Clearview falls short on pandemic action

Editor:
Clearview council’s web-based meeting last week had a couple of items that caught my eye.
First was the shallow Clearview Tourism and Local Business Support Plan with unstated costs to the many Clearview taxpayers unable to work and now reliant on governments to pay their bills and keep food on the table.
The report by Mr. Vachon outlines a vision of a support plan to assist Clearview businesses by creating a Listing of Businesses… shouldn’t this be on file already?
• Internet and Social Media… Launch an Instagram account and “Work with four businesses to post the listing of businesses on their windows for those who do not have access to internet.”
• Next is a radio campaign as “many residents do not have access to reliable internet or computers.” Shouldn’t high speed internet in Clearview then be the priority of this council, not radio? This radio campaign will cost taxpayers up to $800 per week. No maximum amount, time line or scripts, were included.
• Long Term Innovative Solutions (and I kid you not!) Share the Tulip Colouring Sheets and get residents to colour and post on their windows. Have “Celebrity Tulips”… ask local radio personalities, council, Fire Chief to colour their pictures and post them on the internet!
Councillor Thom Paterson has advised that council is not going to revise its 2020 budget to accommodate the impacts of COVID-19 on residents. This despite the calls from residents to replace the current 2020 budget with its four per cent tax increase with a new zero-base budget containing the basic items such as garbage, water, snow removal, and critical emergency services needed to keep taxpayers safe, which is all that taxpayers impacted by COVID-19 will be able to afford in the medium term.
In summary, for those of you who do not follow council meetings, this is the manner and professional approach that your council and staff are working for you in this pandemic.
Www.creemore.ca is a community generated website providing what Clearview Township has failed to do, help residents through this crisis.
Dave Huskinson,
Creemore.