Haldimand "Here is Another Unheard Voice"

In April I wrote a blog about the Nuclear issue . The main players at this time seem to be Norfolk, although our Council in Haldimand seems to be silently backing them, as they both shared in the $5,000.00 cost for a report that was done last fall. I won’t go into all the details that I posted at that time but it is full of information that is a must read if you are concerned in where this issue is going. Here is the link if you haven’t had time to read it; http://haldimandsunheardvoice.blogspot.com/2008/04/haldimand-haldimandnorfolk-are-we-going.html

On May 5th, 2008 Janet Fraser, a resident of Cayuga submitted a written request to the County Clerk, to make a deputation to Haldimand Council regarding the Nuclear Issue and the need for more public education and input. Janet had also e-mailed Councillor Sloat and Mayor Trainer but never received an answer or even an acknowledgement. Here was Janet’s answer from the County Clerk’s Office;

Ms. Fraser, I have received your letter and intended to respond in writing. Please note that Council is not receiving delegations with respect to nuclear power options at this time.

No doubt Grand Erie Energy Quest are aware that the CNSC has a comprehensive regulatory process in place for the construction of new nuclear reactors. Public input is a required part of every step in the regulatory process. Under Federal legislation EA’s are required for nuclear projects in Canada. For new build the process including public consultation takes up to 3 years to complete. EA’s are used as a planning tool before a decision to proceed with the regulatory process has been made. Under this regulatory process the public will be given ample opportunity to speak to the issue.

I advised Janet to put in a second request to appear before Council as I believe that she has every right as a tax paying resident of Haldimand to have her “Voice Heard”.

Janet put in a second request and this was the response from the County Clerk’s Office on May 12th, 2008;

Good Afternoon: Please note that although not all members of Council have responded as yet, there is a majority position that such a delegation is premature. I trust this answers your request of reconsideration.

I am a strong believer in the right to be heard, and our right to “Voice” our concerns to our “Elected Officials” in an Official manner. When this issue came to my attention, there were a few residents from Cayuga that were quite upset that Janet was denied her right to “Speak to Council” about her concerns. A few comments were made that they had never heard of anyone being denied their right to speak. Well I just wonder how many other “Residents” have been turned down because Council feels that they are being “Premature”, or simply do not want the concern to be on “Record”.

We must remember the Haldimand County Hydro issue, this was behind closed doors for six months before the public was made aware of the potential sale. When Council decided to make the sale public it was almost too late to fight it. But we fought hard and we won! I am really not sure where this issue is going, but I do know one thing for sure Janet has the right to “Voice” her concerns “Publicly” and be on “Record”.

I called Mayor Trainer this week to ask her why Janet was turned down. Mayor Trainer’s first response was that Janet’s request was “Premature” and there will be lots of time for “Public Input”. When I asked Mayor Trainer if Council supports a Nuclear Plant for Nanticoke her reply was that they have only agreed to an Environmental Assessment, nothing more. At this point in our conversation I said to Mayor Trainer that is not the way the public sees it and that Janet should be allowed to speak to Council regarding her concerns.

Our conversation then turned to Norfolk Council, I mentioned that Norfolk had already had three “Public Meetings” and a delegation appeared before Norfolk Council last month. Haldimand County has had no “Public Meetings”, will not allow anyone to speak on this issue and in fact at the Norfolk Council meeting they advised that delegation to speak to Haldimand Council as they were informed that the ultimate decision would be made by Haldimand County.

Mayor Trainer also stated that her Council was upset at how aggressive Norfolk Council has been on this issue.

If in fact this is true then let Janet speak to Council. My advice to Janet would be to show up prepared at a Council in Committee meeting, ask Mayor Trainer to request Council to allow her to speak and take a “Recorded Vote” so if Council turns her down it will be on the record!

I know that if Janet takes this course of action Mayor Trainer will ask her Council to allow her to speak. Why do I know this? Well I have posted below a news article from 2003 that will explain why.

April 2, 2003

Trainer officially enters mayoral race

Karen Best
Special To The Chronicle

CAYUGA - Marie Trainer, attempting to reverse the close electoral decision of three years ago, has officially entered the race for mayor.

Trainer became the first candidate for Haldimand County's top elected position when she filed her papers on Monday at the county municipal offices in Cayuga.

Trainer told The Chronicle that numerous requests from Haldimand residents combined with her love of the mayoral job were key factors which persuaded her to run. In keeping with her attempts in the 2000 election be perceived as "The People's Mayor," Trainer spoke about people issues in an interview prior to filing her papers. "There isn't one day that goes by that I haven't been asked to run again," she said.

