Freedom of information and lead testing

There is an article in to-days Tribune centered on people having problems receiving information under the Freedom of Information Act which in numerous cases is true.
With this in mind how about the City of Welland disclosing what went on with that piece of land sold to the Seaway Mall over 4 years ago under the condition if it was not developed as outlined by the Seaway Mall in a 3 years period it would revert back to the city. The 3 year period expired over a year ago, the land was not developed, and so what happened?
Several people have written in the paper, including this writer asking this question only to find unwillingness by the city to reply. Was there a problem in this deal?
In the same issue of to-days Tribune there is another article stating the lead tests demanded by the province are finished. The method used to test the tap water leaves much to be desired, why would one flush out the water before taking the test? The flushing will certainly remove any possible lead that could be sitting in the water lines as anyone would know.
Twenty homes out of say 1000 were all that were tested as stipulated by the province. That is utter lack of common sense. What about all of those other homes that are known to have lead water lines? Are the people in those homes expected to sit back not knowing if their water is safe to drink? Is there a remote chance the city will warn those people they they have lead water service and it should be tested?Mind you it should be tested at the city of Welland's expense.

Lawn Watering Bylaw

I saw in last weeks Welland Tribune an article on the Welland Conservation Committee's dedication, for another year, to low flow toilets, rain barrels, and downspout inspection along with the expected expenditure however I noticed again the absence of a Lawn Watering Bylaw.
Is the Welland City council and the Conservation Committee so naive to believe Welland is the only community that is unaffected by water supply and shortage? This same council used up over $4 million on water meters not only to help the consumer save money on expensive water bills but help the city trim down water consumption. This council spent a great deal of money on water saver toilets and rain barrels with the same purpose to save money and water, a program set up again for 2007, a program that I've endorsed for a number of years before it became a reality.This same council and Conservation Committee has shown an unwillingness to put into practice a lawn watering bylaw with no explanation as to why, a bylaw that will save innumerable cubic meters of water, a bylaw that will cost nothing but time to bring in a motion and the salaries for the students to monitor as they are doing downspout disconnect inspections.
This same council set up the Conservation Committee with a budget of $50,000.00, a budget that included water conservation as laid out by the Province of Ontario to have conservation measures in place with lawn watering restrictions as part of the conservation process, a process to control double water consumption in the summer months.
For the past week this writer made contact with municipalities throughout the province of Ontario along with the province of British Columbia asking if their municipalities had a lawn watering bylaw along with a monitoring system.Most of the municipalities in British Columbia have very strict lawn watering bylaws complete with a monitoring system and a watering limit of once per week.This is a province with numerous lakes and rivers for a water source.
The reply from the Ontario municipalities, chiefly those around lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario was incredible bearing in mind their close proximity to the lakes mentioned. Every municipality contacted had a lawn watering bylaw supported in most cases with a monitoring program, monitored by students, fines put on water bills, written warnings, and reports of misuse by neighbors. The municipalities who provided the information were The municipality of Lambton Shores(Grand Bend, Forest, etc),Sarnia, Goderich,Clearview Township, The Region of Waterloo( 7 communities),Ottawa, Kingston,, The Region of Durham, Barrie, Peterborough,and The County of Brant.
Most of these communities have abundant water sources but all are mindful of the summer consumption problems to-gather with the regular warning of future water shortage.
Are the Welland councillors afraid if they put into practice this bylaw it will disturb their individual constituents to the point they will not be re-elected or is it they don't believe the water warnings?

Ice Pads

In the May 25 issue of the Welland Tribune there was an extensive article on a proposed new arena to cover a shortage of badly needed ice rinks, shortages recognized almost 4 years ago.
Have we forgotten the sale of land to the Seaway Mall 4 years ago for $ 35,000.00, land that was going to include in the proposal 2 ice pads?
The sale of the land was on the condition if the Seaway Mall did not come through with the proposal within a 3 year time period the land would go back to the city.
At that time or shortly after an article appeared in the Welland Tribune outlining the intentions of the Seaway Mall to have a firm from Chicago meet with the Mall people to discuss the construction of the ice pads. Needless to say nothing was ever reported on that meeting, if indeed there was a meeting, the rinks were never built and the 3 year time period expired last year.
What happened to the Seaway plan?
Did the land go back to the city?
Over the past months many people have questioned this deal, unfortunately neither the city nor the Seaway Mall have yet to make a comment.

