Kimberley City Councillor Darryl Oakley put forward two motions at City Council this week, asking for Mark Creek Flume expenses to be made public.
The first motion asks that all costs associated with the flume project that have been incurred to date, and can be legally disclosed, be made available to the public.
The second motion asks that all anticipated costs to complete the flume, that can be legally disclosed, be made available to the public.
“I view these as housekeeping,” Oakley said. “The program has been going on for several years and it’s important to disclose to taxpayers what the costs are and where we stand.”
The first motion passed easily.
Oakley acknowledged that the second motion would be a little more difficult as it was anticipating costs.
Coun. Kent Goodwin said that Council was waiting for a staff report on the flume, so answers will be coming, but not overnight.
Coun. Don McCormick asked if there were legalities involved, and if so, what was the point of a resolution if nothing could be legally disseminated?
City CAO Scott Sommerville said that the majority of the information would be able to be released, but that doing so could jeopardize the grant process.
“We are getting questions,” McCormick said. “People are wondering what’s been spent, what the goal is.”
Sommerville said there were no concerns about costs incurred to date but that anticipated costs were trickier. Land acquisition was an especially sensitive area, he said.
Council passed the second motion as well.
Mayor Ron McRae was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting. Coun. Bev Middlebrook was Acting Mayor.