Archive for August, 2011
Community heroes: Steve Gaul breaks record to fight cancer
Burlington resident Steve Gaul broke the Guinness World Record for drumming this summer, after five days and 121 hours pounding out tunes at the Central Music Centre surrounded by cheering family and friends. The effort raised money for cancer in memory of his sister Toni Clement, who died of cancer last year. Gaul himself is [...]
Hospital redevelopment approved; city contributes $60m
Budget & Corporate Services Comm. Aug. 30, 9:30am, City Hall
Our community hospital has gotten the green light to proceed with a redevelopment that will improve access and patient care for residents. This summer, the province approved a redevelopment for Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital to provide:
- 76 more beds
- 10 new operating rooms
- a new intensive care unit
- larger, enhanced cancer unit
- more parking
- new diagnostic imaging and laboratory areas
- expanded outpatient surgical suite
Provincial funding formulas for all hospitals require that the community pay for 100% of equipment, and 10% of capital costs. This is called the “local share.” On a project this size – more than $300 million – the local share is $120m.
My take: The approval is welcome and long awaited news for our community. As a citizen member of the hospital board of governors since 2008, and now the city council representative on the board, I know the importance of this redevelopment for the health of our residents. Our hospital is a priority for our community. To meet our funding commitment will require an evaluation of all spending, with a focus on core activities. It’s a privilege to be part of making the redevelopment happen – a once in a generation experience that hundreds of residents, staff and community leaders have worked to achieve. My thanks to all involved – this is the first step in a journey to better health for Burlington.
New pier specifications
When the pier retender went to market in July it became a public document, allowing anyone to review the new specifications and compare them to the original design. The original contractor, HSS, did so, and released a public statement outlining numerous changes which they say they originally requested after problems arose on the project in 2008. (Read news article here).
My take: Residents deserve transparency and accountability, through proactive communications from City Hall, not secondhand information. That’s best practise and good governance. I’ve asked our legal and communications staff to advise what can be shared with residents on the retender specifications without compromising our legal case – especially given that the new specifications are public.
I’ve also asked engineering staff whether the new specifications were originally requested, and if done in 2008 would have restarted this project, saving time and taxpayers’ money. As a best practise, we must always be looking to find win-win solutions, as we did with Bermingham on the trestle dispute.
Now that we are on the litigation path with HSS, AECOM and others originally involved in the pier, there will be winners and there will be losers – the courts will determine who’s who. We’ve lost the opportunity to negotiate a win-win, and that’s disappointing for everyone involved in this project.
Pier completion on track, but troubling questions remain
Tender bids publicly opened Aug. 26, 2pm, City Hall
Update Aug. 31, Community Services Comm. 6:30pm, City Hall
The retender for the pier is on track with bids expected to be opened publicly this Friday at City Hall. We’re all hoping this will restart the project toward successful completion, and many of you have contacted me to say you’re looking forward to this addition to our waterfront.
I’ve also heard from residents concerned with the escalating cost, a concern I share when we have more important priorities – including the newly announced redevelopment of our hospital.
Some residents want the pier demolished, and certainly it’s a nice to have, not a need to have.
The majority view on council and among residents is toward completion. I supported negotiating with a willing contractor as the most timely and cost effective approach, and did not vote for the retender or the additional $5.8m budget. Now that we are on the retender path, I will work to ensure its success.
But our drive to complete the pier can’t come at any price to the taxpayer and the city’s reputation. Events over the summer – including a dispute that threatened to derail the retender process – have raised troubling questions about how this process is unfolding that deserve transparency and accountability to taxpayers.
My take: I’m glad a solution was found that saves the retender. Our first response to challenges must always be to use common sense and aim to negotiate a win-win solution. It shouldn’t take an 11th hour crisis to get us here, which is neither good governance nor best practise. Going forward, we must ensure we do appropriate risk assessments and have all the facts before taking a position. In our drive to get the pier finished and move on, let’s ensure we do right by the people we do business with, safeguard the city’s reputation and protect taxpayer dollars.
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