The second phase of bus rapid transit will move forward.
Winnipeg City Council approved the purchase of 16 acres of Manitoba Hydro property in Fort Garry for a maximum of $20.4 million. The transmission corridor is needed to build the BRT line.
The deal easily passed by an 11-5 vote but the road that lead to the council decision was a rough one. "Well I think it's acceptable, of course I want a lower price, I think all members of council want a lower price," said Mayor Brian Bowman.
Some councillors feel hydro inflated the price of the property by backing away from an initial appraisal and then getting a second one that resulted in a much higher cost.
"This decision has put Winnipeg taxpayers in an exposed position at the mercy and very much at the mercy of a crown corporation, "said councillor Scott Gillingham.
The council meeting was stopped in its tracks prior to the vote so councillors could go behind closed doors to learn about potential savings on the overall $590 million BRT project, which could easily offset the cost of the corridor.
"I was provided with information that I think is very favourable," said Bowman. But half of council, including members of the Mayor's Executive Policy Committee, left the private gathering, refusing to sign a nondisclosure agreement , that would prevent them from sharing the details.
"I was not comfortable with getting information I can't discuss in public," said councillor Brian Mayes.
Councillors were told the details involved commercially sensitive information and could not yet be released. Bowman was asked if the details were being provided to sway councillor votes. He said it was simply information he and his elected colleagues were asking for from the city's administration.
Council also voted against a motion spearheaded by Janice Lukes to delay the sale and ultimately BRT.
She was calling on the province to mandate binding arbitration between the city and hydro, to come up with a new evaluation.
"The point that I feel very strongly about is that this sets a precedent, what's happening with the price of the hydro lands and it isn't really a fair and equitable process," said Lukes.
