The high cost of learning

Penticton city councils both past and present have been in the news a lot over the past several weeks and for all the wrong reasons. The Eckhardt Ave. hockey dorm — a stupid idea from the get-go — finally came before the courts in a three-week trial involving co-accuseds Mike Elphicke and Loren Reagan (who was a no-show)

The judge will deliver his verdict later and the accusations have not been proven, but from the testimony, there’s no way these guys would have been able to deliver a five-storey dormitory for clients of the Okanagan Hockey Academy.

Yet the city and former mayor Dan Ashton chose to do business with them in the months leading up to the 2011 municipal election. John Vassilaki was the only council member to vote in opposition.

When we last heard the hockey dorm has cost the city well over $120,000 in legal bills to date.

Next came the announcement that Trio Marine Group and the city have parted ways following the conclusion of the 2018 boating season.

There’s no new docks or upgrades coming to the marina. The waterslide/miniputt were pipe dreams at best.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit described it as a “learning experience,” neglecting to mention the 1,000 people standing outside City Hall on the night he signed the agreement or the 79 per cent opposition from the public in a scientifically commissioend poll by Oraclepoll.

The cost of this mistake — a $200,000 buyout for Trio plus another $170,000 in legal fees and staff time. The city also chased out excellent long-time operators — the Attrill family — who offered amazing service and fair prices for years.

Worst of all was council created a divide between youth and seniors in our community. How sad.

Campbell Watt called for a motion to reconsider and delay the decision but couldn’t find a seconder.

Finally, to end off a bad month, triathlon guru Michael Brown parted ways with Challenge Family and will bring in a new triathlon company next year (it won’t be Ironman.) The series of North American races Challenge had hoped for failed to materialize, Brown said.

Yet in 2013, then-mayor Garry Litke, along with his senior administration, justified his council’s decision of dumping Ironman boasting that Challenge was the hottest thing in Europe and it would catch on in North America. It never did just the same way the NFL has never been popular in Europe.

The city “owned” Challenge for the first two years. Losses in the first year were around $400,000 plus a $42,000 trip to Germany for City of Penticton officials.

The common theme on this list of failed initiatives and so many more is economic development.

All three of these learning experiences were enthusiastically endorsed by both Jakubeit and Coun. Judy Sentes and two of the three by Coun. Helena Konanz. (Andre Martin, not a member of council at the time, was on the original Challenge executive.)

Ironically, almost all of the elected councillors over the past six years sold themselves to voters on having an excellent track record in business.

A Grade 12 economics class could have made smarter choices.

In total, these three learning experiences alone have cost taxpayers close to $1 million.

Next time try asking the public. Our advice is free.

Maybe it’s time for city council to finally get out of the economic development game and turn it back over to the Chamber of Commerce.

Hockey dorm, marina deal, Challenge all flops