You first heard in early 2009 here at CityCaucus.com that city manager Penny Ballem was headed upstairs to the sixth floor, and Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision council planned to expand their political operations throughout the whole third floor. In today's Vancouver Sun newspaper, reporter Jeff Lee has confirmed the City's plans to move Ballem to her new home upstairs, while Gregor Robertson moves into Ballem's old office. The spacious (newly oiled) teak-paneled office occupied by 20 different Vancouver mayors since 1936 will become a new dining room for city councillors.Ballem acknowledged that her office will move from the third floor to the sixth this fall, allowing Mayor Gregor Robertson to expand his offices into her existing space. The city will also create a dining room and meeting area in part of the mayor’s old offices for the elected councillors who, Ballem says, now have no suitable place to eat. She said Robertson’s space is too cramped and he has no private office.
City councillors have individual offices on the east end of third floor just behind council chambers. Of all the issues that we've heard in the halls of power over the years, can anyone remember city councillors complaining that they didn't have a comfy place to eat? Apparently providing their meals for free isn't enough – councillors require a spacious dining room with a killer view too!
While Dr. Ballem has tried to keep this story under wraps and tries hard to downplay the expense – suggesting that renos will be "a drop in the bucket" at $260,000 when the City just paid $850,000 for new carpets and a loo upgrade on the third floor alone! Of course, there was also the bizarre case of Robertson tossing out $35,000 worth of new furniture from his office because it smelled funny to him. Nothing will be "gold-plated" promises Ballem. (more)
3 comments:
Nothing in this world like giving the cheque book to "Left Wing Liberal Pinkos".
Perhaps they missed the heads up about a shower for employees as suggested for Vernon.
That that will likely be the next article regarding the City Hall in Vancouver.
All this expense in 2 years, can you imagine what they might spend if they are given Carte Blanche for 4 years under the new term proposal.
The shower was put in during the rain of a Mayor Gordon Campbell around 1984 for a cost of about $15,000. That "Left Wing Liberal Pinko" opened the door for other excesses.
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