In 2000, she lost her bid to be Haldimand County's first mayor to Lorraine Bergstrand. The result was a close one, with Bergstrand winning by a margin of just under 600 votes of the 16,000 ballots cast.

Based on her observations and feedback, Trainer feels the attitudes of some councillors towards the public needs revision. People feel they are not being given the opportunity to speak with some reporting they are abruptly cut off, she said. Trainer believes council is not listening to the taxpayers.

Trainer felt this was one of the reasons behind public anger over Haldimand's decision regarding the Grandview Lodge redevelopment. "It seems like the people haven't been heard," she said.

When asked how she would address this as head of council, Trainer said she always talks to people as equals. "It just seems it's a dictatorship," she said of the current council.

In her opinion, too much council business is kept from the people. "There is an awful lot of P and C (private and confidential business)," Trainer said. "I would have a more open council and not so much P and C and I would let the public speak when they wanted to."

Trainer referred to last year's bitter six-week municipal CUPE strike. She recalled contract settlements that were completed amicably in the former Town of Haldimand.

"To me it wasn't necessary," Trainer said. In her opinion, county union employees were treated badly in negotiations and some settlement details. She referred to an oversight (she described it as "backhanded") that almost omitted employee benefits from the final settlement.

Unlike former Haldimand policies where retiring staff were given benefits until they received a pension, the CUPE contract does not grant benefits unless an employee leaves after a long period of service, Trainer said. In contrast to benefits for a five year contracted administrator, this is not okay, she said. She could not understand how old Town of Haldimand councillors could have supported this.

Trainer also relayed concerns about union and non-union raises. Union wages were increased 2.5 per cent but non-union wages went up a little more, she said, referring to information provided to her by union members. This was on top of increased salaries set for new county positions in the transition period, she said.

However the biggest blow was a summertime decision to increase council remuneration, said Trainer, who believes this issue should be re-examined by the new council. Remuneration is posed to increase to $30,000 for councillors, up $5,000, and to $60,000, up $10,000, for mayor. She condemned the timing of the council pay review during contract negotiations.

Trainer also had some comments about roads. She is questioning the need to rename streets and roads like Regional Road 20. The regional designation tells truckers the road can withstand more weight than a municipal road, she said. People will have to change stationary when the county moves ahead with name or numbering changes, she said.

There are duplicate addresses on Regional Road 20 and a county addressing project will eliminate those and others. The project will set up unique address for every county property which is crucial for the quickest emergency response.

This spring Trainer has received numerous comments about muddy road conditions, poor quality stone for gravel roads and the loss of stone into ditches. When told council heard the same complaints and blamed the former Town of Haldimand's penny pinching budgets, she defended those caps. Yes there were zero increases but not less dollars, she said. The additional tax base from new residents and businesses was used to finance additional budget items, she said. Trainer also emphasized that the former town reviewed its roads and set a priority for maintenance.

Trainer is aware of concerns over intensive livestock operations and thinks an agricultural advisory committee would have been helpful in sorting out this issue and offering the other side of the story. The majority of farmers are very careful about the environment, she said. "I would have been a little more comfortable myself having that (an agricultural advisory committee)," she said.

The new council will have no choice but to figure out how to pay for what was done in the county council's first term, said Trainer. "There is a lot of money being spent," she added.

Councillors will be looking at where the county actually stands and what it needs to move forward, Trainer predicted. She also wondered what happened with former Town of Haldimand reserves, which totaled $6 million.

Now that Trainer has filed nomination papers she can solicit and accept campaign donations. She anticipated no problem in securing the backing she will need to conduct a campaign. Her next move will be amassing volunteers and placing them where they can do things for the campaign. Nominations close on September 26 and election day is November 11.

Trainer is counting on the experience she gained in a15 year career in municipal politics. In 1985, she won the Hagersville ward seat and three years later voters sent her to regional council. In 1991, she began a nine year stint as the former Town of Haldimand mayor. "I'm not ready to retire fully yet," she said.

In her three year leave, which she described as a sabbatical, Trainer has assisted in the family beef operation as well as serving a various boards. She holds a Cayuga Chamber of Commerce membership and sits on management boards at Cottonwood Mansion and Ruthven Park. She is also a member of the Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant Trillium Foundation review board. The body accepts grant applications and forwards recommendation to Toronto.