Center Stage Funding Approved For 3 Years

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Headline is true but also misleading

While the above headline is accurate, if you include the sub-head it would lead 'headline cruisers' to think the city has decided to not continue giving tax dollars to the elite group using our $800,000 theatre for their pleasure.

While council did wisesly reject a totally open-ended motion, championed by Councillor Brennan, they did in fact approve funding the group for another three years, they were not rejected completely at all.

Wide open and confusing motion led to much debate

In an impassioned plea to enter into a very open-ended and ambiguous motion, Councillor Diane Brennan actually had to work from her written notes to properly convey how heart broken she was at the possibility that Centre Stage might not get a ten year agreement to operate the old building at 25 Victoria Road.

The option which took the most debate was option # 1 on the agenda which was moved by Councillor Brennan read as follows:

"allocate additional funds and direct Staff to negotiate a three-year licence of use agreement (including an option to renew for two additional years), with Centre of the Arts Nanaimo to manage 25 Victoria Road"

I don't know if this poorly worded motion was the sole product of Councillor Brennan or whether city staff had a hand in it. Either way, if you want an example of why you should be very leery of how your tax dollars are being stewarded by some councilors, this is it.

There was no dollar figure attached to the 'additional funds', there was no direction as to the terms of a three-year licence and clearly most of council at one point were very unclear as to what they were actually voting on. Only when city staff member Mr. Chris Jackson pointed out, the motion would in fact grant CAN a ten year license did the lights go on for some councilors.

If this is an example of the precision with which our agreements at city hall are crafted, all I can say is; civic election day can't get here too soon.

Showing how confused councilors were was demonstrated in a comment from Councillor Greves when he quipped that the request was for $29,000, simple, and he would vote in favour of the ask. It seemed to completely have escaped him, that the ask was for another $29,000 this year, and $43,000 in 2015 and $41,000 in 2016. That in addtion to whatever the terms might be for the ten year contract. Councillor Greves commented that he felt after 80+ hours of budget deliberation that councillor fatique had likely set in.

Centre Stage still funded for three years

After a lengthy debate of the ten year, wide open motion promoted by Councillor Brennan which was finally defeated, council agreed to  Councilor Pattje's motion to renew the license to operate 25 Victoria Rd. for an additional three years. at the current level of funding.

I was in the meeting and am still seeking written clarification as to what the actual terms of that agreement will look like.

So, at the end of the day, this council was still able to give more tax dollars to the group of hobbyists/lobbyists operating the building at 25 Victoria Rd.