Outraged downtown group wants apology from councillors

Has downtown gone to the dogs?

Ward 5 Councillor David Celetti thinks so.

And he's upset some pretty important people by voicing that opinion last night.

A resolution moved by Celetti and his Ward 6 counterpart Ozzie Grandinetti at last night's City Council meeting claimed that our downtown has "very few businesses operating" and lamented the lack of "good-quality stores." City Council decided to table the resolution because of the slur on core-area businesses.

No debate or comment on the wording was allowed.

Instead, all councillors agreed not to talk about the issue of downtown parking meters until the motion is reworded, with Celetti agreeing that the language was "pretty bad." and Grandinetti agreeing to have the matter tabled.

Today, the Downtown Association issued a statement demanding apologies from Celetti and Grandinetti.

Anna Boyonoski, manager of the Downtown Association, advises that Councillor Grandinetti "has provided the downtown with a verbal apology (via discussions with Anna Boyonoski) prior to our official request and has agreed to also provide one in writing."

Boyonoski, who appeared at last night's meeting with business owner Grace Tridico, also noted Celetti's comment last night that he didn't want to get into "an argument with women."

The following is the original resolution as presented to City Council last night, followed by the statement from the Downtown Association. ************************* Moved by Councillor D. Celetti Seconded by Councillor O. Grandinetti

Whereas the lack of shopping and business in the downtown core of the City, very few businesses operating, good-quality stores no longer in operation, mainly due to paid parking plus the intrusion of the City Parking Authority on shoppers and clients who have to pay to park and are ticketed at the exact time meters expire; and

Whereas this discourages patrons and shoppers from shopping downtown and forcing them to malls where they do not have to nurse a parking meter nor have to worry about getting a parking ticket at any time;

Now therefore be it resolved that City staff study and report back to council on the possibility of removing all parking meters in the downtown and disband the parking authority, which will encourage businesses to open and shoppers to return to the downtown and open for business.

************************* Downtown Association statement

SAULT STE. MARIE – (January 26) – The Downtown Association issues the following statements in response to a resolution that was read at City Council on Monday January 24 and then withdrawn for re-wording.

The association’s board of directors was anticipating having the opportunity to respond, at this meeting, to clarify the erroneous content in the resolution, as read, but was not permitted to do so.

“We attended last night’s council meeting so that we could clarify some sweeping statements that Councillors David Celetti and Ozzie Grandinetti had made regarding the downtown,” says Anna Boyonoski, manager, Downtown Association. “The statements leading up to their request for staff action on a parking matter reflected poorly on the business owners in the downtown and we believe these people are owed an apology and have requested that, of them, in writing. In addition, Mr. Celetti’s comment about not wanting to get into an argument with women was misrepresentative, we were not there to argue but to present facts.”

The councillors make reference that “there is a lack of shopping and businesses in the downtown core of the city, very few businesses operating and good-quality stores (are) not longer in operation…”

The Downtown Association can affirm that the official Downtown Association area – along Queen Street from Pim to Dennis Streets - is home to 266 businesses representing retail, restaurant, entertainment, health and wellness, professional, service sector and more.

In 2009, alone, 10 new businesses were welcomed into the downtown. In the larger scope of downtown, covering the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s Community Improvement Policy Area (which includes the catchment area located between the current hospital to Huron Street and from river to rail), commercial business generates more than half of the total commercial taxes for the entire municipality.

And the interest in the downtown is at the strongest in years.

Real estate continues to be moving briskly with some key, larger storefronts having recently sold.

Our downtown development initiative, or grants program, has generated $9.8 million in new investment.

This program has been graciously supported by federal, provincial and municipal government.

In December, FedNor announced another $500,000 commitment to Downtown improvements over the next two years.

“We are very proud of the great strides we are making in our downtown,” says Shirley Richards, chair, Downtown Association.”

************************* Tell 'em what you think

To e-mail your feelings on this issue to the Downtown Association, Mayor Rowswell and every member of City Council except Ward 6 Councillor Frank Manzo, please click here.

Councillor Manzo cannot be reached by e-mail, but you can phone or fax him at 945-9971.

Readers may also voice their opinions in the poll currently at the bottom of SooToday.com's home page.

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