I still can't believe how a city asset ( the gravel ) could have been sold out from the city without it going to tender or still to this day someone saying how much they got for it. I have lost all respect for this organization as I believe the proper process for purchasing and operation of the city assets has been totally abused in this case.

If someone has an actual budget or can reveal the details of how this was all funded and moved along so quickly without proper approvals please prove me incorrect.

Is it free? Or can you donate a bag of gravel instead of a non-perishable food item in order to use it free?

It seems to have worked this way.

(a) Ice Oval Society gives gravel to local contractor in return for the hole he creates by removing the gravel. Hole left includes a berm, and a level surface.

(b) Contractor sells gravel to CN for spreading around their new Intermodal Yard.

Questions:

(1) How can the Ice Oval Society give away City property.

(2) Who at City Hall gave them the OK.

(3) Why was this not handled through the Purchasing Dept. and put out to tender.

(4) What was the price the Gravel was sold for. Did the Contractor make big bucks, did CN Rail get a great deal.

(5) If the City needs gravel this summer for road building and maintenance will they buy it from a private contractor and pay the going rate, after giving away, who knows how many thousands of yards of gravel.

(6) Understand from previous 250 posts on this subject that **Ben** has requested copies of all correspondence regarding this matter under the **Freedom of Information laws** It seems that the City is dragging their feet in coming up with the requested information. Hopefully it will be issued soon.

I think that the intentions of the people in the Ice Oval were good, however the City and its property have to be looked after according to the rules and regulations that govern such matters. A similiar situation in a private business, or a bank etc; would probably result in criminal charges being laid.

We need to have an accounting of this situation and then put it to bed, maybe Ben can give us an update.

"If the City needs gravel this summer for road building and maintenance will they buy it from a private contractor and pay the going rate"

If the city needs gravel they will get it from the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser.

:-)

You got that right Owl

The Ice Oval is awesome. The costs were minimal in comparison to anyone else building it. The oval is available to the entire community and there are no user fees. Minimal cost overruns. Maximized use of the materials for the benefit of everyone. Seems to me to be one of those rare projects that didn't cost the city or it's taxpayers much at all.

But, let's overlook the benefits for now and continue to focus on how all of this could have happened, based on all of the rules and regulations city hall supposedly imposes on everyone else. Someone must have been circumventing the rules. Chester

It will be interesting when they move onto the second phase and need money for the cement. I fully expect them to just order it and send the bill to the city, without them knowing about it ahead of time. It will get shuffled into some budget and probably at the same time as the Mayor takes off to China again so people will be distracted with that.