010.
And out of payments by Melancthon ratepayers over the past six years we have paid approximately $20,000.00 a year for "work" on the OP, according to the Mayor.
What has Mr. Jorden produced for that? Well when the pressure got great, he finally turned up at a couple Council meetings in 2010 to read word for word, like a bedtime story, from his cookie cutter draft that he is proposing for Melancthon.
What kind of cookie cutter? Well it is so depersonalized to Melancthon you could take that draft OP anywhere in the province and dump it in the municipality and not tell where you are. Well, that isn't exactly true, he did go to all the work to download the Ministry of Northen Development and Mines aggregate mapping and overlay (plop) about 6,000 acres into Melancthon.
But now the mapping company has gone bankrupt and there are no maps available-a Jorden responsibility and a mapping company for whom I am assuming some of Melancthon taxpayers fees were paid through Jorden to this company.
It is long past time that the Township of Melancthon had a full time planner, hired as an employee of the municipality. Any incumbent politician or anyone running for office who does not see that does not deserve a seat on Council.
We are not getting good value for money, that is certainly very clear.
And the reason that there is no specialty crop designation in our draft Official Plan? Because Jorden says he can't do that unless Council directs him, yet he is the "expert" who has advised Council NOT to put a speciality crop designation in the OP.
OMG.
It is long past time that the Township of Melancthon had a full time planner, hired as an employee of the municipality. Any incumbent politician or anyone running for office who does not see that does not deserve a seat on Council.
We are not getting good value for money, that is certainly very clear.
And the reason that there is no specialty crop designation in our draft Official Plan? Because Jorden says he can't do that unless Council directs him, yet he is the "expert" who has advised Council NOT to put a speciality crop designation in the OP.
OMG.
If you think a full time planner would cost too much, take a look at the 2010 budget for Melancthon. They have budgeted $60,000 to the Shelburne arena for capital repairs.
ReplyDeleteHey anonymous above...did you actually read the blog or look at the budget for the Planner and compare it to other townships....sheesh
ReplyDelete