A new mantra for the mayor

Mayor O’Brien abandoned his old mantra “zero-means-zero” but apparently he has taken up a new one – "revenue neutral-means revenue neutral" (O’Brien pledges Lansdowne plan will be revenue neutral, Tony spears, Ottawa Citizen, October 7, 2009)! This new mantra certainly doesn’t roll off the tongue so smoothly and the term can be interpreted in many different ways.

At the day long Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting yesterday, City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick did a pretty good job summarizing some of the financial details around the proposed commercial development at Lansdowne Park. But his morning presentation was followed in the afternoon by a large number of delegation presentations none of which was in support of the proposed development. In fact, the delegate presentations and ensuing discussions around the committee table raised many questions about the proposed partnership between the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and the City.

Yesterday’s session along with the five public hearings that have now been completed appear to have struck a nerve with at least one member of the OSEG team Roger Greenberg. Hence his defensive Opinion Column article in today’s Ottawa Citizen (Here’s the truth about the Lansdowne plan). His article does not add any clarification to concerns raised by the public at the open houses; neither does it address the issues and criticisms raised by the delegations yesterday.

Press coverage of yesterday’s proceedings does not appear to tell the whole story of the proceedings. The credibility of some of the work and analysis performed in support of this proposed deal was seriously challenged and no constructive response was offered by OSEG or by the city.

Some people are of the opinion that the city is simply going through the motions and that the Lansdowne Live plan is a done deal. Hopefully yesterday’s session was an eye-opener to many members of city council and they will demand some serious answers before moving forward.