Raise the Hammer

I have learned through direct correspondence with Rom D'Angelo, Director Facilities Management & Capital Programs that (these quotes are taken directly from his emails to me):

"What I'm saying here is that the HWDSB was clear to us in the city that the property wasn't for sale."

"This exercise of estimating a market value has become difficult for the sole reason that the building and site does not belong to the City, the School Board has no interest in selling the property to the city nor does it have an interest in selling to the public. The Board is reluctant to put a price of the site."

"The $1.4M stated in your email below, is a figure in the City's Capital Budget and will be used for the Pinky Lewis expansion, for design and scope documents, getting the project ready for tendering and construction phase (i.e getting it shovel-ready)."

So, a senior person from the City of Hamilton tells us that the HWDSB will not tell the City, with whom they have been working on a re-development plan for 5 years according to Councillor Morelli, whether or not they will sell the building, nor how much they would ask for it should they decide to sell it. Some plan.

No wonder no private investors came forward when the Board still doesn't have a price for the building and says they don't want to sell it. See, most people like to have some sense for price before committing to purchase something. Some plan.

When I asked Bernie Morelli at the December 4 meeting at Cathy Wever how much the HWDSB wanted for the building, he said he had the number, but wanted to verify it. Pretty tough to verify when the HWDSB says they don't have a number and won't give it to Morelli even if they had one. Even senior City staff don't have the number. Some plan.

This has been poorly managed from the get go. The HWDSB, and in particular Tim Simmons, and Councillor Morelli need to show us their business plan. Enough of the Hallmark greeting card pandering about children, and trees, and shade, and heritage. Start by being transparent. You know, the good definition of public transparency, not the bad one they seem to be engaged in at the moment.