LANSDOWNE: Staff Wants Blanket Authority Over Contracts
These are the recommendations of a Lansdowne 2.0 report going to city finance committee on April 2.
To read the full report, click here:
That Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend that City Council:
1. Approve the recommended procurement delivery model of a Design Bid
Build for the design and construction of the Event Centre and North Side
Stands, as described in this report and including as follows:
a. Receive the KPMG Lansdowne Park Revitalization Delivery Model
Options Analysis report, as detailed in Document 1;
b. Receive the progress report on a Social Procurement Framework for
the Lansdowne 2.0 project, as detailed in Document 2;
c. Approve that an additional $4 million be advanced against the
existing project budget authority to prepare tender ready design
drawings for both the Event Centre and North Side Stands, and
provide for the assistance of outside experts to assist and advise the
City in progressing the Redevelopment proposal, as described in
this report.
2. Approve the approach for the Request for Offer for the air rights
development, as described in this report and detailed in Document 3.
3. Approve the $20 million line of credit to be taken out and repaid by the
Lansdowne Master Limited Partnership and guaranteed by the City, as
described in this report.
4. Delegate the authority to the City Manager, in consultation with the City
Solicitor and the City Treasurer, to authorize, negotiate, finalize and
execute any necessary contracts, resolutions, and/or contract amendments
that may be necessary to implement the recommendations in this report as
adopted by Council.
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Delegated authority is a serious issue. I know in the Federal Government, a delegation is not initiated unless the person has had several courses, from financial, to contracts etc, plus the correct vetting to hold the position. The delegation of authority is a rigid regulation complete with financial limits to each level. Above say $50,000 the Minister (directly responsible to the citizens) is the only person who can approve.
This is odd that a city this small in size is delegating authority for Hundreds of Millions in contracts. Why are we doing this? Is the mayor or council not able to do its job in reading reports, asking questions and approving? This needs to be kept by council and the mayor elected by us citizens.
So not only is the fox guarding the henhouse, now it wants to be given the keys?
I hope this motion fails but, in the event that it doesn’t, that clause should be pulled out and voted on separately with a recorded vote. That way we can see who thinks this is a good idea. Councillors need to know exactly what’s going on t the city because they are ultimately accountable. Contracts that aren’t scrutinized by Council are open to staff’s interpretation of what would be a good way to spend residents money.
In addition, the staff that negotiated the terms of the contract is not going to be approaching ‘their’ contract with a critical eye.
For disputes there is always a dispute resolution methodology and that is silent here. I would suspect that having this under non-disclosure would keep even our politicians in the dark about what behind the scenes deals are made. Potentially even the auditor could be shut out from reviewing what happened on this contract. This is a bit uncomfortable