Stadium debate takes turn after revelation
Posted Sep 13, 2011 06:53:13 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Councilor Reg Rankin put forward his motion to rescind the motion that directed staff to go ahead with Phase 2 of the stadium study Tuesday and there were some heated moments during the debate, but it wasn’t so much the motion that got councilors fired up.
Instead, it was the revelation that CAO Richard Butts signed the documents to go ahead and allocate the $275,000 for Phase 2 Monday when he knew last Friday, when the council agenda was released, that Councilor Rankin’s motion to calling to rescind the decision to go ahead with Phase 2 would be brought up Tuesday.
The news seemed to come as a surprise to everyone and had many saying Butt’s should have waited until after Tuesday’s discussion to go forward.
Mayor Peter Kelly defended Butt’s timing saying when staff approved the motion to go ahead in August, they gave overwhelming support to move forward, but many councilors wondered why Rankin’s motion was allowed to be put forward if the money had already been allocated.
Councilor Tim Outhit called the process a farce, and while everyone conceded the CAO was within his mandate to move ahead, Councilor Brad John felt it was an example of situations being manipulated.
Deputy Mayor Jim Smith pointed out if the money had already been approved, there was no point in supporting the motion because it would be a waste of taxpayer’s money.
Councilor Jerry Blumenthal said council would look foolish and, “…a silly little city…” in the eyes of the rest of the country.
In the end, the final vote on the motion to rescind was 16-3 against and the August 9th decision to continue with Phase 2 was not rescinded.
