Ignoring pleas from north end community groups, Halifax council voted 13-9 to sell the former St. Pat’s-Alexandra school to Jono Developments.
A council policy adopted in August 2000 outlines a process for how to handle surplus schools: community groups are to be offered the opportunity to put together, within 90 days, a proposal for the property, and only if council finds their proposal deficient is the school put on the open market for sale.
But in the case of St. Pat’s-Alexandra community groups were not given the opportunity to put together a proposal, and on December 13 of last year, council approved a sale to Jono Developments. The city won’t disclose the sale amount, but it is rumoured to be $5 million.
The community groups—the North End Community Health Clinic, the Mi’kmaq Friendship Centre and the newly formed Richard Preston Centre for Excellence—objected to the sale and, citing concerns about the policy, council voted January 10 to reverse the sale pending a staff report on the issue. That report was issued last Friday.
The report, say the groups, unfairly characterized the situation. For example, it assumed that the groups would have no money to maintain and operate the buildings, which the report said would cost the city $633,000 annually. “Six-hundred thousand dollars?” asked the NECHC’s Jane Maloney rhetorically. “We spend much more than that right now, on our own buildings.”
In fact, the groups collectively own three buildings on Gottingen Street and rent a fourth, and have a long history of sound, professional financial management, but councillors Tuesday suggested otherwise.
“If we go back and give 90 days to a group of volunteer organizations where–no disrespect, but not real business people—who will struggle to put together plans…are we giving them false hope?” said councillor Gloria McCluskey. “Maybe they get there and they still fail…How will make that make them feel?”
“It’s insulting to say I don’t have the business acumen,” said reverend Rhonda Britton of the Cornwallis Baptist Church, one of the organizers of the groups’ effort. “I had two business degrees before entering the seminary.” Representatives of the health clinic and friendship centre were likewise taken aback at the suggestion that their staff can’t properly manage their operations.
Council Tuesday refused to go back and offer the groups the opportunity to put a proposal together as per the policy, opting instead to scrap the policy and move ahead with the sale to Jono. Councillors voting for the sale were Blumenthal, Fisher, Hendsbee, Hum, Karsten, Kelly, McCluskey, Mosher, Smith, Streatch, Uteck, Walker and Wile.
At a meeting the community groups held last Saturday to discuss options, lawyer Ron Pink, who is representing the groups, said then that the effort would be to force council to abide by the 2000 policy. “If they don’t follow the policy Tuesday, we’ll sue them on Wednesday,” Pink said.
“That’s certainly on the table,” said Maloney after the council vote.
The sale to Jono won’t be finalized until council takes one last action next Tuesday. Presumably, if the community groups do take legal action, they’ll need to convince a court to stay the sale before next Tuesday; if not, it’s likely Jono will raze the school buildings at the earliest opportunity.
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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2012.
It is “the bigotry of low expectations”. After all, how could “those people” (sarcasm) have financial resources ? How could “those people” (sarcasm) have skill ? We need “real” (business)people to do this . Just look at the wonderful job they have done so far in the downtown.
The level of arrogance and condescension from most Councilors and Councillor McCluskey in particular is repellant. Sadly, this is typical of HRM governance. Parochial and probably corrupt. God only knows what has transpired without anyone knowing. The rules do not matter, they will do what they want when they want and if you don’t like it…..well, tough.
The level of condescension and arrogance by councilors is exceeded only by the level of entitlement and nastiness exhibited by the spokespeople for these groups. And I ask again, where was the councilor for the area when all this began and what was she doing?
Where were Dawn Sloane, Megan Leslie and cabinet minister MacDonald. Ms MacDonald supported the school closure and at the public meeting told the one man board Howard Windsor that the low enrollment was a result of ‘parents voting with their feet’. HRSB has a recording of that night.
Phew. Typical flip flopping council.
To quote the ever philosophical Snoop Dogg;
“If you scared, go to church. You knew the job was dangerous when you took it!”
If council can’t handle the positions they have applied for, they shouldn’t have taken em. I’m sure half of the councilors voted to sell the school just to not have to deal with the issue anymore.
The whole thing smells nasty to me. A new building would be great in that location but many of the concerns raised have been valid.
So Council presumes to be the parent now? Council needs to protect the feelings of poor ickle wittle non-profits from getting hurt if they “get there and they still fail”?
This seems to explain of lot of what’s wrong with Council; they subscribe to the mantra, “If you don’t try you can never fail.”