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OPINION: Another Sign of the Times

'The notice affixed to nearby post was exactly the thing that has people calling for a change in the way things are done in government. It would be perfect fuel for a Trump or O’Leary'
gateway arch do not disturb meme bill walton 2017
Have senior staff or council hung a DO Not Disturb sign on the doors at City Hall?

I did not see the sign myself and I rather hoped it was one of those fake news items. You have to watch for the truth in the media nowadays. People are liable to say anything to get a little attention or sling a little mud. My opinion pieces are the exception of course and you can take them with either a grain of salt or to the bank. However, after reading all the comments on BayToday about the un-cleared bus stops, I accept that someone at City Hall did temporarily close the bus stop on McKeown. 

I still know a few employees at City Hall and I find it hard to believe that a) they would say not to call them with a problem before a long weekend and b) they would close a bus stop instead of dispatching a crew to clean it and make it safe for people to access a transit bus. The employees at the City are as conscientious as any workforce. Well, ninety percent of them, anyway. Maybe some bad apples have slipped in during the past fifteen years. It could happen.

The notice affixed to nearby post was exactly the thing that has people calling for a change in the way things are done in government. It would be perfect fuel for a Trump or O’Leary. Rather than address the problem, hope that it goes away with a memo. Or in this case, with the spring melt. Rather than clear the stops of ice and snow, hope that no one slips or slides into traffic. Yes, it has been a tough winter for snow removal, but we’ve had them before. However, I cannot recall ever having the City close a bus stop instead of addressing the problem. You can understand why people are moving to the far right in wanting a political solution to what they see as bureaucratic indifference.

It would be interesting to know if the notice was written and approved by the Transit department or the Legal department. It had that legalese tone that riders (citizens) had no expectation of safe access to a bus. Any more than they have an expectation of safe, smooth roads for their cars. Do not even expect a sign this spring saying a deep pothole ahead may break your wheel or swallow your ECO-sized ride. It would be even more interesting to know if the Councillor (or by default, the Mayor) overseeing Transit was aware of this slip-sliding away from work before a long weekend.

There are safety standards of course for roads, sidewalks and no doubt transit stops. There are (or were 15 years ago) supervisors who are out and about making certain that those standards are maintained.  Years ago, a City CAO instituted a program where workers would go back after they had finished a job and see if it was done properly. If a crew reset a manhole cover, they would check a day later to see that it was still flush with the pavement. I think the CAO was trying to instill a pride of workmanship in the employees.  Surely there is a work crew assigned to clear bus stops of snow. Were they satisfied with the job done? Or did that line get the axe in the budget deliberations?

Harking back to the bad old days, there used to be a Complaint System at the City to record citizens concerns or complaints. The idea was to address problems in a timely manner or detect repeat problems in an area that might have more serious potential problems. If you called, somebody made a note of the time and then the time they replied or addressed the problem. Either that system has fallen into disuse or nobody called Public Works to complain about the snow at the bus stops. I would be surprised if no one called to complain about the dangerous stops (riders or drivers), so what happened?

Have senior staff or council hung a DO Not Disturb sign on the doors at City Hall? Or are we expecting too much for our hard-earned tax dollars?

I expect Mr. Duct Tape has a copy of that notice, laminated for use in the next election.





Bill Walton

About the Author: Bill Walton

Retired from City of North Bay in 2000. Writer, poet, columnist
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