Atchison wants to shield boards from blame game
Saskatoon mayoral candidate Don Atchison says he wants city council to take the heat for controversial projects like the Remai Modern art gallery, not volunteer boards.
One of his challengers for city council’s top job, Charlie Clark, said boards like the Remai Modern’s are not involved in making decisions on funding and construction.
The Remai Modern has seen delays and problems that have pushed the price of the gallery and parkade to more than $106 million with the opening date still uncertain. The project has been hindered by drawings that needed to be corrected and associated costs and delays.
When first approved in 2009 by a city council that included both Atchison and Clark, the gallery was estimated to cost $58 million and be completed by 2014.
“My belief is that in the future when we’re doing different projects, boards can certainly have some input, but the city needs to be the leader on all of that in the future,” Atchison told reporters Tuesday.
Clark, who sits on the Remai Modern board, said such projects are already controlled by city hall. The Remai Modern, for example, is managed by an owners’ team that includes City of Saskatoon employees, gallery employees but no board members, Clark said.
“The board is not responsible for the contract in the first place,” Clark said in an interview Tuesday. “I actually think it’s a misplaced comment.”
Atchison praised the work of volunteer boards and called them “the backbone of our community.” SaskTel Centre and TCU Place, both city-owned facilities run by boards, are studying the possibility of a combined facility located downtown.
Clark sent out a news release Tuesday accusing Atchison of blaming the Remai Modern board for the challenges the project has faced. The comments were allegedly made at a mayoral candidates forum Thursday from which the media was barred.
Atchison denied he made the comment, but Clark said the mayor’s intent was “clear.”
“In no way, shape or form would I ever pounce on a board,” Atchison said Tuesday.
Clark’s news release questioned Atchison’s leadership as mayor on many issues, including crime, racism, a protracted labour dispute with Saskatoon Transit employees and continued provincial funding for the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA). Clark also took aim at Atchison’s failure to take part in the annual Pride Parade.
“It’s a pattern that we’re seeing,” Clark said. “This mayor has been very good at taking credit when things go well, but when things don’t go well, there’s been this pattern of defensiveness.”
Kelley Moore, who is also running for mayor, called the idea of reducing board involvement in major projects “absurd.”
Moore, who once served on the MVA board, said projects need input from a wide variety of experts, including the people serving on boards.
She said in an interview Monday the decisions about funding the Remai Modern have been made by city council.
Moore said Atchison is trying to get out of responsibility for the cost overruns of the gallery.
“In that respect, he has his head in the sand,” Moore said.
Devon Hein is also running for mayor in the election slated for Oct. 26.