Can Nanaimo 'Unring' The Bell?

Council Action Rang A Bell Heard Across the Nation
and not in a good way!

Perhaps time has proven to this council there is so seldom any real result as a consequence of their actions, they think they can simply get away with anything.

Sadly, for the most part that has proven to be the case, as the slumbering Nanaimo electorate are either too lazy or uninformed to ever hold Council responsible for there actions. Beyond Council, city senior management seem to be able to duck consequence for their actions also. Everyone, who should be responsible seem to be wearing teflon suits these past few years.

In 2011, Mayor Ruttan and the council of the day, decided, behind closed doors to grant a multi-million dollar, untendered contract to build staff a shiny new office. By the time the public was even aware of this questionable decision, the ink was already dry on the contract, and in spite of petitions and public anger, they simply hunkered down and waited for it to blow over. Which it did.

In 2012, Mayor Ruttan and this council, under strong advice from city manager Al Kenning, decided to take Nanaimo on a costly and very contentious ride over the Colliery Dams. Remember, how the headlines read the dams would cost $30 million to replace, and there was a 40% chance of failure within 50 years? They actually went so far as to spend YOUR tax dollars seeking a court injunction against YOU before you had done anything.

In 2014, Mayor Ruttan and this council with the aid of city staff crafted and passed a motion which passed 8 - 1 in favour of ignoring the Constitution. All of this done in a recorded Committee of the Whole meeting where some enlightening insight can be gained into the inner thinking of most members of this council. Only Bestwick has come out and offered an honest apology for his support of that motion. As for the rest, I don't really know how they would apologize for expressing what they really think.

Yes, this city council has managed to get Nanaimo more publicity than hundreds of thousands spent on an ad campaign could ever accomplish. How they can ever UNRING that bell will be a real challenge.