Welland Residential taxes

Every time discussions revolve around Welland city residential taxes we are told we are not the highest. Well I am going to show you some figures based on 2005 property taxes on a $200,000.00 property in Southwestern Ontario and Central and Eastern Ontario.
The following are all residential;
1st Cornwall $3,495.00
2nd Deep River $3,353.00
3rd Welland $3,324.00
Third highest in the areas specified.
Here are the figures for the municipalities in the Niagara Region.
Fort Erie $2,686.00
Grimsby $2,655.00
Lincoln $2,544.00
Niagara Falls $2,799.00
Niagara-on-the-Lake $1,992.00
Pelham $2.685.00
Port Colborne $3,246.00
St.Catharine's $2,989.00
Thorold $2,899.00
Wainfleet $3,000.00
Here are a few more interesting tax figures.
Hamilton $2,908.00
Windsor $2,876.00
Barrie $2,259.00
Ottawa $2,053.00
Toronto $1,221.00
All of these figures sure puts a hole in the statement we don't have the highest taxes

Lead pipe water lines

How does it feel to be included in a list of 35 cities and towns in Ontario where city officials don't care about the health of their community? That is right otherwise Ontario's Chief Water Inspector would not have ordered each of those communities to test taps for lead.
These communities for better words never got the lead out. These communities disregarded the Ontario Water Inspector's order to test their water for lead about 4 weeks ago. The inspector now wants 20 samples from homes with lead service from each community within 2 weeks.
Welland was one of these communities including Toronto, Hamilton, Brockville, Cornwall, Peterborough, South Peel, Welland, and Whitby.
Why were the citizens of Welland kept in the dark? Why did Welland not act in accordance with the inspector's request?
The areas in the relevant communities will, in most cases involve homes built in pre-1950, homes I am sure are known to the city. In the event these homes are found to have lead levels above the provincial standard the residents should be given a warning.
When the water meter installation program started the installers must have come across situations where homes had lead pipe water service, was anything done to bring this to the attention of the home owner and the city? Not likely

Earth Day

The following is a copy of an article I wrote on April 23, 2007;
The article in the Tribune on Earth Day brought out one very significant point all vehicle operators should think about very seriously, "Commit your self to public transit"
For those who may or may not have watched ABC's 20/20 last Friday on Earth 2007, monitored by Dianne Sawyer, a lot of time was spent in the production on vehicle emission and the effect on the atmosphere vs taking public transit, the production made a great deal of sense.
If the City of Welland's Conservation Committee and the Transit Commission are serious about emission problems maybe both should consider some additional transit routes to other areas of the city that have no service. Areas, such as Prince Charles from Thorold Road down to Southwell Industrial Park and over to John Deere in Dain city.Take the time to check the number of vehicles parked in the assorted business parking lots along that route. The lots are packed with vehicles that spew out emissions to the atmosphere in mind boggling amounts going to and from their individual places of employment. If the transit system were to run buses to those areas I believe conscientious motorists would use public transit, cut back emission, boost revenue for the city, and save money on gas, now at all time highs.
Think about this suggestion as a follow up to the excellent Earth Day promo.

Water Crisis

Municipalities' right across Canada who have Conservation programs and deliberately ignore implementing a lawn watering by-law, one of the more serious misuses of water, because of their misconception Canada has all kinds of water should take the time to study hundreds of reports put out by experts outlining the future of water not only in Canada but in the entire world. These municipalities must change their view and deal with the issue head on. Ignoring the problem is no longer an option.
The following exert from the Academies of Arts, Humanities, ans Sciences of Canada"It is predicted that by 2025 world wide demand for fresh water will rise 56% and as much as two-thirds of the world's population will be living with serious water shortage. Water will become the primary resource-scarcity problem by 2015.
The Future of Canada, an article from Fortune Magazine states" Water will be to the 21st century what oil is to the 20th.
Another article from Ontario Tenants under the title of Canadians Abusing Water Supply states"There is never enough water to satisfy our thirsty lawns and our water consuming lifestyles".
Canadians have been warned the river and lake flows are becoming erratic yet Canadians still use multi litres everyday washing cars, watering lawns, and flushing it down the toilet. Canadians must be made to understand, second in the world in the use and misuse of water, our water use is not sustainable. Canadians have a perception they have lots of water, so why worry?
According to Environment Canada ' There is no unlimited water supply, it is a myth". Canada faces threats to its freshwater resources. World Day mentions the water crisis will have to change the way we value and use water and the way we manage water resources. We need better management. We need to create the political will to address the water issue.Municipalities having for example no Lawn Watering Program should study this statement with care.
A week ago our city had rain for at least 3 or 4 days. On the first rain free day I drove through parts of the residential area in the city noticing sprinklers on and vehicle and driveways being washed. This is a perfect example of why municipalities who frown on Lawn Watering by-laws should look a little deeper into the predicted water crisis. They should readjust their thinking to coincide with most municipalities, municipalities that are conscious of the pending water crisis and have implemented Lawn Watering Programs, Programs that have teeth.

