By Pepper Parr
October 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Does anyone wonder why September came and went and there was no announcement on the purchase of the Bateman High School property?
Given that the 30th was a federal holiday which the city administration decided would apply to all the municipal employees one could understand that there was no one available to put together one of those statements that would quote the Mayor on how much had been achieved and what to look forward.
Somewhere in that communication would be mention of the cost and the hole it is going to put in the public purse.
There was nothing on Monday. Nothing on Tuesday. Wednesday isn’t over so maybe there will be an announcement.
At this point all the public has is a plan and a sense that the cost will come in at somewhere neat $50 million.
The subject didn’t even get asked at the Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday – that the Mayor made no mention suggest the new may not be all that good.
No word from any of the ward 5 candidates.
There is a story in there somewhere – the part of that story we know today is – they don’t want you to know.
We have reached out to Councillor Sharman and Councillor Stolte asking:
Is there anything you can say about the status of the sale/purchase of the Bateman High School property?
The public was told that the deal was to close on September 30th.
Stolte has a personal investment in the deal: The city Integrity Commissioner docked her five days’ pay for telling the public that the site was going to come in at something near $50,000,000.
Marsden
As deafening as your silence in you not answering questions put to you on multiple occasions. Pot, Kettle, Black !. Do you have no shame in calling out others yet doing exactly what you accuse others of doing?
Hersh
How do you know the unconfirmed amount of $50 million does not include costs for any asbestos abatement or renovations? I’m not saying those costs are included or excluded in that unofficial and unqualified figure. Just wondering how you can be so certain? Were you in the closed council meetings? Or are you jumping to conclusions.
The silence is deafening!
If anyone thinks that this information will be made public prior to the election they must be very naive.
We already know about the 39 million dollars allocated for the Skyway Plaza. The price of Robert Bateman would add to the “sticker shock”. The price for the purchase of the property does not include the removal of the asbestos as well as the cost for the extensive renovations required.
Perhaps it is time to ask the City Manager for some transparency? Have to wonder if the Council Meeting on October 11th will divulge this information, however, it will probably be discussed in Closed Session.
Time will tell.