garlis wrote:
Its time for councillors to put aside their cheerleader pom-poms and get serious. The latest staff report has added a lot of bulk but doesn’t solve some major issues that would be deal-breakers anywhere else. Issues, as noted by Anthony, such as zoning, campus approval, Laurier funding, and Legacy funding. And that is before questioning the cost/benefit estimates.
The report calls the velodrome project an “honour”. That is a doubtful “honour” when Milton was the only candidate, but perhaps for staff and council it is. I see it as council rolling the dice with taxpayer money at very poor odds.
I love the way you dismiss a 440 page report as being a lot of "bulk" yet do not provide a single piece of real data to dismiss the project. The Sierra Planning and Management findings and assumptions were reviewed, challenged and sometimes changed by town staff. (page 12 of 440) What
specific assumptions are you challenging? Do you have different figures and if so what support do you have for your figures versus the assumption(s) in the business plan? What cost/benefit estimates do you disagree with? Why?
Campus approval/Laurier funding. There is a contingency plan. See schedule D, page 96 of 440.
Legacy Funding. Will be between $300k-$700k annually. Exact amount to be finalized with committee. Page 5 of 440.
The only issue I can see from the business plan that may kill the project is the zoning issue on pages 8 and 9 of 440. My understanding is the town will not proceed unless they can secure zoning approvals with certainty. This involves other parties (I assume other levels of government) so I would be very surprised if these other parties do not pull through to provide the zoning certainty required.
I say councillors, leave your nipple tassels on! Or is that pom-poms.

If you don't root for our community, who will?