59 Carden St.

Zamboni might want to slim down a bit

It seems the Zamboni used to clear the new skating rink at City Hall might be getting a bit big for its britches -- or at least for the pavilion in which city officials intend to one day park it.

"Even at the start when they were designing (the pavilion) they realized it would be tight," Mario Petricevic, the city's GM of corporate building maintenance, told me today. "It's a little tighter than we expected."

The machine will still fit in the designated space, Petricevic said, but talks are underway with the architect to try to make the Zamboni's garage a little more roomy.

Ward 4 Town Hall tonight

Received this from Coun. Cam Guthrie:

 

Just a reminder that if you have the opportunity to join Councillor Kovach & myself for our first Ward 4 Town hall meeting in many many years, that would be great! All residents of Guelph are welcome.

 Here’s the details:

 Where: West End Centre – Imperial Rd - The “Lounge Room”

Time: 7:00pm-8:30pm

 Discussion on using the cart/bin system for waste collection

• Changes to Community & Social Services
• Introduction of incoming Chief Bryan Larkin (discussion about grafitti)
• Question and Answers from those in attendance on any issues

 Thank you!

Go ahead, make her day

Maggie Laidlaw will be watching you.

The Ward 3 councillor, who quite infamously revealed last spring she has used Google's Street View feature to check out the homes of people who ask for low tax increases, said this week she can't wait to start reporting people for violating the city's tougher idling bylaw.

After Cam Guthrie suggested the new restrictions are "just another tool ... for residents to be tattle-taling on their neighbours," Laidlaw seemed to confirm it.

"I will look forward to starting to make some phone calls," she said.

Yes, really.

Former treasurer lands on her feet

Former city chief financial officer Margaret Neubauer, who was frog-marched out of council chambers last May, has landed on her feet.

According to her LinkedIn page, Neubauer has been working since last September as the director of corporate services and governance support with the Niagara Parks Commission.

 

Health board membership up for discussion Monday

CAO Ann Pappert is expected to bring to council Monday night a report on how to move forward with the city's absenteeism on the board of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

You'll recall council voted in September to pull its three members from the board amid an ongoing dispute about "governance issues."

With the provincial Health Minister writing recently to ask what the city intends to do about the missing members -- and reminding the mayor about the city's legal obligation to be at the table -- it will be interesting to see the discussion tomorrow night.

I understand the matter is to be discussed in-camera first because of the legal implications, but hopefully debate about how to proceed will take place during the public session.

We're speaking to some councillors this weekend to get their sense of what should happen next and will have that in the paper tomorrow.

Let's not start this crap again

OK, everyone, I know some people have an ongoing issue about the use of anonymous names on here.

I have in the past said that I am fine with people using anonymous names, as long as they continue to use the same anonymous name all the time (thereby allowing other users to get a sense of who they are, even if they don't actually know who they are, if you get my drift)

However increasingly people seem to be posting under various aliases. This came to my attention while reviewing the comments under another post, because someone posted a comment early this morning using a name which is virtually identical to that used by a regular contributor.

On doing some digging, I determined the early-morning comment was sent from an IP address which has been tied to at least seven different -- but all anonymous -- user names.

I haven't yet asked our IT department to track the comments back for the purposes of blocking certain users, but I don't think it's fair to impersonate someone else here and would ask anyone doing so to stop it.

Thanks.

'Embrace the bins & smile" - Cam Guthrie

Cam, who is known for his objection to the switch to carts, sent me this photo of two items on his desk. The toy is, appropriately enough, the insurance salesman from The Family Guy.

Frustrated? Squeeze a green bin

Anyone feeling frustrated about changes coming to Guelph's waste system can take it out on their green bin.

Not that green bin. The squeezy kind.

The city recently ordered 150 stress-ball-type green bins, which are being sold at a cost-recovery price of $3.05 at City Hall.

A city spokesperson told me today there is no truth to the rumour the city had ordered one such squeezy bin for each household in the city, which would have been a $150,000 undertaking.

The city actually offers a surprising range of logo-bearing items, including blankets, golf balls and a seven-in-one ratcheting screwdriver.

I can see Wyndham Street from here!

Demolition is well-underway on the former Family Thrift Store and Wyndham Art Supplies store on Wyndham Street North.

The city-owned buildings are being removed as part of the eventual redevelopment of Baker Street, which is to include a new main library branch. Until then look for a temporary parking lot to occupy the vacant space.

That ice is not for skating

Apparently the photo below, taken last week by my colleague Tony Saxon and printed on our front page, caused quite a tizzy at City Hall.

The next day, city staff issued a memo -- which Ian Findlay promptly posted to his blog -- expressing concern about the photo because it made it appear the rink at Grange and Watson is a city facility, which it's not, and that people were obviously not paying attention to the 'no skating' signs.

Staff have since posted signs at various stormwater management ponds stating that skating is not permitted because of possible safety risks, and put this notice on its website.

It's curious nobody seems very concerned about the dog in the photo running loose. Maybe that's a staff memo for another day ...