ROTHENBURGER: ‘Boy, asking questions around here is a tough gig’

A few other remarks from councillors — while not nearly as inflammatory as Hall’s — also seemed to reflect annoyance at the mayor.

It was an odd, unfortunate diversion, as if Hamer-Jackson was rocking the boat, despite him saying a half dozen times during the discussion that he supports the project. Which is consistent with what he has said in the past about a new PAC being one of his top priorities.

The unpleasant exchange was another example of councillors injecting their feud with the mayor into a place it didn’t belong. They just can’t leave it alone. But is everyone else who asks questions about the project in for the same treatment?

A lot of people probably want to know more about that $7 million loan. The explanation is fuzzy in that no breakdown of the costs that add up to that amount has been provided, other than that “validation” will cost $1.5 million and detailed design will cost $5.5 million.

Validation involves assembling an architect, general contractor, key engineers, subcontractors and a City team to come up with a work plan and budget. “Unlike all other forms of delivery, this method pools the risk among the owner and external parties,” according to a report to council. “It incentivizes the team to work together.”

The detailed design is “an industry-standard phrase” for an approach that “pays dividends as construction issues are sorted out before shovels are in the ground.”

All of which will provide a detailed estimate of the project’s cost.

But that’s the rationale for why it’s being done, not why it will cost $7 million. The mayor never did get an answer to his question and an opportunity to reassure taxpayers was lost. Mind you, when it was at the committee stage, details were just as scant.

Another good question would be why a different approach is being taken this time than for the 2015 and 2020 referenda. In those two cases, detailed business plans were developed without a final design. The referenda asked for permission to borrow up to a maximum amount, with the rest to be raised through donations and grants. If the final cost exceeded estimates, or fundraising fell short and more was needed from the public, that would have had to be approved.

One can argue which approach is better but is there anything wrong with wanting details? The City has kick-started the debate without a clear communications plan. Even the Kamloops

Centre for the Arts Society hasn’t updated its website or Facebook page since the 2020 vote was cancelled.

There are some very interesting aspects of the project to date, however. Proponent Ron Fawcett outlined a few of them during a presentation to council on Tuesday. The centre would be 103,000 square feet with an 1,100-seat main theatre (down from 1,200 in the last iteration) and a smaller 450-seat theatre.

The centre would include a box office centre, potential convention space, coffee bar, upper lobby area, five people elevators, a freight elevator, storage space and state-of-the-art lighting. There would be 15 inches of legroom between seats compared to eight inches at the Sagebrush.

He also noted that the heavily glassed front entrance façade would cost about $2.5 million compared to $1.5 million for concrete.

That’s interesting, exciting stuff. If the building ends up looking like the artist’s rendering, it will be spectacular. But if the attitude of councillors towards critics of the project is anything like it was towards a simple question about the need to spend $7 million now, they’re going to be a liability.

Councillors better get over their sensitivity. The project will be challenged, both by supporters and opponents; the answers have to be there, without the politics.

And, while we’re at it, apparently it’s not OK to ask questions about the Summit Drive pedestrian-cyclist overpass either, at least not if you’re TRU and you want to be sure about the location. Councillors’ reaction to news that TRU has commissioned its own consultants to look at the location was over the top.

“Playing games” was the way it was described. Play ball or else. Suddenly, the overpass is urgent. Must be done now. No waiting until April for TRU’s report. Council’s way or the highway.

Councillors have a strange view of partnerships. It’s OK for the City to have location studies done but not TRU? As TRU’s Matt Milovick has pointed out, the overpass isn’t scheduled for construction till 2027-2028 so what’s the problem with waiting for TRU to get its own study done?

The scene that played out in council chambers this week may have deep-sixed the project, which is OK by me, but it also may have done a lot of damage to the City’s relationship with TRU.

As Hamer-Jackson said after the $7-million discussion on the PAC, “Boy, asking questions around here is a tough gig.”

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: ‘Boy, asking questions around here is a tough gig’

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