Lets hope that this core Review is done in a mature and sane way.

We need the unions and other vested interest groups to be amicable to staff reductions at least through attrition. In addition we need to hold the line on wage increases and benefits.

We need the City to back away from anymore borrowing, and take a sabbatical on Capital Projects. In addition, the City needs to quit increasing taxes, and start to get some of their funds from the sale of property etc. We are land rich, and money poor.

We need to focus on how to get the best bang for our buck from other levels of Government. As an example, how can the Province afford to build a $75 Million (more or less) Wood Innovation Building, but not be able to help us with our infrastructure??? Who the hell wants a wooden building???

How can we allow the City to even think about tearing down the Playhouse Theatre, and building a $50 Million Performing Arts Centre?.

We have Vanier Hall, the Playhouse Theatre, and both these buildings are under utilized .. How would we ever get any use out of a PAC. Its this kind of inane spending that has to stop.

How about the **Head in the sand syndrome**. As an example the benefits etc;, for the Community Energy System which were touted before it was constructed are no longer the same since the fire at Lakeland, and the huge drop in natural gas prices. Why do we hear nothing from the City regarding the significant changes to the venture, the increased costs to run it, and the possibility that we will not gain one cent of return on the millions of dollars spent??

We need to be able to see some significant progress when this review is finished, and one of the results had better not be further increases in taxes.

“We are land rich, and money poor.”

Strange how things change over the decades. When I got to town in the 1970s the City was the largest developer of residential land or at least on par with Heights Land. Certainly the City development was superior to College Heights.

The lots were auctioned off as they were needed. In addition, unlike in most other places in Canada, the developments typically provided for a mix of housing costs from 1,000sf to 1,500+sf and from detached single family to duplexes and walk up apartments.

I believe the only other City which did that was Saskatoon.

In my opinion there is nothing sacred about having private developers developing land. Doing so likely costs the City money in the long run since development is allowed in several areas at the same time so that lots can sit unsold for years without taxes coming in but all maintenance services still provided by the city.

“How can we allow the City to even think about tearing down the Playhouse Theatre, and building a $50 Million Performing Arts Centre?”

You must be living in a different community than I do Palopu. There is no way the City is thinking about building a Performing Arts Centre. They are all smart enough to understand that unless the Mayor and Council come out to support the PAC and include at least a quarter of the capital cost for the centre, plus indicate where the land will be, the PAC will not get money from the province, the feds, nor any private developer that may want to participate by building a hotel nearby, for instance.

City Hall knows that – both administration and council. The project went dead over three years ago, in my opinion. Additional nails went into the coffin when we got the Winter Games. So, we know where the priorities lie.

In Kamloops, on the other hand, the mayor was re-elected on a PAC within 5 years as one of the issues.

But then again, we know all about Kamloops and their winning attitude. And yes, Kamloops has its Vanier Hall as well. The SD and City decided to work together some time ago and upgraded the Sagebrush theatre to a proper facility with fly tower, behind stage facilities, loading docks, etc.

And now they want a PAC …… and the only thing they are debating is where – nortside or centre town …. the nerve of that City!!!!

As far as KPMG goes, they are expensive scribes ….. they would not see an opportunity if it appeared right in front of them and they had their nose rubbed in it.