After giving Gravenhurst town council a pat on the back last week for standing up to developers, specifically a request for an exemption to load restrictions on certain roads in the municipality, we now take it back.

Learning that Gravenhurst Mayor John Klinck single-handedly took it upon himself to gain a consensus of council to allow three developers to bring in large equipment during the springtime load restrictions is infuriating. Especially given that the town’s public works superintendent did not agree to Klinck’s first kick at the can in March.

Council is to blame during this escapade as well, because it should have voted on the matter in March to make it official. Instead, it left the smooth-talking Klinck to his own devices to talk with councillors privately to gain their approval.

Klinck knows what he did is unfair to others who must follow the rules of the load restrictions, whose projects are put behind schedule and possibly face rising costs because of the restrictions. Yet his answer is simple: yes it is unfair, but next year we will rework the bylaw to make it an even playing field for everyone.

But for now, those who have the most clout with Klinck get special treatment and a separate set of rules.

Sure these companies have provided the town with guarantees, but if problems don’t surface with these streets until a few years down the road, is the town ever going to be able to collect on those promises? Probably not.

And even though Klinck is correct, James Street couldn’t possibly get worse, it is not a good enough reason to allow the company to bring in large equipment during the restrictions. Surely the same case could easily be made for other roads within the municipality.

The only word to describe Klinck’s actions is underhanded, and the fact that councillors agreed to his request is sickening. It only goes to prove many taxpayers’ complaints: that council, including Klinck, lays out special rules for the big guns in town, while the average Joe is held to strictly follow town guidelines. Simply saying the rules are unfair to begin with is no excuse.

KF