Two residents have issued an open letter to the Township of Scugog Council and the community at large regarding the visioning exercise for the Port Perry Fairgrounds.
The township administration has decided to hire a consultant (see below) to do a visioning exercise for the Port Perry Fairgrounds.
Ray and Sharon Smith of Port Perry, said: :This decision, reached behind closed doors, will, if carried out, cost tens of thousands of dollars [$92,553 excluding HST] that need not be spent. Open town hall meetings to work with residents and businesses, and especially the Port Perry Agricultural Society (which leases and maintains the park at their cost) would be an appropriate way to determine the community’s needs and wishes for this treasured open space.
“We need not use expensive consultants when we have qualified staff, talented volunteers and an engaged public in Scugog. Our township administration could and should listen to and work directly with residents on initiatives such as this. Not only would this be more economical, it would be more transparent and community-focused, and less subject to fragmented input from disparate stakeholder groups. This approach would also align exactly with the values and all five strategic directions of the current Council’s Strategic Plan.
Transparency for Taxpayers
“Our council and administration must hold public open house meetings to gauge the residents’ needs and desires prior to engaging consultants to compile options, if indeed the consultants’ input is even needed at that point. The inhabitants of this municipality, who collectively constitute the Corporation of the Township of Scugog as per the Municipal Act, are, in effect, paying shareholders of the township, and should be given full access to the information and decision-making process as it affects their community—their home.
“In Scugog, we have paid for consultants, only to see some of their recommendations overridden at council table, reducing the return on investment and eroding public trust in the process,” said the Smiths.
They pointed to examples that include the placement of 4-way stop signs within Port Perry and the inclusion of an out-of-town site for a hotel in a Community Improvement Plan. Even the Heritage Advisory Committee’s recommendation that the Fairgrounds park be designated a heritage property was rejected despite solid arguments in favour of doing so.
Rising Cost of Government
“We have recently seen increasing disillusionment—if not outrage—at the rising cost of governments at all levels resorting to the use of expensive consultants for all manner of advice and decision-making, such as the federal government’s profligate use of McKinsey & Company.
“Proposing to hire a consultant based on criteria established in closed meetings is not transparent. Characterizing as misinformation the public concerns that then arise over the future of our park is not helpful. And it must be understood that the fairgrounds is, first and foremost, a major township park, a category of parkland which the 2018 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan identified as being provided at less than the standard of 4.0 hectares per 1000 population. That plan also clearly indicated that improved amenities at the site were needed, and that community engagement was essential. To be clear, there is no suggestion in that township plan that the site be used for anything other than recreational and cultural activities.
Development Being Considered?
“It is important to note as well that the almost 400 homes to the west of the fairgrounds were built with the understanding that the allocation of parkland in the subdivision was reduced due to the proximity of the fairgrounds park. Recent comments that the fairgrounds land is valuable and should not be ‘encumbered’ by, for instance, heritage designation or a long-term lease to the Port Perry Agricultural Society (PPAS), suggests our administration is indeed considering some other form of development of the site.
At least two approved housing developments in the south of Port Perry, constituting over 320 medium or higher density units, have stalled. Any suggestion that the fairgrounds park be developed for residential or commercial use is totally uncalled-for in light of these existing, un-realized opportunities, which have water and sewage allocation approved by the Region of Durham.
“The fairgrounds, often touted as serviced land, does not have such allocation from the region. Stanley Park in Vancouver, High Park in Toronto and Lakeview Park in Oshawa are some examples of serviced lands, with water for drinking fountains and concessions, sewage for toilet facilities and electricity for lighting and venues. They all remain cherished parks, providing essential accessible green space and recreational opportunities within their urban communities.
PPAS Vision
“The Port Perry Agricultural Society has acted as steward of the fairgrounds park since it contributed half of the purchase price to the township (taxpayers) in 1910, and indeed since 1886, when the fair was first held there. They have recognized the need to enhance the park for more recreational and cultural uses, and have reached out to stakeholders to develop a vision for the site. They have asked the township administration—their landlord—for help planting trees, and endorsed the proposed heritage designation of the land, which would have enhanced grant opportunities to upgrade the facilities. As a volunteer-operated registered charity, the PPAS does not have access to public funds. The township, acting as the landlord, could have provided more support in the form of leasehold improvements over the years.
“The community not only clearly loves the annual fair, but wants to retain and improve the parkland on which it is held. The PPAS and our residents boast the talents and energy to facilitate that without the need of additional, expensive consultants.
“For total transparency, Scugog Council must work directly with the community as a whole to make a better park, keep our successful fair, and celebrate our agricultural heritage with an enhanced community recreation facility, built to its residents’ needs,” the Smiths concluded.