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Letter: Councillor's conflict of interest concerns are misplaced

BIA isn't the issue, the bidding process for the arena project is
Kirwan_Robert_2
Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan. (File)

Recently, Councillor Kirwan has publicly stated "The fact that the downtown Sudbury BIA has filed an appeal against city council's decision to approve the official plan amendments and the zoning amendments in order to allow the Kingsway Entertainment District to go ahead is very problematic to me," he said. "It would appear to be a serious conflict of interest for a board of directors to recommend a legal appeal against the city council that appointed them. It is also an apparent conflict of interest to appeal the council that has created them with a bylaw." 

Coun. Kirwan, people are allowed to disagree and there are processes in place to allow those arguments to be heard and decided upon. No one should be surprised the councillor wants to bring in a motion that eliminates the Sudbury BIA. Let’s just eradicate anyone who disagrees with him or pushes back.

Surprisingly, Coun. Kirwan sees no conflict of interest when the owner of the main tenant in the arena facility, who happens to be the lead promoter for the project, being built and paid for by the taxpayers of the City of Greater Sudbury, on the land that the tenant owns, was allowed to enter the competition to build the arena facility, let alone be short-listed.

This bid on the arena project, paid for by our tax dollars, should draw public concern, especially if/when he wins the RFP and it goes over budget as everyone expects it will. 

Now that, Coun. Kirwan, is a conflict of interest.

Jeff Huska
Sudbury