Clarity Obscured

I published a comment severely critical of the Mayor and Council for the decision on the cockmamie theme park proposal  considered again on February 4th,

It's par for the  course and  would be completely legitimate.

If the decision had been made,

It has not.

It will not be made until the Council meeting of February 11th.

General Committee Meetings of Council do not  formalise decisions.

Recommendations are  forwarded to Council.

The system provides time for sober second thought for those Councillrs inclined to sober second thought.

More serious  though is criticism of the Office of Chief Administrator.

It would not normally  be published.

Except for two memoranda submitted  to Council in a public report by the CAO  containing details  of  proposed  procedures to negotiate purchases of properties  prior to a  Council decision on whether or not the plan has legs.

Real estate negotiations are one of the few public matters allowed to be discussed behind closed doors' to protect the interest of the municipality.

I  queried  the new Director of Legislative and Corporate Services , who is also town solicitor,
for an explanation of how such a  clear cut case of chaos and confusion could come about.

The solicitor responded there was a need to answer  Councillor questions  asked at the general committee meeting.

The difficulty  I have with the explanation, there is no  written record of the  questions.

Neither,  at the time of writing the memo ,  has Council made  a decision to proceed further with the plan.

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Agenda Item 9.

Memorandum to Mayor Dawe and Councillors
From Neil Garbe ,Chief Administrative Officer.
Negotiations Strategy for the purchase of properties associated with the  Hillary McIntyre Park.


Background to the  Memorandum: (Feb 11th 2014)
 
At the  meeting of February 4th 2014 staff indicated that  they would prepare a memo pertaining
to how staff will be approaching negotiations with the applicable property owners in the above matter, the due diligence required to support a potential purchase of the properties within the
proposed Hillary-McIntyre Park  and the key steps necessary to ensure feasibility of the project.

Comments.

This  memo is intended to provide a brief outline of the required steps to meet the goals of the Cost-
Benefit Study which was presented to General Committee on February 4th 2014. More details will be submitted in a report to Council on Apri;/May 2014.

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This morning, yet another lengthy communication has been forwarded to Councillors by e-mail from the Chief Administrator's office,

Additional questions have been  forwarded to his office by  a nameless Councillor.

Lengthy responses from the  consultant who presented to Council in Committee last Tuesday  are forwarded to Councillors by e-mail.

The responses may or may not be read by Councillors.

It makes no never mind.

If  not presented in a public meeting. where public business is required to be conducted, it has no
relevance.

It is not admissible.

More later