Elected officials step up to bat for facility process

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: May 10, 2013 1:00 AM
Politicians are not willing to sit on the sidelines while a new sports facility is constructed. The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will have four elected officials oversee development of the track and sports fields at Okanagan College although administration had recommended a structure dominated by staff and user groups. “We want to be proactive, not reactive,” said Mike Macnabb, GVAC chairperson, Thursday. “If we own this, we own it.” Director Jim Garlick points out that a sub-committee representing the four jurisdictions led construction of Wesbild Centre and the Performing Arts Centre. “Ultimate responsibility lands on the elected representatives,” he said. However, Trafford Hall, Regional District of North Okanagan administrator, expressed some reluctance because he has only been involved in processes where staff pursue design and contractors. “We’re politicizing the purchasing project,” he said. However, it was pointed out that beyond Wesbild Centre and the Performing Arts Centre, political oversight was used for Coldstream’s fire halls and public works building, as well as Okanagan Regional Library’s Vernon branch. “We’re not reinventing the wheel. It’s been done before,” said Garlick. Support came from Doug Dirk, a Coldstream councillor who was at the GVAC meeting. “The people who will wear it are the people sitting around this table,” said Dirk. The goal is to ensure that user groups have a facility that meets their needs while the public knows the $7.5 million borrowed was spent efficiently. “This (sports facility) is a little more public sensitive than a water treatment plant,” said Dirk of the project’s high profile. While politicians will take the lead, user groups and staff will play a role in the process,  including design. “It’s working in parallel with staff,” said Garlick. The four-person construction management committee will not have ultimate authority.