Market(ing)

The EcoSociety has been local news lately. Once reported - once not!

1. ITEM:
2 Band-Shells - Money to Burn
There's the recently Council-approved non-functional, unattractive second coming of a Cottonwood Market band-shell by the same architect - Lukas Armstrong, Cover Architecture - whose earlier design for a total Market redo - including a similar band-shell - initially approved by Council, eventually was rejected by someone else at City Hall.
Phew! 

Without the public informed, even though $42.600 out of a total of $82.600 spent on that also non-functional, unattractive Market design (or what?) were tax-dollars. The remaining $40.000 - almost one third of that year's CBT allotment - were volunteered by Council. Meaning - many really struggling, deserving weren't funded that year.
Phew, again!

Bottom-Line:
These $82.600 are mentioned nowhere in the current context; the public has never been given a rundown on how/towards what they were applied if.

   

After I had raised the question of these $82.600 already gone in the COW, 19 Jun, 2017: Councillor Dailly - in a major meltdown, unprovoked yet unrestrained by Acting Mayor Warmington - called this figure a lie. While I had the on-record info - he either was uninformed! of the topic or just childishly contrary. Which - again - raises questions about this Council's preparedness for the job they were elected to do. 
Not a good look for him (and them), particularly as word on the street has it he may be running for mayor, next time around: next year.

Band-Shell #2
Neither had the public been informed of a scaled-back version of the original plan continuing to be developed: with focus now another non-functional, unattractive band-shell. 
This second band-shell ostensibly to cost about $40.000 - but wording there is poor.

Bottom-Line:
Are we looking at double-dipping here?

Approval(-Rating)
While approval of this band-shell was on the agenda of the Regular Council Meeting, 4 Jul, 2017, and should have been dealt with publicly: it quickly became clear that the decision to approve had been reached in camera, preceding the public Meeting.
Seemingly orchestrated by Staff - as most of Council's big stuff is these days. Because there was no discussion, development, discovery - coming together.
A tepid performance for public consumption: the public of no consequence in this gestation-process.

A few comment-nuggets, though:
Some Councillors thought using wood for building this band-shell is so us - so BC.
Councillor Morrison patronized: The design is "modern". You'll get used to "modern", just like my neighbors did with my house.
Armstrong - currently the City's golden boy, who can't do wrong even when he does - promised his band-shell would be used every day - with Councillors happily bobbling.
For weddings, too!

The whole thing may actually end-up costing at least $150.000 - never to forget the $82.600 already spent earlier. 
Also - for evening performances - there would be continuing costs of stage-lighting and lighting of the whole area for security; security personnel; parking and waste-management.
Paid for by whom?    
None of these issues specifically, plus administration/maintenance generally, were addressed by City Staff - in their Request for Decision from Council - and/or by Council in their approval-performance.

Bottom-Line:
So there you (will) have it: a costly, unwelcoming band-shell to pretty much be used in Saturday-market performances only.

And weddings in the dirt.

2. ITEM:
While - oddly (or-not?) - the above item has not at all been reported in the Star/Nelson Daily: the EcoSociety's request for financial consideration from the City has.

Its Cottonwood/Baker/Winter Markets and Market Fests add greatly to our economy and interpersonal well-being: through local-, area- and tourist-participation.
Keeping these events healthy and going is a no-brainer.

Bottom-Line:
The City needs to be urged to plug the band-shell money-drain and instead use funds saved thus to support all Markets as a whole - period! The performance-angle will be of no benefit to the EcoSociety - unless they're blackmailed into running it for the requested financial consideration.
 

  




Image credits:
Dezeen/Google
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Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca

Montana Burgess, Executive Director
montana@ecosociety.ca

Pam Mierau, Manager - Development Services
pmierau@nelson.ca

Deb Kozak, Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca

Colin McClure, CFO
cmcclure@nelson.ca