Whitt5jPred'Préês:Weckièsda$'OCttober26, 1994 ,Pèû 27- ý This election is about the changing way oernments treat you, tax you and respond to your needs and requesis The way things have been done: When 85% of the downtown businesses petitioned council for changes in the Downtown BIA, council refused to hear it for 3 months and then rejected it unanimously. Merchants were told that "they didn't know what they were signing." With the exception of a single copy in the library on Saturday, i agendas of council meetings are not available until the day of the meeting. Since most people work Mondays and 40% commute, this effectively excludes most citizens from finding out what's going on until they read it in the Wednesday paper. Whitby council authorized and continues to subsidize the Civic Recreation Centre Health Club in direct competition1 with private businesses. Council has approved.in principal the expenditure of $3.5 million to build a new ice pad,.but private entrepreneurs say they can do it (and make a profit) for much less. Parking policy downtown has flip-flopped several times in the last few years, yet the businessess are never asked for input. - When a developer-develops land, he consults first with the pflanning, staff. He. may speénd tens of thousands of dollars bfore the neighbours see anything. Eventually, those within 100 metres get invited to a public meeting. Not surprisingly, suspicious residents dump all over the plans. Predictably, the developer defends them. And so the confrontaion begins. When the owner of a local marketing firm which had a contract with the Town expressed strong opposition to an unrelated policy matter, Council cancelled his contract 1 h a .IX t Eingsi ut mild e I e ['l1 *1 *1 1 r *1 DOUG The petition should have been acted upon without delay. Council should have then set up a dialogue with the merchants to ensure that the special needs of Downtown Whitby were being met. With advances in technology and as more people acquire home computers, agendas should be made available via computer modem no later than Friday noon. Citizens could examine material in the comfort of their own homes 24 hqurs a day, 7 days a week. Computer terminais and hard copy\should also be available at Town Hall and ail library branches. Governments should be cooperating, not competing, with local businesses. This looks like they've stuck us with hundreds of thousands in extra taxes. If private enterprise can do it for less, then let them. Since every paid parking space in Whitby is located downtown and parking policy directly impacts on business there, council should give the businesses full control. There is a better way. Neighbouring property residents should be the very first to be consulted. Many problems could be avoided if the concems were known and dealt with at the out- set. The planning department should assist in getting the sides to work out the problems before it ever comes to council. The free expression of opinions is a fundamental part of the democracy. Contracts should be awarded to best overall bids. Reprisais such as the one descibed are a disgrace to the com- munity and such small-mindedness must never be tolerated Depresentatîve *-10 un table R[y'"'"""' REGIO authorized by the CFO for the Doug Anderson campaign AL COU CIL go Mwý" À hl