To close this after hours club debate I wanted to make the following random observations and questions.1. If the original motion would have not been split, council would have rejected last night's proposed solution 6-4. Alan Halberstadt gave us a masterful display of politics, He played the other councillors against each other making them look foolish. It shouldn't have came to that.
2. For the life of me, I cannot understand why a motion that was supported by the vast majority of residents, businesses backed up by the city's own hired Expert Peter Bellmio wouldn't pass unanimously. Why defending the rights of 3-5 after hours clubs was more important to some than the demands of the entire community. Fulvio need to be the self appointed defender of 3 businesses over the demands of the entire community disappointed me the most.
3. I don't understand why Diane Sibley misrepresented the amount of businesses that would be affected, implying that there were 60 (later corrected to 50) affected businesses when her own report stated that there were only 3 clubs that operated after hours in the downtown
4. Why councillor Joanne Gignac feels the need to endorse only "All or nothing" solutions. Would she also be against exemption applications to the noise bylaw that sees events such as film festival outdoor screenings?
5. The simple answer to the mystery of "why Adult Entertainment clubs are not high risk facilities while certain after hours clubs are?"
Answer: because the nature of the customers of each type of business is completely different. The customers of adult entertainment clubs go out of their way to avoid drawing attention to themselves when leaving our downtown.
The customers of certain after hours clubs, go out of their way to draw attention to themselves.
One doesn't affect public safety or detract from the silent buffer needed between day and night while the other does.
6. Why the mayor felt the need to criticize the DWBIA, implying they weren't doing enough. The DWBIA has initiated a facade grant program, camera's, lobbied for the creation of an HRP. All the while fighting the foot dragging of city administration to accomplish many of these initiatives (Camera's took 2years to install, HRp took 1 year to get city endorsement) However, I can tell you that the BIA will happily accept his challenge to continue implementing solutions.
This is not over yet. Administration must have their feet held to the fire to ensure they properly follow the instructions of council to the letter and in the spirit. After that we must ensure that the body overseeing exemption applications remains neutral and is enstructed that although their foremost priority is safety, their mandate is to encourage businesses that manage their establishments responsibly.The real victory here is that this issue united past and present members of the DWBIA, who spoke in unison. Kudo's to Paul Twigg and Michael Plunkett, former leaders of the BIA for joining our current leadership in their struggle. It also united the vast majority of business owners with the residents of downtown who need to fight arm in arm to better downtown as often as they can.
11 comments:
I didn't see the implied criticism on the mayor's part toward the DWBIA, but I was getting a bit annoyed with Francis' back-patting over all he and council has supposedly done in the last four years. All I could think of was the old addage, "when you excuse yourself you accuse yourself." And as soon as he had the chance to speak the mayor dove straight into a litany of excuses and reassurances, much like that non-producing member of the losing team on The Apprentice does as he/she struggles to rationalize why the project's failure was somehow someone else's fault.
What really got me though was his defeatist statement, "there will be another shooting downtown." While I understand there are no guarantees in life, it is really sad that the mayor is banking his money on the worst happening again.
One of the things the mayor kept reminding people of was that the last time safety issues came up the DWBIA was nowhere to be found.
Well the DWBIA changed that and we should get credit for this
What the mayor should be reminded of is that he and council probably paid $50,000 for the Bellmio report and then budgeted only $6000to implement its recommendations which makes it difficult to believe they ever intended on more than lip service to this issue.
If any councillor doesn't like the after hours controls now, why the HELL didn't they speak up before they adopted the Bellmio report IN FULL
Letter I sent to council just now.
Last night two motions were
approved that had
1. the support of the vast majority of residents in and outside of Downtown
2. The support of the vast majority of businesses (entertainment lounges included)
3. The support of the DWBIA board who are the elected sole representative of downtown Businesses approved by council
4. The support of past CCBA leaders such as Paul Twigg and Michael Plunkett
4. The support of Peter Bellmio who had his recommendations adopted by council in full
Can I count on your support on January 28th to see these motions implemented and the will of the people of Windsor followed?
