Mayor Josie Osborne and Council 17 June 2020 District of Tofino
Dear Mayor Osborne & Council,
One Million Dollars
And Still Spending
The Tofino Housing Corporation
As the Tofino Housing Corporation body is a private corporation under the administration of the District of Tofino, I feel it is important to direct this letter to those responsible for administering the authority and further obligated to act in the best interests of the taxpayers of the District of Tofino.
The Tofino Housing Corporation is currently under much local taxpayers’ scrutiny and concern, due, as I understand it, to:
• Concerns that the best interests of the taxpayer are not being responsibly administered by this corporation in an open and transparent manner and with an appropriate duty of care.
• Lack of any fixed roof accommodation being built over several decades of the corporation’s existence despite the expenditure of huge monetary sums.
• Concerns about the continuing expenditures to an ever-increasing list of consultants over $800,000 in the past short while.
• Concerns over the payment to Catalyst Community Developments Society whose principal, Robert Brown has ownership interests in certain Tofino resorts, and questions exist as to whether this conflict has been disclosed in an open and transparent manner. (Over $200,000K paid to Catalyst in one 6-month period of issued cheques)
• Concerns that the authority is not “economic” and “reality-based” with the need for the presence of experienced hands-on professionals and not consultants, such professionals being capable of eliminating many consultant fees due to locally based knowledge, which appears presently non-existent.
As a sidebar to this submission, I confirm that both my concerns and those of other taxpayers is backstopped by:
• Having built more units of residential accommodation in the District of Tofino, over the past three decades than all other developers combined and much of which is occupied by District of Tofino working local persons.
• Having personally contributed $250,000 to said housing corporation.
• Having as a result of developments, increased the municipal tax base more than any other
individual or group over 30 years.
My interest, and those of other taxpayers, is for an open and transparent update on the operations of the corporation.
Can the Mayor and Council please provide the Tofino taxpayer with appropriate and transparent evidential assurance that:
• This authority is being administered with appropriate professional working persons and with an adequate duty of care.
• That all expenses of the past 24 months have been subjected to a third-party review and audit.
• That any potential conflicts of interests that might exist by those receiving funds from the Tofino Housing Corporation have been duly disclosed.
• That a go-forward critical path to a viable development of housing has been established and supported by third party contractor bids and not consultants’ projections, in order to ensure that a viable housing project does exist and not just a black hole of consultant fees.
Thank you and I am sure you can appreciate the need and obligation for the foregoing transparency.
Yours
Chris Le Fevre
530 HERALD STREET, VICTORIA, B.C. CANADA V8W 1S6 TELEPHONE: (250) 380-4900 FAX: (250) 386-8608
cc. Bob MacPherson
13 comments:
Thank you Chris for clearly stating the problems we have in Tofino.
But I fear you and the rest of the taxpayers will not receive an appropriate answer.
No wonder they meet in secret. They don't want to be seen drinking the Koolaid served up by consultants.
Follow the money !
Somebody probably needs a wood splitter in case there are trees to be removed at DL114. I wonder where it is stored ?
"Getting better all the time"
Ralph working alone is only one person. Perhaps they might ignore him and get away with it.
Mr. Lefevre, also, is only one person. He too might get ignored.
However, there's an organized group of over 160 taxpayers, in Tofino, who all have a personal interest in learning the facts of what's going on with their tax dollars.
That many taxpayers cannot be ignored.
Stay tuned, hiding the wood splitter is going to become the least of their worries.
Is the Catalyst consultant an owner of Pacific Sands and Ocean Village as well as business partners with a board member of Tourism Tofino? We might need a bigger wood splitter and larger truck to move the liquor.
sort of right on the catalyst and tourism tofino.....except catalyst principal is co-owner of the campground and so is one of the directors of tourism tofino.
I was talking to someone and Ian Scott's name was mentioned. How does he fit into all this that is going on at present?
The Tofino Housing Corporation is a private corporation, owned in full by the District of Tofino. The Board of Directors includes:
Josie Osborne
Duncan McMaster
Bob MacPherson
Melody McLorie
Cindi Levine
Kaye Melliship
The Corporation is currently being run by Ian Scott, Interim Executive Director with the support of District of Tofino staff and development consultants.
josie osborne also director of tourism tofino
I wonder if most Councillors understand that they are responsible for the operation of this Tofino Housing Corporation. Even if they are not on the committee, the Corporation is ultimately answerable to the District of Tofino, and that means you!
I just hate seeing the Districts assets squandered. The taxpayers should be satisfied it is appropriately valued. In this case are we paying to give it away?. Just a question. Could have fooled me.
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