Mr. Kenning Is Just Warming Up!

 The Spinning Wheels Are Starting

As predicted earlier, the spinning wheels of the local fourth estate are just getting started with stories of concern for public safety. The local daily reports:

Nanaimo's city staff recommended seismic screening at a cost of $90,000 in a preliminary financial report released this week. It is one of two higherservice levels put forward by the city manager in response to public concern. 

In true local fourth estate fashion (also known as the city's PR department) the statement that there is some great public concern for the seismic condition of city buildings is never challenged nor is Mr. Kenning asked to support the claim with some kind of public survey.

Do you remember the issue being raised during the recent election? Neither do I.

Being a skeptical fellow, I firmly suspect this is just the beginning of the new plot hatched by city hall management to justify spending millions and millions of YOUR tax dollars hiring consultants, doing studies, adding more city staff, letting out millions of building contracts without tenders and all behind the secret veil of 'in camera'.

It will be interesting to see if this new city council is any sharper than the previous one when it comes to taking advice from Mr, Kenning and company. I am not hopeful, since it is the same Mayor who said we didn't have time to do things differently when it came to spending $16 million on a shiny new office.

Remember it is city council who are to set policy for city staff to follow, you would be forgiven if you think it is the other way around. City council needs to evaluate the 'public concern'  and direct city staff accordingly. I also believe in Santa.

If there really is some imperative that all civic buildings be subject to the new building code, then this is a far bigger undertaking than a local government should engage in. If it is truly needed, it needs be an initiative of senior government, and funded by senior government. It is not an initiative of the scope that local council and staff are equipped to handle.