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Zimbra Re: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined

hugo.rodrigues@sunmedia.ca

From : ChrisFriel@brantford.ca Subject : Re: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined To : Mary Ellen Kaye <maryellen5@sympatico.ca> Cc : LarryKings@brantford.ca, JanVanderstelt@brantford.ca, JohnUtley@brantford.ca, VinceBucci@brantford.ca, DanMcCreary@brantford.ca, DebiDignanRumble@brantford.ca, RichardCarpenter@brantford.ca, DaveWrobel@brantford.ca, MargueriteCeschiSmith@brantford.ca, DavidNeumann@brantford.ca, Dave Levac <dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org>, MReniers@brantford.ca, TTran@brantford.ca, LHives@brantford.ca, Hugo Rodrigues <hrodrigues@theexpositor.com>, Sean Allen <sallen@brantnews.com>, jwindle2010 <jwindle2010@rocketmail.com>, greg <greg@thegreenhub.ca>

Sat, Mar 10, 2012 06:05 PM

Yet again you are throwing out wild and unsubstantiated accusations. This is now at the point of ridiculous. I would suggest that you refrain from further comment. Stop spreading this ridiculous misinformation.

Mayor Chris Friel Brantford Ontario Canada www.brantford.ca City Hall, 100 Wellington Square N3T 2M3

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519-759-4150 #2213

On 2012-03-10, at 6:15 AM, "Mary Ellen Kaye" <maryellen5@sympatico.ca> wrote: Dear Mayor Friel, Of course I did not like the vague, subjective answer I was given. It doesnt reect complete market research. I would really like to see the minutes of the public meeting or the study where such information was collected and analyzed. You see, I wish to make the effort to sure that I am in attendance at such meetings whenever or if ever they occur. If these answers are being sought through a casual limited telephone poll, or a poll through social networking media or through networking conversations with the homebuilders association gathering, call it whatever you like, it was not a complete and thorough process. As well, it was not a public process unless the meeting is openly advertised to the public whom is then openly invited to attend. The public can then ask questions. The ability to ask questions is key to sifting through the information. My greatest concern at the moment is that councilors and yourself may be using such private networking sessions as the sole basis for your decision making when it comes to economic decisions and city planning issues. If so, we are missing the most important component in a democratic process, that being the expertise of the wider group of diverse citizens rather than a small group with a limited scope. When I came across the update from Hamilton, where one of the very same groups is mentioned, it caused me to wonder if the current city council and city staff have become overly dependent upon their conversations with the private group through dinners and have abandoned the overall public process. I passed the information along to you, council and city staff so that you can do some self-examination and self-correct if you may have become overly dependent upon this type of casual, inexpensive but very limited scope process when it comes to formulating policies and making decisions which impact the community. Kind regards, Mary Ellen Kaye 11 Hilda Street Brantford, ON N3T 4A5

From: ChrisFriel@brantford.ca [mailto:ChrisFriel@brantford.ca] Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 4:34 PM To: Mary Ellen Kaye

