Multiplex Botch-up?

[keoadmin]

Anyone else catch the collective groan and eye-rolling from would-be arena developers over the city's latest botch-up of the multiplex process?

Seems the city (according to the Whig) has decided it should build the multiplex on city-owned land. That means all five companies that chose to submit a proposal - all of whom were told to find a location and most of whom would have spent money to secure their preferred site - don't have a hope of recouping the money spent scouting land, getting planning reports and securing options. Worse, the Whig suggests, since the city decided to build on its own property, all the private companies will have to submit new proposals. They've already spent time and money responding to a request for expressions of interest and then to a full proposal call. Now they need to write new proposals - that might or might not include a swimming pool.

Thousands - probably tens of thousands - could have been saved had the city done just a little bit of homework and selected a site (and made a decision on the pool) before it issued a proposal call.

And we wonder why Kingston has trouble attracting new business?

[Lydia]

This is EXACTLY why people do not trust the process and members of Council. Don't blame the Technical Staff on this one, Folks, They are doing their job and doing it very well. They can only do what has been asked of them, in accordance with what Council asks.

If blame is to be placed anywhere it is with the politicians themselves. They ask for Citizens to get Involved and then decided not to follow their Citizen's Advisory Groups Advice complete.

This has happened time and time again folks, There must be a mandate that they are following which tells them that they must get citizen's participation. Once received nothing there saying that the politicians need to listen. After all then these councilors can say "Well we had the public involved!"

There are poliliticians who tell it as it is, others that tell us one thing and do another. We all know who they are. Elections in November 2006 folks.

Some politicans get angry with us when we tell it as we see it. Others support those politicans that get angry with us. It doesn't matter, the Taxpayer is not blind or dump, They will send the right message in November.