Actor, businessman offers cash to attend Falls council
Kevin Jacobi wants Riverfront Community debate free of outbursts from protesters
A St. Catharines actor and Niagara Falls business person offered $50 to people to attend a Niagara Falls City Council Tuesday night to ensure the debate over the controversial Riverfront Community development proposal isn’t disrupted by “emotional public outbursts.”
Kevin Jacobi, the treasurer of Well and Pelham Chamber of Commerce and the executive director Canada BW — a bonded warehouse company in Niagara Falls run by brothers Larry and Jim Vaughn — made the offer on Facebook Monday.
He wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post that the $50 is for people to go listen to the council meeting.
“I am not asking for support on any issue or expecting people to do more than just be there to listen,” he wrote. “This is not my issue except that I don’t support bullying and shouting to make decisions that affect our community.”
However, in September Jacobi spoke to city council in defence of the plan by the Chinese firm GR Investments to build a residential and commercial complex called Riverfront adjacent to the Thundering Waters golf course.
During that presentation Jacobi said the development would signal that Niagara is “open for business,” suggested those protesting the project over concerns it would negatively impact protected wetlands are ill-informed.
He urged city councillors to support the development and “avoid the influence of protests and lobbying.”
At the time, he said he was not speaking for GR Investments, but for his own company and what the development might mean for his business in the future.
Jacboi did not return repeated requests for an interview Wednesday. Questions left with him about why he was offering the money or if he has any connection to GR Investments went unanswered.
The effort to fill the public gallery with paid observers was not limited to Jacobi’s Facebook page.
Jacobi also recruited his friend Dan Baty,
owner of Max Aggression Gaming in Niagara Falls, to pay people to attend the meeting.
Baty also made a Facebook post offering $50 to attend the meeting. He also offered at least one person in-store credit worth $50 instead of cash.
“My friend Kevin asked me to do it,” Baty said in an interview Tuesday. “I don’t understand what this is all about. I guess he wanted people to be at the meeting and be quiet.”
Baty also deleted his Facebook posts about the payments Tuesday, and it is not clear how many people may have been paid to attend the meeting.
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said he was deeply concerned that anyone would offer money to attend a meeting, calling Jacobi’s offer “unacceptable” and “troubling.”
He said if Jacobi is to trying to prevent those opposed to the development from attending the meeting or being heard, it won’t work.
Given the intensity of the Thundering Waters debate, Diodati said city hall has already prepared for a larger than normal crowd. Monitors and chairs are being set up outside the council chambers so everyone who attends can see the debate.
“Anyone who wishes to attend can attend. There will be a speakers list and anyone who wants to address council will be able to speak,” Diodati said.
Niagara Falls councillor Carolynn Ioannoni said the possibility of a paid crowd fill the gallery is a serious enough issue that council should defer the meeting. The mayor said he has no plan to do so, but Ioannoni is welcome to make a motion to that effect.
Paying people to attend political meetings was also provincial news Tuesday. The Toronto Star reported that officials for a Progressive Conservative party candidate in Toronto paid actors to attend a debate rally and pretend to be supporters of PC Leader Doug Ford.