Tuesday, August 13, 2013

One more chapter on the hotel saga

Now I know it's only $10,000 and some people are getting tired of this story but it's our money so we have a right to know.
Council/administration in their wisdom decided eighteen months ago to hire a consultant to put together a feasibility study for a hotel on the former CLC site.
Rich Eichler Consulting dined at the trough known has the municipality of Crowsnest Pass to the tune of a cool $10,000 and delivered a feasibility study in January 2012 that would give us a "leg up" when we went out to seek hotel investors.
Well after posting a Request For Proposals for months we get "one" company that takes advantage of this golden opportunity, just escaping from court protection "Medican" well we all know how that story worked out (or do we)
So fast forward to July 23 Chris Vachon informs us that just a year later, after Mr Eichler delivered his study that Best Western spent $25,000 on a new feasibility study, did the first one miss something ? Did we waste our $10,000?
Let's fast forward to this week's Pass Herald to the comments from Mr Jeff Carlson CAO of clay cup developers, the company that initially looked at working with Medican and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. What did he have to say about the feasibility study "I check out feasibility reports all the time I am not a amateur and the report was amateurish, a waste of money".
How much more money was spent on legal fees putting together the contract with Medican that at one point the CAO told us required 80 some revisions? I hope it wasn't a lot.
The big concern now in line with both Councilor's Saindon and Saje's arguments against accepting the tender for the demolition of the Centre last week is we don't know what the total cost for the remediation of that building is going to be?
Let's hope this story is almost over.


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oops.. think Dean nailed that one right on the head.

Anonymous said...

These are the same people who think they are qualified to deal with Fortis on our power distribution system. Any discussion about selling our power lines should be in an open forum. The "off the record" administrative meetings have been a business disaster for our small community.

Anonymous said...

The Eichler study is here

http://www.crowsnestpass.com/finance-a-administration/rfp

starting on page 12.

Anonymous said...

Why does a hotel have to be built on the clc site? By the looks of the old Cedar Inn new construction that hotel will aptly fill our needs and is only about a block away from the clc. That site should be diversified and a smaller version of costco built there to compete with the grocery stores in town whose prices are far too high.

Anonymous said...

The fact that Myron Thompson didn't even know if there was a full basement in either sections of the clc leaves me to wonder what else he doesn't know but acts upon and makes decisions not knowing?????

Debby said...

This is not the first time that Myron Thompson has displayed ineptitude on the job. Far from it! This town has been misled by the three stooges now for three long and painful years; CFA, CAO and our arrogant Mayor. And if that isn't bad enough, our councillors haven't any balls or brains to stand up to these morons or even ask questions. We are in such a sad state and the provincial government is allowing it to happen even after 2700+ citizens screamed fowl. How frustrating to sit and watch them make one bad decision after another :( At what cost? Even they do not seem to know. SHAME ON THEM ALL!

Anonymous said...

Didn't councillor Saje ask for how much was spent on this to date? What happened to his question? As a member of council he has every right to demand an answer from the administration. It sure looks like council is not paying attention to costs of their decisions.

Anonymous said...

According to today's Promoter, we have a "memorandum of understanding" with Group Vachon which "talks about a 'Scope of Services' that identifies Vachon Group's services to developers and potential investors".

Has Council in any way authorised payment of fees or commissions (other than the $50K) to GV? If we're not paying GV, GV is not our agent. What's in it for GV?

Does this "Scope of Services" mean GV has some kind of exclusive dibs on the property, so a future Council could not put it up for sale?

The REAL ESTATE ACT limits certain services to licensed realtors and mortgage brokers.

So many questions.

Anonymous said...

Whoa Debby, what do you really think.
I don't think we are as bad off as you try to make it sound,

Anonymous said...

This is one strange tale. Medican brings Vouchon on board, Medican bails, Vouchon stays behind to offer "services" to other potential developers. Oh boy.

Anonymous said...

Anon1:49 You sure don't live around here or you are a total moron if you think things are not as bad as Debbie pointed out. I totally agree with her.

Anonymous said...

I just wished I had approached Vachon in the spring and offered up my $25K to take half. I smell $$$ with absolutely nothing to loose(And also control). Hindsight is wonderful and I didn't figure in a council that was so vulnerable.

Anyone interested in being partners with me in the development of a major restaurant chain? Council will most likely provide funds for the franchise fees and also a prime chunk of real estate if we drag them along. I smell even more money.

Anonymous said...

Debby,

Please post the name of the town that you are from. You have a lot of passion for this town and I may find your own town's politics as interesting as you find ours. Please post.

Anonymous said...

This council should be filling in the potholes around town instead of trying to go into the hotel business. I was trying so hard today to read one of those banners that I hit the pot holes in front of the Coleman drug store, nearly ripping out my rear end.

Anonymous said...

I see in the Mayor's latest newsletter they are going to begin the CLC demolition in September. What a shock that is I thought he would have started about October 20-21.

Anonymous said...

8:33 wrote:
"they are going to begin the CLC demolition in September"

The next council can pay the bill and worry about filling the hole. It is questionable whether this demolition is eligible for MSI grants.

Anonymous said...

Demolition completion to coincide we new and major announcements just in time for municipal election.

Still trying to figure out how the municipality arrived with the need to pay for a consultant to hold franchise rights for a hotel in the CNP in the consultant's name? This is highly irregular, don't developers take care of this if they want to develop a hotel?

These fellows are blowing taxpayers money left and right without any accountability or thought.

Anonymous said...

Do these guys think the voters of the Pass are that stupid? I think not. Decoux attempts to put the spin on everything. Time to be man enough to admit the hotel is a long wys off.

Anonymous said...

do we really need a hotel?

a hotel is not going to save the Pass.

people are not going to come here and spend money just because we have another hotel.

a lot of time and effort on a hotel that may only be half full.

Anonymous said...

How dare this idiot mayor start such a project as the demolition in September, outside of having him commited, is there no way to stop this lunitic from further harming this community???

Anonymous said...

No one in the town office has any inkling about how a hotel business is run ... neither construction nor operations. Don't mess with what you don't know because you'll get burned.

No one in the town office has any understanding about running a municipality, either. The MGA is more than just a suggestion.

I pray that the next executive bunch (mayor and council) stick to dealing with what has to be done (eg, potholes) and steer clear of grand schemes which will bear no fruit and end up impoverishing the community.

No more arrogant, narcissistic idiots! I hope some good people have the courage to run for office.

Anonymous said...

10:00 wrote:
"No one in the town office has any inkling about how a hotel business is run ... neither construction nor operations. Don't mess with what you don't know because you'll get burned."

I agree. Even if I thought it was a good idea, it should be done in a businesslike way, as Gallant is always preaching.

That means put someone qualified in charge and give them a clear mandate and decision-making authority. That could be the CAO, but first Council should consider whether he is qualified and if he can handle this on top of his CAO duties.

As it is we have seven unqualified, ill-informed, squabbling councillors making decisions about backfill and basements after a few minutes of confused discussion twice a month. Is that any way to run a business, Brian?