PortageMultiplex.com will once again be blogging live from the RM of Portage Council meeting this morning. Please keep refreshing this page to see live updates.
At this point no one has said what will transpire, according to the lack of media coverage of the City council meeting Monday night it appears that they have not yet voted on Tenders 3 and 4.
I wonder why ? Inquiring minds want to know what the holdup is.
Our guess is Brennan’s Boondoggle will be reduced to a 35 million dollar outdoor rink and hot tub as they appear to struggle to get the tenders down to the magic number.
More details to follow as they become available.
10 am meeting will convene at Herman Prior approx 1030
Over 70 people in attendance as meeting reconvenes
The few supporters have resorted to wearing sticky notes that say “Yes”
Vote coming shortly
4-3-1
Resolution passes
Councillor Asham abstains pending results of legal challenge
Next step is off to the courts
Update.
Despite the announcement at the previous council meeting by Reeve Toby Trimble that they would not vote on the Tender package until the complete tender package was before them, The RM council today passed a resolution to vote in favor of accepting Tenders 1 and 2 without having the major tenders placed in front of them.
Councillor Terry Simpson asked Reeve Toby Trimble why they were voting on this when they had agreed to wait, and the Reeve would not give him an answer.
Reeve Trimble called for a vote and in the middle of voting Councillor Garth Asham asked if he could abstain on the vote until after the legal challenge was dealt with. Reeve Trimble agreed that was OK and the vote continued.
In favor were
Reeve Toby Trimble
Councillor Owen Williams
Councillor Ray Davidson
Councillor Larry Gibbs
Against
Councillor Terry Simpson
Councillor Bill Alford
Councillor Arnold Verwey
Abstained
Councillor Garth Asham.
Resolution passes 4-3-1 and construction could start immediately without anyone knowing what the final cost will be.
Where things stand
No one knows what Garth Asham was doing, By voting against the resolution he could of stopped it and earned the respect of his ward, but in effect his vote is the same as a Yes vote as his actions allowed the project to move forward.
While several councillors including Mr Asham indicated that they would vote it down if it was even 1 dollar over budget, they just passed 2 tenders that were a combined 6,720$ over budget without knowing what 3 and 4 are going to be.
How can the residents of the RM be satisfied that their interests are being looked after when the Reeve will not even answer questions of his own councillors during the meeting?
The RM and City have effectively given a blank check to the project manager to build this complex. With construction likely beginning immediately, if the final tenders are over budget it will be too late to stop it because construction will have already started. There is now no reason for bidders to adjust their pricing lower because they know the project will go through at any cost.
A legal challenge of the RM borrowing bylaw has been filed and everyone is hoping for an expedited process to settle this quickly before any more dollars are spent. If the Judge rules in favor of the rural taxpayers then the City could be left with a hole in the ground and no money to complete the project.