When Is An Agreement NOt An Agreement?When It Gives Away The Store

Former Councillor Bill Hogg will host Perspectives to night for Rogers Cable T.V.

Mat Maddock and Chris Watts will be guests. Along with Councillor John Abel whose motion was neutered on Tuesday night by an amendment which was not an amendment, by Councillors Humphryes and Thomspson and put to a vote by Mayor Dawe

The issue was  the Town's agreement with the Culture Centre Board who are, by virtue of a highly deficient agreement, in possession of the Town's newly renovated Heritage facility; Church Street School.

Since the Town Solicitor presented his report on the shortcomings and deficiencies of the agreement,various bits of flotsam and jetsam continue to dribble over the sides of the crock.

The  report noted the town had no solicitor on staff at the time and a law clerk was involved in drafting the agreement on the town's behalf.

We all know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars were expended on legal fees during the last term of Council and continued thereafter and produced absolutely nothing of benefit to the community.

Even until now.

We know the town appoints a roster of legal firms to use when specialised expertise is required.

Not having a solicitor in the town's employ at the time the agreement was drafted and signed, was not a reason not to have  necessary legal services  involved.

Last Tuesday, the Mayor confirmed the Board had a solicitor and  fees were paid by the town. I have seen a figure of $8,000 for that item at the outset.

Last week, a board member circulated an e-mail notifying all and sundry, the board had received advice that all was in order, from their legal adviser who was a former Councillor.

Last Tuesday,the former Councillor who was a lawyer,  whose name had never appeared anywhere in connection with the Culture Centre or the agreement, was in the front row of the spectators bench, looking grim with arms folded and flanked by members of the board.

I thought,  "Maybe he's a patron of the arts.

He, was not introduced as the board's legal advisor.

But later it seemed likely under the circumstances.

Still  his role was not clear.

So, this morning it seemed the question needed to be answered.

The Town did indeed  pay the board's fee of $8,000., for the  drafting of  the agreement.   While  the town itself had no solicitor  to act on our own behalf.

The solicitor for the Board was Damir Vrancic, the  former Councillor.