Irony n.

Abbotsford City Hall pressing on with Plan A in the same week their own lack of ability to think through, consider consequences or adequately plan has provided clear evidence that it is not a basketball court or an arena that the City needs but another pool.

If you have any doubt of this just ask any child, parent, family, length swimmer or other pool user displaced from ARC because Abbotsford City Hall lacks the common sense to hire someone experienced in building a pool tank to replace Centennial Pool’s leaking tank.

I would also imagine that the patrons of MRC, crowded by those displaced from ARC, might have a few words of wisdom for council on the matter of needed facilities.

Although I suppose that citizens should not be greatly surprised that senior staff and council, lacking enough common sense to hire someone with knowledge and experience of what they are doing to rebuild a pool tank, lacks the common sense to build the facilities that are really needed by Abbotsford.

Councilor Christine Caldwell pulled the pin and tossed a live hand grenade, in the form of a letter, into Abbotsford City Hall on Plan A before jetting off to Europe.

I do not want to get bogged down in arguments about political opportunism or of not having the courage to stand up and put it all on the line for what you believe rather than fleeing to the safety of.

Instead I want to focus on what disturbs me and should have all citizens demanding that heads roll. Most disturbing is Caldwell’s stated concern over “many services being cut in many departments throughout the city”. In a city that is so poorly served by its local government the last thing we need is services being cut. Clearly senior staff and council have no sense of priorities on what is important to the Citizens of Abbotsford.

Secondly, Caldwell cities the “Unforeseen Expenses” for Plan A which she believes have not yet come to light. Welcome to the club. Despite the slick sales job by City Hall, focused on selling the $85 million price tag, thoughtful citizens have been demanding to know all the actual costs. To date the total price tag stands at $108.6 and what the final cost will be is anybody’s guess.

Finally she says “I feel I was led down the garden path …Some of the decisions … would appear different as time went along. Over weeks of manipulating, shifting and tweaking the projects seemed to morph into a different story.” Again, welcome to the club. Thoughtful citizens had called from the start for less smoke and mirrors more substance and detailed information on just what Abbotsford City Hall proposed to build.

Clearly there is great need for major change at Abbotsford City Hall. It is time for spring cleaning, tossing out our inept senior management, replacing it with Management capable of open, citizens focused, business friendly, fiscally sound, solid planning and good business practices. Abbotsford pays superb management salaries; it is time ratepayers got value for their money.

Incompetent adj. without adequate ability, knowledge, intelligence etc.; failing to meet minimal requirements; incapable; unskillful;

I was going to ask at what point of making bad decision after bad decision we label Abbotsford City Hall incompetent. After reading the above definition from Webster’s Dictionary, so accurately describing the actions and behaviours of senior city staff and council, I realized the question was moot. Viewing the decisions and the fallout/consequences of decisions made by senior city staff and council in light of the above definition makes crystal clear that the correct word to describe senior city staff and council is incompetent.

The fallout that started this particular thought process was notice that ARC would be closed to the public 3:30 – 9:00pm Monday to Thursday and Fridays 5:00 -9:00pm. This is to permit the Whalers Swim Club to use the pool. Having previously stated that the city was responsible for the situation the Whalers were facing, as a result of senior city staff and council incompetence, and owed it to the Whalers to find an adequate place for them to swim I have to accept some personal inconvenience bringing this about.

This pool closure is a major disruption for parents and children, master swimmers training for various summer competitions, water exercisers and other users. There are very good reasons we all go to ARC and avoid MRC. Dumping all these users into MRC is going to cause discomfort and problems for regular MRC patrons as well.

Ironically it seems the only people not currently facing any discomfort or consequences for the fallout from the decisions of senior city staff and council are – senior city staff and council. And despite their finger-pointing and blaming others this situation was predictable and should have been avoided. Even with the few details grudgingly released by senior city staff and council it did not take a rocket scientist to predict it was going to go badly. Tight deadline, winter site prep and concrete pour – you do not go with a company that has never built a pool, especially when their bid was so out of line with the bids from the experienced pool builders.

Personally I have had more than enough of senior city staff and council excuse making, blaming and refusal to accept any responsibility for their bad decisions. I want to visit major discomfort and consequences on their incompetent heads. Since having their heads served up on silver platters is not an option, I can settle for their resignations.

How do you feel?