Public Sector Disclosure Act

In this mornings copy of the Welland Tribune there is a first rate article on the " Public Sector Disclosure Act", an act that requires disclosure of employee's salaries earning more than $100,000.00 during the previous year.
Did you know the Act includes every education board, every university in Ontario and every college of applied arts and technology and post secondary institution in Ontario whether or not affiliated with a university?
I stand corrected but I believe Niagara College falls under this criterion. For some reason the college has not disclosed their salary list which under the act must be made public April 1 of every year. If it was disclosed to the best of my knowledge it never made the Tribune as I am sure the Tribune would have printed it at the same time as they printed other disclosures. Now, if I missed it my sincere apologies.

In conclusion I must point out I requested this information by way of E mail to the college at least 6 times. I have yet to receive a reply, even one stating it was disclosed and date of same.

Seniors and MPPs

On April 18, 2007 it was announced the Ontario MPPs received a 2% increase in wages on top of the 25% increase the MPPs voted themselves last December that was opposed by all members of the NDP party. Apparently this 2% represents a Consumer Price Index(CPI) increase, an increase enjoyed by both the MPPs and the MPs per annum every April. This last increase raised the MPPs salaries from $111,000.00 per year to $112,990.00, a 2 thousand dollar increase.
Most seniors depend on their Canada Pension(CPP) and Old Age Security(OAS) cheques every month hoping there will be a CPI increase to cover their rising cost of living. Regrettably those increase are few and far between needless to say as seniors are not blessed with the yearly guaranteed hand out.
Based on the maximum for both CPP and OAS a 65 year plus senior receives $1355.00 per month subject to income tax. The CPP is $863.75 per month and the OAS is $491.00 per month.

Seniors are told they can anticipate an increase in their CPP cheques every January and an increase in their OAS cheques every quarter but only if there is an increase in the CPI if over a certain level. Seniors have not received an OAS increase since October 2006.There were no increases in January and April of 2007 as according to CPI there were no increase in those quarters. From January 2006 to December 2006 the seniors received the sum total of $17.36., starting at $411.94 and ending at $418.15. Our MPPS got 2 thousand. Why are seniors not permitted the same privilege enjoyed by the MPPs instead of doling out a minute allowance?

I came across the following government statement: "The CPI increase to the MPPs and MPs was viewed as a reasonable assessment of the erosion of salaries caused by inflation"
Seniors do not fit into this assessment.
It is obvious the MPPs and MPs are not limited to a certain level before realizing an increase as their increases dating back to 1991 and up to 2006 were as low as 0.2% to a high of 5.6%, an average increase of 2.13%.
Seniors are lucky if they even get 1%.
I welcome your comments.

Flooded basements

Some of the articles I write about cover subjects that contain information not always readily available to the general public.
Over the past few years the city of Welland experienced some very severe storms, storms resulting in power failures, blackouts, and sewer backups, sewer backups causing significant damage to the basements of many homes. In many cases the homes did not have sump pumps and backwater valves, some homes may have had sump pumps that would not work because of a power failure.Home owners can avoid such a crisis in the future by taking advantage of a program set up by the city covering a portion of the cost involved in having a sump pump and backwater valve installed in one's home.
There are two types of domestic sump pumps on the market, a column type and a submersible.It is suggested one discuss the merits of each with the plumber.At the same time
one should look into the purchase of a battery operated sump pump to take over for the electrically operated sump pump if there is a power failure. The cost of this pump is considerably less than the cost to repair the damage.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Low Flow toilets

For well over 10 years the citizens of Ontario have been encouraged to switch their toilets to low flow stressing two major points; one the toilets will save the home owner money and two the toilets will save water. outside of having to install these toilets in new homes the general public has been rather hesitant to switch over. In the interim many municipalities encouraged the use of these toilets by using an incentive promotion whereby a home owner could obtain a low flow toilet via the city and receive a monetary discount off the retail price. In most municipalities is still being used but it has been found the rush to switch toilets leaves much to be desired.
Just recently the mayors of municipalities around the Great Lakes have requested the province of Ontario to ban inefficient toilets.
Even with the savings in water and money being significant the public demand is minor.
This writer believes the proposed ban is necessary when forecasts of serious water supply problems are inevitable in the next 10 years.
My city, Welland, has a low flow toilet incentive program that will save the home owners money and water.
WHY NOT USE IT?