Logtenberg's Funny-Munny

Directly following post
"Stump(ed)
21 Dec, 2018
below 

"Notice of Motion
Councillor Logtenberg is bringing forth a Notice of Motion:
THAT Council resolves to endorse the Cottonwood Preservation Society as an important community initiative to preserve the forested land above Cottonwood:

AND FURTHER THAT Council agrees to write a letter of support stating this to 
e (sic) used in the society's grant applications."
                                             Agenda
                                             Reg. Council Meeting, 7 Jan, 2019/7:00pm

While all other items on the Agenda have miles of material substantiating their merit: Logtenberg's Notice of Motion has - nothing!

Which raises 3 questions:
How did he get on the Agenda with nothing?
How did he get on the Agenda - period - seeing that a basic Nelsonite never would have got there - with(out) that and like this!
Conflict of interests?

What with no substantiating material to allow Council to prepare for this Notice and its possible merits - before the meeting: all they can do is pick apart the item as stated in full on the Agenda above.

  

What's with this Society?
The idea of a group of self-declared ents was first presented, 19 Dec, 2018, to/by 
"a handful of scientists and community groups" (Star).
With Xmas and New Year's celebration-distractions between then and the Council Meeting, 7 Jan, 2019, this Society has had less than 2 weeks to (be) form(ed), build-up a significant member-base, get a practicable identity with a solid manifesto. 
All in all hardly a strong history to inspire possible grant-providers.
So they need City Hall big-time for an endorsement and letter of support!

a.
The manifesto is what?
b.
On the Agenda the group is referred to as the "Cottonwood Preservation Society" but also "an important community initiative".
Society and initiative are not the same.
c.
What is the structure of this group? Like - name(s)/position(s) of who's in charge; name of treasurer?
d.
What position does City-Councillor Logtenberg hold in this group? 
Will he attend the Meeting as presenter, councillor or both?
e.
Is this group officially registered - if so as what?
f.
How many card-carrying members does it have?
g.
What is the group's fundraising-profile? As in - how much for what exactly? How will fundraising/spending be supervised - transparently adhering to legal norms - by whom?
h.
"An important community initiative to preserve the forested land above Cottonwood" is vague in intent and area.
Initially the MO was to buy a specific piece of property: has this changed? 
If so - to what?
i.
If funds indeed are to be raised for the purchase of the Cottonwood Lake property: have the current owner's plans changed from logging it, beginning in March?
 
If not: what's the point?

With none of this information made available: how can Council possibly endorse this whatever-it-may-want-to-be of tree-fanatics?
Council - at this point - writing a "letter of support" for grant-applications, could make future applications difficult for the City. Particularly with one of its Councillors - an essential player in all this - surely voting Yes on both requests.
Or would he recuse himself?

Council members need to ask themselves questions like those above prior to the Meeting - and repeat them during, demanding clear answers: before endorsing anything and signing letters of (unsupportable) support.

This is about business: hug a fact! 


 
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City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca

John Dooley, Mayor
jdooley@nelson.ca

Kevin Cormack, CAO
kcormack@nelson.ca