Special meeting at 1pm tomorrow at the municipal office in Council chambers:
Number of issues in line with Councilor Mitchell's motion of last week dealing with Returning Officer, Annexation of Ranchlands and the hotel deal. Also added to the list something that was not part of the motion "Crowsnest Centre Demolition", in previous posts both myself and some of my readers have predicted that these guys need to do something big. Especially after the announcement today that Blair Painter is running for the Mayor's post.
The voters will have to realize that without a hotel deal in place, council will either have to take approximately half our reserves or finance $800,000 to knock the building down.
Maybe between the Mayor and Group Vachon they will pull a rabbit out of the hat and announce that there is a new Investor lined up?
Note: Cost of administration $4325 per day
16 comments:
I don't get how the mayor would think that Ranchlands would just give CNP some of their land. What's in it for them?
Nothing, as far as I can see.
I think it would be wrong of council to make close to a million dollar decision two months before the election.
Having said that it will be very interesting to see if the $800,000 figure they used in the Medican deal will be the real number for the cost of demolition.
Leave it for the next council. Don't spend my money unless they have another hotel deal in hand. It would be insane.
8:36 :
I'm not sure what they could do at this meeting - they can't know the figure until they put out tenders (I think previous tenders must have expired by now). I don't think they can legally authorize spending outside of budget without specifying the amount and where it's coming from (although that hasn't bothered them in the past), but what if it turns out to be more than the reserve fund? The "restoration" companies that remove asbestos also do flood work, so they may be booked up and will not bid low for the Crowsnest Centre job.
What could the "hotel" item be about, other than spending $50,000 on a Best Western franchise?
Dean these guys are desperate
It's fact that the CLC is not going anywhere in the next few months but our money may be. There are no binding contracts involving any time constraints existing. What is the reason for the rush?!! Leave the decision as to how we should progress on this matter up to our next council. (This is ultimately another potential taxation 'whammy' with questionable chances of return.)
Let the electorate decide the makeup of the next council, and the future of this issue, according to the platforms that the candidates present.
I was perusing the minutes, (July 16 council package) and noticed something about changing the Land Use Bylaw, (from Non Urban to Drive-in commercial) for the piece of property at the very east entrance to Coleman. (There was a nice sketch of a potential hotel, and hotel related buildings around it, at the very end of the file.)
Now, does this mean that we will potentially have TWO new hotels and related restaurants(?), going in, or at least, being planned, at the same time?
Interesting anyway!
We have enough hotels for the amount of people even thinking of coming here. Any of these investers would be stupid to invest in another hotel when there is nothing to draw the people here. Campers, people who go fishing and hiking come self equipped, and don't stay in an expensive hotel to look at the scenery. How many times do we have to be exploited by these fly by night people . It has happened over and over again. When our money runs out, they are gone.
Municipal Inspections on other towns have said that special meetings should only be used for urgent matters that can't be dealt with at regular meetings. The returning officer issue qualifies.
They have also said that councils should stick to setting policies and not meddle in the operational business of the municipality. And that there should be a clear line between council and administration, so it is transparent what is the administration's decision making power and responsibility.
If Russell Farmer is still watching the Gong Show, these are the sort of things he is thinking about.
When I called councillor Saje some months ago he informed me that 600K had been put away for the clc demolition and that a further 250K was going to be added this year. What's happened with this money? Has it dissappeared along with the other funds pinpointed for other projects that have fallen by the wayside? Again why another hotel when there is one almost in spitting distance that is being totally refurbished to new standards. And as stated why stay here to look at the scenery!
I don't believe Bruce Decoux will be happy not leaving a legacy of out of control spending if he doesn't add the cost of the demolition of the clc as the piece de resistance. The final blow so to speak that we the taxpayers who have stayed the course will have to pay the debt left behind by this totally disfunctional and completely irresponsible council and mayor.
Rumour has it that there may be some big news this afternoon. The question should be how solid is the news or is it just more Bridgecreek type propaganda?
At this stage you will have a tough time convincing me of anything.
Group | Vachon meets with council to discuss failed development
LINDSAY GOSS
Pass Herald Reporter
http://passherald.ca/archives/130723/index2.htm
"After the announcement that Medican Construction, in partnership with Group|Vachon pulled out of the hotel development agreement at the Crowsnest Centre site, Chris Vachon, president of Group | Vachon travelled from Calgary, where his company is based out of to Crowsnest Pass to have a brief discussion with Council.
The meeting took place during a Governance and Priorities Committee meeting on Tuesday July 16th at the Municipal office.
Group | Vachon still has not officially pulled out of the agreement."
This does not jibe with the FOIP response:
http://transparencycnp.shawwebspace.ca/blog/posts/2/5/
The contract they sent was with Medican only.
It seems that Group Vachon can spot a Lame Duck when it sees one. Just a few more bucks to be made by someone by milking this venture, and all the while we will pony up more tax dollars to make it more marketable.
One really wonders about certain relationships involved on this issue.
Of course there will be some wonderful and miraculous announcements coming down the pipe today. Somewhere I lost my appetite for the type of spin, coming from this council, a while ago. I am not interested in their bait.
Re; 02:16:00 PM
Interesting. A must read.
http://transparencycnp.shawwebspace.ca/blog/posts/2/5/
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