I just finished reading the article in the Anchor regarding my vote concerning accepting the 6 Letters of Intent to Purchase Land in Webster Industrial Park.
I felt that I should explain my position on this vote and perhaps you will be kind enough to print a follow up story to explain to the residents why I voted against accepting these “Letters of Intent”.
My goal of transparency is to ensure the residents understand why I voted against accepting the letter of intent for the Webster lots.
Quite simply put, it is because I have never seen any of the 6 “Letters of Intent”. When we went into camera, I expected to see these “Letters of Intent” so that I could better understand what I was being asked to approve. They were not made available to me. I did not believe it was right for me to vote to allow Administration to ratify documents that I was not given the opportunity to read. I had concerns and they are:
- What are the expectations of the potential purchasers?
- What type of business does the potential purchaser plan on putting in Webster Park?
- What is the expected turn-around time for the lands to be readily available for the potential purchaser?
- Did the land need to be serviced?
- What type of deposit are they putting down with these “Letters of Intent”? This will indicate how serious they are about buying a lot in Webster Park.
Also do these “Letters of Intent” give the City more leverage to possibly borrow more money to service the lots?
These are important details that could impact my decision when voting and since I did not have any of these details readily available to me I chose to vote against accepting them.
Furthermore, when going “in camera”, it was my expectation that doing so was to allow me to review this confidential information and that it would be shared with Council.
I hope this provides the residents with a reasonable explanation.
I have been contacted by residents suggesting that I should trust administrative staff and believe that they have reviewed the letters of intent ensuring they were comprehensive and support the best interests of the residents however I am unfamiliar with administration staff and for a period of time we both need to work to gain each other’s trust.
I have been voted in to ensure everything I do will be in the best interests of the residents and I intend to ensure I do this to the best of my abilities. If you have any questions or concerns you can email me at lbold@chestermere.ca
Respectfully,
Councilor Laurie Bold
