Monday, February 9, 2015

SNOW JOB

The people of Fort Erie will soon see their new Ward 4 Councillor's agenda.

"Councillor Butler
Re: Request to Table Report No. CDS-09-2015 (Options 
for Addressing Requests for Relief from Requirement 
for 30 Meter Setback from 1-in-100 Year Floodline of 
Lake Erie as Determined by the NPCA)

That: Council reconsider Recommendation No. 11 
passed January 12, 2015 to table Report CDS-09-2015 
until it is determined whether a waterfront strategy will 
be part of Council’s strategic plan."

So, one of our Chamber Maids, Marina Butler, wants to throw out the 30 Meter Setback requirement even before the so-called "waterfront strategy" is part of the town's plan.  It was tabled last month by council. Her call for reconsideration of the tabling of the recommendation:

That: Council authorize the initiation of a housekeeping amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning By-law No. 129-90 to delete Section 6.47. Recommendation No. 11 Moved by: Councillor Lubberts That: Council table Report CDS-09-2015 until it is determined whether a waterfront strategy will be part of Council’s strategic plan.

Comprehensive Zoning By-law 129-90:

6.47 YARD SETBACKS FOR LOTS ABUTTING LAKE ERIE (By-law 100-05) Notwithstanding any other yard requirements of this by-law, any building or any addition thereto in the vicinity of Lake Erie shall be set back a minimum of 30m from the 1-in-100 year flood elevation as determined by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

Little Miss Housekeeper wants to eliminate this section of the Comprehensive By-law. There is a very important reason that this is in the by-law. It is to prevent any construction within the flood line. Some of us remember the original plan of the Molinaros for Bay Beach. The "washrooms" were planned to be located in the flood zone area. The town would have then been responsible for any damage to the washroom structure once it was built. A couple of years ago, I published pictures of six foot piles of shove ice that, had the washrooms been built on the proposed site, would have been damaged by the ice.

(If there was any doubt that our Chamber Maid panders to developers, that has been put to rest with her effort to change the by-law.)

On to another campaign promise going down the chute: It appears that the majority on council is in favour of the town kicking in $3.5 million to the new high school build for a theater and library. Tonight at council, the people will have a chance to say their piece. Like the many who spoke out against the Bay Beach Project and were ignored, council will no doubt approve the expenditure from the taxpayers. (Only Don Lubberts has indicated he will vote against the library expenditure; the others are all for the full $3.5 million.)

Pay attention. You will soon see more parts of the newbies' agenda. I must say that I thought Marina was smarter than she is. She Seldom asks questions about what the council is discussing and she has little understanding of parliamentary procedure. (I had to laugh out load when I heard her try to limit Don Lubberts to five minutes when he was asking questions of the town planner. Even Wayne Redekop had to call her out on that one. She must have been given that tip from Dougie or Jimmy.)

PAST ISSUES