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Cc: LarryKings@brantford.ca; JanVanderstelt@brantford.ca; JohnUtley@brantford.ca; VinceBucci@brantford.ca; DanMcCreary@brantford.ca; DebiDignan-Rumble@brantford.ca; RichardCarpenter@brantford.ca; DaveWrobel@brantford.ca; MargueriteCeschi-Smith@brantford.ca; DavidNeumann@brantford.ca; Dave Levac; MReniers@brantford.ca; TTran@brantford.ca; LHives@brantford.ca; Hugo Rodrigues; 'Sean Allen'; 'jwindle2010'; 'greg' Subject: Re: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined You did not simply ask questions. You specifically referenced "secret liaison" meetings, with reference to a Hamilton situation. You named staff, and questioned their integrity. All of which is unsubstantiated and lacking evidence. I spoke with the staff involved and it sounds like you simply didn't like the answer to a question you asked. Your response to this is inappropriate, and as I stated, I am prepared to pursue this matter further. From: Mary Ellen Kaye [maryellen5@sympatico.ca] Sent: 03/09/2012 04:19 PM EST To: Chris Friel Cc: Larry Kings; Jan Vanderstelt; John Utley; Vince Bucci; Dan McCreary; Debi Dignan-Rumble; Richard Carpenter; Dave Wrobel; Marguerite CeschiSmith; David Neumann; "'Dave Levac'" <dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org>; Matt Reniers; Tara Tran; Lucy Hives; "'Hugo Rodrigues'" <hrodrigues@theexpositor.com>; "'Sean Allen'" <sallen@brantnews.com>; "'jwindle2010'" <jwindle2010@rocketmail.com>; "'greg'" <greg@thegreenhub.ca> Subject: RE: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined Dear Mayor Friel, Re-reading through these emails to verify my overall tone, I conrm that Im simply asking questions. Why is it so difcult to simply respond with an email with specic links to public online documents that might exist to explain and support the Intensication market response that I was given during the presentation during the BCAC meeting? Kind regards, Mary Ellen Kaye, 11 Hilda St.

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Brantford, ON N3T 4A5

From: ChrisFriel@brantford.ca [mailto:ChrisFriel@brantford.ca] Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 10:13 AM To: Mary Ellen Kaye Cc: LarryKings@brantford.ca; JanVanderstelt@brantford.ca; JohnUtley@brantford.ca; VinceBucci@brantford.ca; DanMcCreary@brantford.ca; DebiDignan-Rumble@brantford.ca; RichardCarpenter@brantford.ca; DaveWrobel@brantford.ca; MargueriteCeschi-Smith@brantford.ca; DavidNeumann@brantford.ca; Dave Levac; McColeman P; MReniers@brantford.ca; TTran@brantford.ca; LHives@brantford.ca; Hugo Rodrigues; Sean Allen; jwindle2010; greg Subject: Re: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined Nothing is this response substantiates your unfounded accusations of "secret liaison" meetings. In fact, I have a great concern that you have addressed this issue to Council and the media from your position as a member of the Brownfield's Committee. You also increase the level and specificity of your accusations, and have identified staff by name. We must expect a higher degree of accountability for our appointed volunteer positions. This matter will be addressed through the appropriate channels immediately.

Mayor Chris Friel Brantford Ontario Canada www.brantford.ca City Hall, 100 Wellington Square N3T 2M3 519-759-4150 #2213

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On 2012-03-09, at 9:45 AM, "Mary Ellen Kaye" <maryellen5@sympatico.ca> wrote: Dear Mayor Friel, As you can read in todays newspaper, we thought we would have quorum by 6pm but in the end we were short a member on our Brownelds Community Advisory Committee meeting last night so Barb Day did not take any minutes. However, we were able to ask questions of city staff. If you ask planning staff (Matt Reniers) regarding my question regarding why isnt any intensication marked for the area surrounding the new medical centre out on Garden Avenue?, I was given the answer that there is no market for it. So, when do these meetings occur where planning staff receive market information in order to respond to my question in such a way? Is it through meetings with the Home Builders Association where members of the public are not invited? Is it in closed door meetings with developers? Is it in an ofcial document that a citizen can take a look at to understand better the forces that cause our city to build such things as medical centres in the middle of areas where citizens have a difcult time getting to? I hope that you can clarify this matter for me. Where is the document or minutes to a public meeting upon which this member of city staff based his response to my question? Kind regards, Mary Ellen Kaye 11 Hilda Street Brantford, ON N3T 4A5

From: ChrisFriel@brantford.ca [mailto:ChrisFriel@brantford.ca] Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 9:27 AM To: Mary Ellen Kaye; LarryKings@brantford.ca; JanVanderstelt@brantford.ca; JohnUtley@brantford.ca; VinceBucci@brantford.ca; DanMcCreary@brantford.ca; DebiDignan-Rumble@brantford.ca; RichardCarpenter@brantford.ca; DaveWrobel@brantford.ca; MargueriteCeschi-Smith@brantford.ca; DavidNeumann@brantford.ca; Dave Levac; McColeman P Cc: MReniers@brantford.ca; TTran@brantford.ca; LHives@brantford.ca; Hugo Rodrigues; 'Sean Allen'; jwindle2010; greg Subject: Re: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined

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Making unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations regarding secret liaison meetings is a serious issue. Substantiated this claim, or retract it.

