KAWARTHA LAKES-Mayor Andy Letham is firing back at Councillor Ron Ashmore after Ashmore vented his frustration with City staff.
“Councillor Ashmore is confused in my opinion about his role of what a councillor is. Our role as council is to set policies, pass policies and then pass bylaws to enforce those policies.” Letham told Kawartha 411.
On Friday Councillor Ashmore told Kawartha 411 he had asked to see the permit from the Trent Severn Waterway for the removal of docks in Thurstonia but was not given access. He also wanted to see any demolition permits that had been issued.
See full story here: https://www.kawartha411.ca/2019/08/16/councillor-frustrated-with-city-by-law-department/
“We don’t get involved in the enforcement of those bylaws that’s why we have bylaw enforcement officers so when he says he’s not getting access to demolition permits and Trent Severn permits that has nothing to do with him being a councillor. Staff don’t work for Ron Ashmore they work for council they work at the direction of council as a whole and he should know better than that.” Letham says.
In 2018 council approved a new encroachment bylaw governing docks on city owned waterfornt property. Under the bylaw residents are required to meet conditions such as insurance and size of docks etc. The fees also went up. Ashmore has been advocating for less stringent rules.
Mayor Letham says “This has been two years in the making they’ve had lots of time to get those licences in place and they were told back in January that if they didn’t have their licences in place their docks were going to be removed and that’s what we are doing right now’
The City is currently taking inventory of the docks slated for removal and tagging them. “We don’t have the permits yet because we are just doing an inventory at this point, they will be removed once we have the proper permits to do that.” Letham explains.
Signs posted on the offending docks stated they would be removed between July 15th and July 22nd.
Ashmore feels some of the boat houses such as the community storage building should be left as is. It’s currently set for demolition. He also wants residents to be given more time to get the required permits.
“We’ve got two storage buildings and a pump house, these structures are important to the community they have served here for many years-Greenhurst Thurstonia. I really feel they shouldn’t be coming down they are historical in nature. They are structurally still in tact and the community wants them.” Ashmore says.
But the Mayor says the time for Ashmore to advocate for his constituents was when they bylaw was being debated at council. “Staff don’t answer to Ron Ashmore they’re not going to run around getting Ron Ashmore answers just because he’s asking for them.”Ltheam says. “It doesn’t work that way. If he wants to direct staff he needs to apply for the CAO’s job and direct staff.”
Ashmore was not on council when the bylaw was passed. He says he is disappointed with the Mayors comments. “It doesn’t make sense that the Mayor would belittle a sitting councillor who was advocating for his constituents.” The Ward 6 Councillor said.
Ashmore is also leading the charge for a gas station in Omemee.
