Here is a tale of two municipalities and two councillors.
As reported by Aaron Hinks in the Peace Arch News White Rock has a Dogs on the Promenade Task Force, evaluating whether dogs should be allowed on leash on the town’s famous waterfront promenade. White Rock council has approved a six month trial period for dogs to be permitted which ends March 31, 2020.
While there has been some complaints of dogs disturbing wildlife and complaints of unleashed dogs and defecation, there has been no complaint about canine aggression or biting.
And on December 12 White Rock received a morning complaint about dog feces being left along the public walkway. The chair of the Dogs on the Promenade task force Councillor Scott Kristjanson personally went out that morning to clean up the “doggy debris”.
“I beat staff,” Kristjanson said, and offered to share photographs of him handling the business.”
And Kristjanson noted that the temporary acceptance of dogs on the promenade had unintended consequences~seniors with small dogs that did not have access to vehicles were using the promenade to walk their dogs, and were thrilled to socialize with the community that way.
Counter this with the actions of this City Councillor in Cleveland who was upset that the pastor of the Denison Avenue United Church was going to open up the church for homeless people to stay warm and sleep during the coldest part of the winter. Councillor Dona Brady “told the pastor of Denison Avenue United Church of Christ more than a month ago that she would not allow it to offer homeless people a cot for a safe night’s sleep.”
And how did she do that? While the church’s Metanoia operation brought 13 people in a night and offered a meal, access to bathrooms and a shower, a by-law officer showed up with a list of code violations. That officer returned the next day too. As Michael McIntyre writes in Cleveland.com that City Councillor refused to meet with the church to discuss her concerns, and did not return the journalist’s calls. Of those 13 people that were taking advantage of sleeping in the warmth of the church, some did live on the streets in the immediate neighbourhood. Metanoia also operated in another church in downtown Cleveland providing a warming centre, a meal and sleeping facilities. That location received a fire inspection and was told that a 45 person limit was in effect, meaning dozens of homeless were turned away at night.
A lawyer who was the representing the church’s Metanoia organization called any violations “micro stuff that doesn’t involve the health and safety of people on or around the property.We also have a difference of opinion as to whether we are violating anything here,” he said, noting that he doesn’t believe the building’s use has changed because it is not being used as a residence.”
There you have it~one White Rock City Councillor that steps out of his role to go on site and actually perform a scoop up of doggy do, and a Cleveland Councillor that steps over her role to keep out the most vulnerable instead of working to be part of the solution. And what is at stake is how we react to problems, how we think of people and ourselves, and how we lift up each other.
As the church’s minister, Pastor Nozomi Ikuta states “I am wired more toward obedience…But, she added, she had core commitments to keep: “love, compassion, generosity, community, respect.”
Images: Peace Arch News, Cleveland People, Cleveland.com
Thanks to Tom Horsman for link
