I’m not sure what is going on at council meetings these days. It’s not near as exciting as it was in the last term. There doesn’t seem to be much controversy except for perhaps the cat community and the roundabout, oh and maybe the horseshoe pitches.
Both of those issues solicit a lot of complaints, some in letters others on Facebook. Some people want cats to be licenced like dogs are and others feel all cats should be saved whether they are healthy of not. The taxpayers should not be put on the hook for any of it. If a group wants to save all the cats in the world, that’s their prerogative but the cost shouldn’t be foisted on taxpayers.
The roundabout is happening no matter how many complaints come across council’s desk. It has been planned for and it will happen. In the end it will be a good thing, but right now some citizens just can’t support the change or the timing. But so far, no pitchforks or sabre rattling, just complaints. What the district needs to do though is to ensure there is plenty of signage to Wadams Way and lots of information for travelers and locals trying to make their way through the construction. That is crucial and it will alleviate some of the frustration. Perhaps that one-way through-road beside Western Foods would help as well.
Horseshoe pitches and parking also make for lots of comments. The horseshoe club wants their pitches and they will build them, which is okay as long as they don’t keep asking the taxpayers for money. The parking at the site is another hot potato. Fred Milne Park is used a lot and people park across from it right where the horseshoe pitches are supposed to go. There won’t be a problem if both sports groups get together and figure out a way to make things, like parking, work. It’s not as it the horseshoe gang will be there each and every day. There’s not very many members and there likely won’t be too many tournaments. No one has exclusive rights to patches of district ground, it’s supposed to be for the whole community.
So far, it appears, council is mostly together on their decisions. That’s a good thing, but it is just the first year out of four, and it will be interesting to watch what happens further down the road. Maybe, just maybe this council will work together for the good of the entire community. They need to listen to what is being said and act accordingly. They are public servants after all.