Mark Boscariol
Is this the approach we need to take with all Council Resolutions? Keep reminding them that they are there to serve us, their constituents and not the Mayor or city administrators.
Kind of sad really.
James
It seems that Mr. Agostini from The Boom Boom room wasn't happy with the DWBIA. I tried to think of all the after hour night-clubs and only came to 3. Where did the number 50 come from?
As for Eddie, well we know the DWBIA put their money where their mouth was but was has the city done other than streetscaping? $6,000 out of $50,000 for the recommendations did they have to spend that money on other consultatns or did that cash have to go to Detroit as well?
Well done councillors who voted in favour ot this and to the DWBIA.
Does anyone have the counts as to who voted for and against the by-law?
Can anyone provide a copy or link to the Bellmio Report?
I understand Remo's and the Mayor's complaints about Mr. Horwitz Negativity.
However my rebuttal is if they'd just listen to the businesses and the residents, Mr. Horwitz wouldn't have to resort to a desperate measure.
The guy has a 40 unit residential bldg he's working on. Even if he was my arch enemy, I'd still support his right to be able to sell the units.
In this debate no one, I repeat NO ONE has offered any other alternative measures to be able to attract residents and businesses to Pelissier and Wyandotte.
"Always oppose, never propose" is a pathetic way to run a city.
This is not over, 4 councillors want to allow the status quo, two others want to go overboard and ban everything. Councillor Hatfield is going to be in sunny florida while while the fate of downtown is decide January 28
I'll email for a copy,
Look for the parts that recomment to close bars at 3am and also look for the part that says there is a disconnect between the police and the public.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
As for the council votes
In favor of motion 1 to close entertainment lounges at 3am
Halberstadt
Postma
Jones
Hatfield
Brister
Gignac
Opposed
Marra
Dilkins
Lewenza
Valentinis
Motion 2 to allow for exemptions for special occasions
FOR
Marra
Lewenza
Valentinis
Jones
Halberstadt
Postma
Hatfield
Against
Brister
Gignac
From what I gathered from Diane Sibbley's comments about the 50 or 60 "affected" businesses is that they are not all after hour bars, but establishments that may see the kicked-out after-hours patrons coming to their place of business and being "affected" by their presence - whatever that means.
I think this is highly unlikely as the after hours clubs draws a certain clientelle that wouldn't be interested in hanging out at, say, Cheetahs or Tim Hortons. They like the crowds and attention at the afterhours clubs and very few other establishments would offer what they are looking for.
I think this is a good start in making downtown a safer place to be.
Whats odd is that one of Diane Sibley and the mayor's arguments is that there will be no bylaw officers to enforce this after 3am.
What about the other bylaws. Because they don't think they can enforce this bylaw, the bars should be let off the hook on all the others? What about noise bylaws, littering, public urination etc....
It wasn't right how they said that there would be 60 (50) entertainment lounges affected including legion halls. As if their members are frequenting them when really its still the same potentially high risk crowd.
THe DWBIA had support from several downtown entertainment lounges. The Room, The Beach, Lefty's to name a few.
But if they're worried about the same crowd that contributes to making this a high risk facility moving elsewhere when that is what I and others want. I want them to move away from Pelissier and residential neighborhoods downtown
Is this a case of NIMBY, maybe it is. However I cannot think of a place outside of Toronto where 1 billion dollars was invested in such a small area.
I believe the investment of
Convention Center
Arena
Casino
College campus
Streetscape and decorations
Transit terminal
Facade Grant program
etcetera etcetera etcetera
Justifies the city playing NIMBY Downtown. We have an investment to protect.
Now how do we get massage parlours on the agenda?
VOTE CORRECTION
I watched council again and I made a mistake above when noting Fulvio Valentinis vote. Even though he spoke against the ban, he voted for motion 1. While Jo anne Gignac voted against the motion 1 ban for not going far enough and including other businesses.
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