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. COMMENT Quest for perfect lawn just another attempt to control nature at sea when it comes to serious talk about lawn maintenance. Spraying, edging, mowing, mulching. bag- ging. .. it all goes right over my head. C But, then again, I feel the same tense of wonder at people who iron their underwear. Or iron anything. for that matter. Sorry, I just don't get it. _ In these early days of summer, lawn talk is big business. Sit someone down at a barbecue and invariably he Will talk enthusiastically about his lawn. extolling the virtues of superb 've head it said that your lawn is an extension of your living room. f that's the case. domestic chaos reigns right outside my fmnt door. ' But do I care? , l have to confess to feeling a little In sea when it comes to serious talk hbout lawn maintenance. Spraying, Trustee burying her head in sand on fiscal issues Dear Sir: T So, Public Board Trustee Siebert (June 9) doesn't care about $5,000 budget items "what do I care if some trustees want to worry about $5,000?" because "it clearly indicates a lack of "confidence in staff!" She misses the point completely - and yet she is Vice Chair of the Finance Committee! _ What Trustee Lebiovic - and the majority of trustees - want to stop is the practice of overspending by Administration. Trustee Siebert delib- ltrately omits the fact, brought up in budge discussions this year by Trustee Reid, that the Administration spent §¢million over budget in 1992 with- iput reference to the Trustees. That is called unauthorized spending in most companies - whose directors keep tlose tabs on budget vacancies - and 3s cause for tiring. l, Admittedly, some of the $4-million tabout $1.6 million) may have been 'tmavoidable, but why did the vimctor's Office and Superintendents pend $50,000 on furniture without- yuthorization? Why was $379,000 Arent on "Miscellaneous Projects" - 1ixoverable, but from taxpayers' other fpockets? - without authorization? j‘Why was Finance $239,000 over bud- get in Short Term Loan Interest yharges when interest rates were falling (does its planning and cash 2nanagement require review)? Why is Jamchmom Supervision $l50,000 SEALED QUOTATIONS on forms provided will be received by the Purchasing Department. 1225 Trafalgar Road, RO. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario uu 5A6 until 12:00 NOON, local time on MONDAY, JUNE 28. 1993 Plans, specifications and quotation forms will be available on or after 2'erger June 16. 1993 and may be obtained from Jackson Ryder Architects incorporated. 114 Lakeshore Roa East. Suite 20. Oalmlle. Ontario, LtU 6N2, Telephone (416) 849-6500. A non-refundable deposit of $20.00 is required. The Contractor whose quotation is accepted shall be required to post a Performance Bond satisfactory to Town Council, equal to 100% of the contract price, and a Labour and Material Bond equal to 50% of the contract price. Alternately, the contractor may provide an irrevocable unconditional letter of credt for 100% of the contract price. An agreement to bond or letter of intent will be required with the quotation submissitms. A certified cheque or Bank/T rust Co. draft for the amount specified in the quotation document MUST accompany each quotation. The Town of Oakville reserves the right to reject any or all quotations and the highest or lowest as the case may be will not necessarily be accepted. R.J. Coumoyer, C.l.M.. P. Mgr. Director, Purchasing & Office Services PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGN BY-LAW REVIEW REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THE TOWN OF OAKVILLE HAS RECENTLY FORMED A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ITS PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGN BY-LAW AND HAS GIVEN THIS COMMITTEE THE FOLLOWING MANDATE: MANDATE A - Examine the cost of sign permits B - Consider a tee for sign variance requests C - Review the prohibition on certain types of signage such as banners, roof signs, billboards and moving messages D - Review the time allocated for display of portable Signs as well as a limit on the number of such sigi devuces E - Examine ways to shorten the time between the permit application and issuance stages. F-Consult with user groups in the community such as merchants, Sign contractors, busmess improvement associations, sign manufacturers and ratepayer groups to seek their advice on proposed amendments. In an effort to determine what changes are desired, or deemed necessary by the community, The Committee is requesting your input in m ing by no later than June 30, 1993. You may obtain a free copy of the existing Sign By-Law at the By-Law Enforcement/Licensing counter in the Town Hall at 1225 Trafalgar Road, akville, Ontario between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. For further information or assistance please call Phillip Bouillon at 338-4199 or Bruce Ebbs at 338-4202. -- 7 N S QUOTATION FOR ALTERATIONS TO THE OAKVILLE MUNICIPAL BUILDING (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT) OUOTATION NUMBER 0-35-93 The Corporation of the Town of Oakville Attention: Phillip J. Bouillon, Supervisor of By-Law Enforcement and Licensing Commissioner Building Services Department 12 5 Trafalgar Road PO. Box 310 Oakville, Ontario . L6J 5A6 Thank, you for your participation. edging or lamenting the Creeping Charlie that has had the audacity tc fmd its way onto his lawn. V But, what really does lawn do? And what does it say person who may devote hours - and untold reams able income - towards quest. .. a perfect lawn. 1l)iiiirriii_i'iiiiie edigori over budget when its costs should be known at the beginning of the school year? These are some of the questions which trustees who think they are responsible for Board actions (includ- ing Oakville trustees Lane, Marklew. Reid, Scheel) are asking, while Trustee Sieben wants to bury her head in the sand, "stand aside and let the professionals do their work." More like stand aside and let unelected offi- cials spend taxpayers' money without proper accountability! If she can't or won't take her responsibilities serious- ly enough and safeguard taxpayers' money, then we can choose someone' who will do the job properly. at next year's election! Roger Love Taxpayers Coalition, Halton Mit. .. a perfect lawn. We seem hell bent on 1225 TRAFALGAR ROAD . OAKVILLE, ONTARIO . LBJ 5A6 TOWN OF DAKVILLE 845-6601 creating about the countless of dispos- the great stood to -'--"..