From: Mary Ellen Kaye [maryellen5@sympatico.ca] Sent: 03/09/2012 09:17 AM EST To: Chris Friel; Larry Kings; Jan Vanderstelt; John Utley; Vince Bucci; Dan McCreary; Debi Dignan-Rumble; Richard Carpenter; Dave Wrobel; Marguerite Ceschi-Smith; David Neumann; "'Levac_Dave-MPP-CO'" <dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org>; <McColeman.P@parl.gc.ca> Cc: Matt Reniers; Tara Tran; Lucy Hives; <hrodrigues@theexpositor.com>; "'Sean Allen'" <sallen@brantnews.com>; <jwindle2010@rocketmail.com>; <greg@thegreenhub.ca> Subject: FW: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined Dear Mayor and City Council, I agree with the action taken by these Hamilton councilors. You see, last night at our BCAC meeting when we were presented the Intensication Plan, after offering a suggestion, we were told that the city has to see if there is a market for intensication in certain corridors. Which lead me to believe that outside of the public planning process, there must be some type of secret liaison process similar to that which was discovered in Hamilton. I thought that the city was supposed to have open dialogue where all members of the public could hear from all who have concerns so that we can understand how our city ends up with employment lands where transit is at the bare minimum and medical centres built far away from patients who need it. Kind regards, Mary Ellen Kaye 11 Hilda St. Brantford, ON N3T 4A5

From: Hamilton Catch Newsletter [mailto:info@hamiltoncatch.org]

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Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 1:03 PM To: maryellen5@sympatico.ca Subject: CATCH News - Developer dinner dates declined

CATCH News March 8, 2012 Developer dinner dates declined Committee chairs Brad Clark and Brian McHattie have refused invitations to private dinners with the Hamilton Halton Home Builders Association breaking an apparently long-standing practice. The twice-yearly dinner invites have included the chairs of the planning committee and the public works committee as well as senior managers reporting to those two committees. The most recent invite from the developers lobby group came in an email to the two councillors from the new executive officer of the HHHBA Mathieu Langelier. The other invitees were Gerry Davis and Tim McCabe, respectively the general managers of the public works department, and the economic development and planning department. It has been brought to my attention that the HHHBA and the City of Hamilton chairs of PW and Planning committees usually had a dinner twice a year to talk about high level objectives and issues for the upcoming year, wrote Langelier at the end of January. It is our wish to continue with this very positive tradition and to establish good communication with the 2012 President and myself as the new EO. The dinner was scheduled for February 6 at a downtown restaurant and included three others from the HHHBA executive or board of directors. Clark publicly informed his colleagues of his refusal to attend at last weeks planning committee meeting its first session since the invitation was issued.

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I also want you all to understand that I have declined dinner invitations with the Hamilton Halton Home Builders Association in my capacity as chair, Clark announced near the end of the meeting. I dont feel that that it was appropriate to be meeting with them. He went on to say that our staff have graciously agreed that they will follow the same lead and make sure that if theres systemic items that they are wanting to deal with in terms of policies, they should be coming before us presenting it publicly. Committee chairs change on an annual basis, so both Clark and McHattie are new to their respective posts. Last years chairs were Robert Pasuta and Russ Powers. Its not known how long the dinners have been taking place or who has previously attended. The cosy relationship between city officials and the HHHBA was denounced last year by Clark when the existence of a secret long-standing liaison committee was revealed.

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