Watching the drama around the so-called “cancellation” of the YMCA issue unfold has been interesting to say the least. There is one aspect that I can’t seem to get out of my head. I wonder what long-time Councillors must think of Mayor Banman’s actions.
Let’s take an example like John Smith. It was only 5 years ago that he was on top of the world. He could get anything done at the Council table he wanted. He relocated the Entertainment and Sports Complex to UFV instead of the spot planners had designated. He miraculously found $1 million in the Parks and Rec budget for his “Friendship Garden”. He really couldn’t be denied at the Council table. In fact, some say he was running the City and not Mayor Ferguson.
Fast forward to the night of the Council meeting where Mayor Banman announced the end of the YMCA deal … “alleged end” I should say … and John Smith didn’t even get a heads-up! Banman kept the YMCA letter from every Councillor, then fabricated his own excuse for setting aside the project. The Mayor did all that with virtually no consultation with Council.
Let me be clear. I used the word “fabricated” in the previous paragraph on purpose. The YMCA letter clearly says that they are going to work with our City Manager to develop a new plan for moving forward. Mayor Banman said the letter and the YMCA intended to set aside the project “indefinitely”. The letter speaks for itself, so either the Mayor is making this stuff up, or there are conversations going on that he is not telling us about … and he is certainly not telling Council.
So, I put it to long-time Councillors John Smith, Dave Loewen, Moe Gill, Simon Gibson and Patricia Ross … how does it feel to have a one-term Mayor act unilaterally and without consultation?
Who is pulling Banman’s strings? Whoever is giving him advice certainly doesn’t care what you councillors want. No matter who it is, it is obvious that City Council, at least on this issue, doesn’t belong to the elected councillors. The Mayor and his faceless cronies have you right where they want you … powerless.
I wonder how the Mayor’s foot is doing after he shot it and, more importantly, how long is it going to take before he shoots his other foot? Maybe, just maybe, all that gel in his hair is sinking in to his brain.
Gerda Peachey. I don’t think Vince Dimano is correct in thinking that only Bruce Banman knew about the Butz YMCA letter. Watching both afternoon and evening sessions on April 8th leaves no doubt in my mind that these people were aware, and not the least bit surprised by Banmans reading of this letter.
It is to their shame that not even one councillor made a comment, for the listening public, about this new development. These council meetings are, after all, billed as ‘public meetings.’
What all this business highlights is the peril to us, who must pay for council decisions, of having our public ‘servants’ decide willy-nilly to play big-shot with our tax dollars.
To give some raw examples of their foolish propensity to play with the big boys, lets review:
The contract with Global Spectrum, – a great deal for Global Spectrum, – a bad deal for Abbotsford.
The contract with the Abbotsford Heat, – a great deal for the Heat owners and the Calgary Flames, – a bad deal for Abbotsford.
The proposed deal with the YMCA, – Approximately $4 million value in free land for 66,000 sq. ft. of a new building. Abbotsford commits to pay HALF the up-front capital cost of the new building. The Y to get a free $1.5 million in provincial grant money. The YMCA to be tax-exempt for the life of their business operation, depriving our city of millions in lost revenue. The YMCA to charge for fees and services in competition with those who provide similar services, only the other private business folk compete MINUS all the above freebies. The YMCA protestations about their great altruistic wish to bestow their services on our needy city are a sham.
The YMCA and its MOU with our city is a very good deal for the YMCA, and a very bad deal for Abbotsford.
The deal with the YMCA has been sneaky, shadowy, and covert all along. What we have now are guesses and rumours. Still no forthright clarity and substance coming from council, though it is our tax dollars at stake.
Bruce Banman pretended the YMCA business was ‘effectively dead’, when in fact the letter says something very different. Stephen Butz, far from conceding the loss of the bird he almost had in his hand, writes – “I have had a number of conversations with your City Manager, George Murray. Our discussion reinforced the mutual desire to support a disciplined and prudent recommendation to Council relative to the proposed new YMCA. In light of current circumstances, we fully recognize the need for flexibility given the capacity issues Mr. Murray now faces. In the coming days, we will work with his office to develop a revised critical path consistent with the mutual respect and understanding which has underpinned our work together over the past two years.”
If this thing was really over, what would be the need for George Murray, our over-worked city manager, to spend any more of his precious time working with the Y on a “revised critical path”?
People want to focus on this sentence in the Memorandum of Unerstanding signed October, 2010 between the City and the YMCA – under 5. Legal Rights
No legal rights or contractual obligation are created between the parties by the execution of this MOU.
However, what then do we do with this little paragraph in the same document? – under Amendment 3.
THE PARTIES AGREE THAT THE TERMS OF THIS MOU MAY ONLY BE AMENDED WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN AGREEMENT OF BOTH PARTIES. [Capitals are mine]
Until council shows us a document signed by both signatories to the original MOU, the very costly YMCA ‘gifts’ are a threat to Abbotsford’s public purse.
What is badly needed from Abbotsford Council is an end to drama queen theatrics from centre stage. These are 9 ordinary citizens elected to serve the people of Abbotsford, not men and women suddenly granted totalitarian powers.
He can’t shoot his other foot cause it’s in his mouth.
if he did the…