--l-l_-l..- -------------------- whole new aesthetic for the patch of grass that just happens to lie outside our front doors. We are buying into the notion that we will be judged less if we don't have yet another thing. .. a perfect green lawn. It's absurd. perfect green lawn. It's absurd. With the old snips at hand, there was a kind of natural imperfection; an informal, laid back approach to cut- ting back the hedge, But woe betide the spunky weed that strays into this quest for perfec- tion these days... off it goes with a roar from an electric trimmer coupled with aloud sigh of satisfaction. another happy lawn owner. Now I have a theory that these same poor souls out mowing their -...._---- --.--.----- ITIfi OAKViLLl lawns really cathar them ': chaos but the And who my lawn, the life in control But the current trend has gone too far. Blasting everything with all sorts of noxious stuff is creating - and demanding -- a whole new standard. It has gone too far. I know had a note in politely ioor awn The meeting will be conducted as an open house from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm. followed by a formal presentation. All those with an interest in this study are urged to attend. If you are unable to attend and would like to make known your views, please address your comments by July 2, 1993 to: Mr. Bill Butler, P. Eng. Department of Plannihg Services Town of Oakville Po. Box 310 Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 Telephone: 338-4190 ext. 3320 Fax: 815-2025 Public input Is an Important part at this study. Three public revsews are scheduled - June 1993, September 1993 and December. 1993. The first Public Open House/Meeting has been arranged to review and receive comments about the stud! approach, backgroun information, updated transportation analrsis and alternative solutions. t is scheduled for. THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1993 Background From 1989 to 1991 the Town of Oakville, in conjunction with the Region of Haiton and the City of Burlington, earned out a comprehensive planning study for the Burloak Industrial District and Shell Lands. The study Culminated in the preparation and approval of the Burloak Secondary Plan and required Official Plan Amendnents The transportation component of the Burloak Secondary Plan identified the need for the following major transponation lacrlrtree south of the DEW (see Key Plan): . a new northerly crossmg of the Twelve Mile Creek . a new southerly crossing of the Twelve Mile Creek . the widening and realignment of Burioak Drive north of Rebeca Street and a grade separation at the CN tracks Current Study The Town of Oakvule, in conjunction with the City of Burlington. is now carrying out a study of these facilities in accordance with the requirements of the Class Environmental Assessment for Municipal Road Projects. Public Consultation on the same day every week believe in this as a kind of sis for urban living. It brings PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE/MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL tgi'""""' STUDY OR TWELVE MILE CREEK/BURLOAK DRIVE AREA or WEST OAKVILLE 7:00 PM. TD 9:00 PM. WITH A PRESENTATION AT 8:00 P.M. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS SECONDARY SCHOOL - WEST CAMPUS 2405-A REBECCA STREET, OAKVILLE f peace of sorts. There may be all around, life may be cruel... y can still, by god, head out the ‘ridav night and mow their own D H of someone who actually in her mailbox telling her, couched terms of course. blames them? Look y say proudly. this is i'd p; via? TOWN HALL MEETING CALENDAR BEGLJLAMQUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 21, 1993 7:30 p.m. Council Chamber Look at that the quite up bors. Time to move, I'd say. With that kind of neighborly relations it is defr. nitely time to up the for sale sign. We must have some concern with this trend towards the perfect lawn... surely it speaks volumes about the current trend to control nature; have it bend to our will rather than us make some concessions. What is proves, above all, is our quest to control nature is relentless. Excise even the most humble weed; thereby we create a new, more pristine anesthetic. But what that is doing is more than cleaning up a stray weed or two. LOCATION OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE/MEETING mummy: , I state of her lawn was to the standard of her ne CITV OF THOMAS AOUINAS SCHOOL - WEST CAMPUS 2405-A REBECCA STREET, OAKVILLE THURSDAY. JUNE 24. was 7:00 PM. TO 9:00 PM, WITH A PRESENTATION AT 3:00 PM not igh- 'attiWssh"ttfutmrt'rg Community ngpapgr We are losing perspective on this. We are spending reams of money on maintaining what is surely an artW cial standard. There is a ton of fertiliz- er, resulting in tons of lawns being unnaturally sustained completely through chemicals. Does this make sense? And does it make sense for the town of Oakville to spray pesticides on anything that moves and throw up little signs telling us all where our tax dollars are spent? Of course not. It makes no sense at all. We are sanitizing our world to death - even extending it to the patch of grass on our front lawn. Dandelion, take note. This could be your year. OTMH CHARITABLE CORPORATION and IEOAKVIILE] For goodness sake ls brought to you courtesy of the imam " W at I