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Opening comments: More at the end.
What a farce of a public meeting - "the mayor and councillors remained totally mum throughout the lengthy town hall meeting." Like they were trying to hide something!
The Mayor loves to say in Mississauga we "calling public meetings at the drop of a hat", but is the point when many of the facts & figures are secret? How can the public make informed decisions and be meaningfully involved in government decision making or for that matter even tell those who called the meeting what they think the best choice is - if the are kept selectively in the dark? Talk about trying to control the outcome of the meeting.
Check out the, The Carolyn Parrish Enersource Facts Sheet.
Mississauga News - June 26, 2007 - By Joseph Chin, jchin@mississauga.net
Residents demand answers at Enersource meeting
Mississauga resident Wieslaw van Zywulko, voiced his disapproval
of the possible sale of Enersource in the public meeting regarding the matter held in Council Chambers this evening.
Staff photo by Sabrina Byrnes
Residents packed Council Chambers tonight to send an unequivocal message to City officials on Enersource: Forget all this nonsense ... just keep the darn thing!
The City of Mississauga owns a 90 per cent share of the electricity distributor and is trying to decide whether to sell, merge or retain the corporation. The town hall meeting was called to get input from residents.
And give it they did. They also tossed in some lectures.
Highgate Cres. homeowner Wieslaw van Zywulko, for instance, demanded to know how residents were expected to give an opinion when Credit Suisse, the consultant the City has retained to provide advice on the value and financial options available - and was paid $250,000 to do so - refused to say how much Enersource was worth. Credit Suisse explained that divulging the information would give potential purchasers an edge.
But van Zywulko didn't buy the explanation.
"How can you expect us, as citizens, to give you approval when we don't know the value of it? Why did you hire a consultant to keep everything a secret?" he asked.
"This just doesn't cut it ... we need more facts to make a rational decision," van Zywulko added.
Bill McBain, who lives in Streetsville, spoke for most of the audience (judging by the response), when he said he was "absolutely opposed" to a sale.
"We would be selling off an outstanding asset, that makes a regular income, for short-term gain to try to overcome a fiscal problem - and that's a horrible mistake for any public entity to make," he said.
A 15-year Mississauga resident and retiree was more emphatic.
"I'm (ticked) off that our council is trying to sell an asset that we citizens have invested in over the years. You have been entrusted with our tax dollars ... see that that money is spent wisely," he said.
Several of the more than two dozen residents who took to the podium raised the spectre of Hwy. 407. Just like the highway, the City would lose control over Enersource and what it charges if it was sold to a private company, they said. People have a choice not to use Hwy. 407, but they don't have a choice not to use electricity, one pointed out.
"We would not have control, without a doubt," Mayor Hazel McCallion agreed.
Whether residents' voices were heard remain to be seen because the mayor and councillors remained totally mum throughout the lengthy town hall meeting. When pressed, McCallion said they were there only to listen to residents.
"I have not made up my mind. We're going to analyze (the feedback) to death," she said.
The City has until Oct. 17 to take advantage of a tax-free window, which allows a saving of 33 per cent on a transaction. October is also when the City needs to take action on a clause in the contract with 10 per cent owner, Borealis, that could force either partner to buy the other out.
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