294 replies to this topic

[Holden West]

...the board is seeking individuals with expertise in cruises and tourism; terminals and transportation; marinas and harbour-related businesses; commercial marine and First Nations.

It's pretty funny considering Gudgeon owns and manages a successful, long-term business that's about 100 meters from the shoreline. It's even funnier watching the Authourity squirm trying to justify their idea that she's not qualified. And as discussed earlier, she has experience in high-speed land transportation.

Clearly, the board likes Madoff's harbour-friendly attitude and fear Shellie and her take-no-prisoners approach. If I were on the board, I wouldn't want Isitt for the same reason. But Madoff can't be there forever and they're going to have to agree on someone.

[Bernard]

So if I understand this correctly, Pam Maddoff thinks Shellie Gudgeon should be on the GVHA and not herself?

[Baro]

This is insane, can the whole board just be disbanded and a new one formed to remind them who's in-charge and who's paying their outrageous salaries?

[rjag]

This is insane, can the whole board just be disbanded and a new one formed to remind them who's in-charge and who's paying their outrageous salaries?

Who pays these salaries that you mention above? and how much do you think it is? What in your opinion is outrageous?

As far I can tell the board gets $4k per year and about $400 per meeting...anyway the board made a decision last year to have members that can provide experience within the type of business they are in...i.e. marine transport and tourism. The City of Victoria voted in favour of that last year. These are term positions and this was one of the terms that was up for review.

The City can appoint any nominee to the board it does not have to be a councilor, it could be any Citizen they choose who has the experience necessary to fulfil the functions of the board and report back to the City.

Personally I think its good that the GVHA is trying to have members who can actually bring something to the table apart from being political ballast.

[Barra]

The problem is that no one is looking out for the public interest. The land that they manage is, or was, when the GVHA was formed, publicly owned. The GVHA was created by a decision of the municipalities and now the majority of the Board can reject any or all of the appointees.

[Fairbanks]

I must be blind, stupid or both but for the life of me I don't see anything posted that relates to salaries paid to the GVHA.

Please help me out here.

F

[G-Man]

I think that the GVHA is the one entity in our City that has actually been doing a good job in the last number of years. I also think that if they have criteria that the city approved than it should be abided by.

[David Bratzer]

There are some interesting people on the GVHA board:

http://www.victoriah...a_boardinfo.php

For example, Bill Wellburn is the chair of the GVHA and he is also the chair of Coast Capital Savings. Visit coastcapitalcompensationwatch.com to learn more about member concerns regarding board compensation at Coast Capital.

Also, John Doyle is on the board. It surprises me that an independent officer of the legislature would hold an outside appointment like this.

[Sparky]

^ David, thanks for that information about John Doyle. I did not know that.

I am unsure if his serving on that board is inappropriate. For some reason I feel that it is.

[G-Man]

It would only be inappropriate if his legislative office could investigate it which I do not think it can. If it were the Ombudsperson I would agree.

[Sparky]

If it were the Ombudsperson I would agree.

Auditor General sitting on a board that governs public lands and operations ??

[Lorenzo]

On CFAX today, Gudgeon is pissed. Her lawyer is on it!

[spanky123]

There are some interesting people on the GVHA board:

http://www.victoriah...a_boardinfo.php

For example, Bill Wellburn is the chair of the GVHA and he is also the chair of Coast Capital Savings. Visit coastcapitalcompensationwatch.com to learn more about member concerns regarding board compensation at Coast Capital.

Also, John Doyle is on the board. It surprises me that an independent officer of the legislature would hold an outside appointment like this.

You could argue that most of the board members have little experience when it comes to managing and administering a working harbour.

I think that with the controversy surrounding the $500K spent on a railing at Ogden Point, Mr. Wellburn just doesn't want people on the board who might challenge his decisions.

[Jacques Cadé]

Wellburn was also chair of the Provincial Capital Commission at the time of the Crystal Gardens-BC Experience fiasco. Here's a letter that former Victoria mayor Peter Pollen sent to the Times Colonist in 2007:

Royal Bank now controls public asset
Times - Colonist [Victoria, B.C] 12 Feb 2007: A7.
The bankruptcy of the B.C. Experience remains an unexplained financial and administrative disaster. The letters from Provincial Capital Commission chairman Bill Wellburn have not addressed the lack of due diligence in checking the finances of the prospective Crystal Garden tenant. A multitude of building trades and working people who trusted the PCC's judgment suffered financial devastation, with no payment for months of work. For them the assurances that "no public funds have been lost" must hold a hollow ring. They are owed $3 million, with no hope of recovery. Now it's revealed the PCC signed a 40-year, transferable lease with B.C. Experience. We still don't know the details. The PCC says the content of the lease has been withheld to this point "to address concerns by the tenant." What about the interests of the public which owns the Crystal Garden? The future of Crystal Garden now apparently rests with the Royal Bank as the secured creditor. The PCC tells us "the only means for the bank to recover its $5.5- million loan to B.C. Experience is through selling the lease." If the Royal Bank can sell the lease it must now own it. What would be the value of the remaining 39 years of the lease? Does the lease contain a rent escalation clause and what are the lease obligations? It appears the PCC has bungled the future of the Crystal Garden into the hands of a commercial organization with totally different aims and priorities. What does Stan Hagen, the minister responsible for the commission intend to do about this disgraceful state of affairs? If anything good can come out of the Crystal Garden debacle it will be the swift resignation of the commissioners responsible for the mess and a renewed government commitment to the accountability of all B.C. commissions, corporations and others appointed to serve the public.
Peter Pollen, Victoria.

[Holden West]

You could argue that most of the board members have little experience when it comes to managing and administering a working harbour.

Let me take that one step further. I propose that it's possible to have too much experience in harbour issues. Let me take you back to the Mayor's blue ribbon panel on the Belleville Terminal. Stacked with harbour "experts", many of them connected with businesses that interfered with Coho ferry operations, it came at no surprise that one of their recommendations was to evict the ferry from the harbour.

The ideal candidate would be someone experienced in interacting with multiple layers of government, untangling complex lease arrangements and managing the pitfalls of private ownership/public use and public ownership/private use. Maritime experience is not essential and may in fact be in conflict as my above example illustrates.

[VicHockeyFan]

I don't know if some of those board members are good or bad to have there.

You got the Ralmax guy, and Ralmax has a huge vested interest in harbour commercial operations, but then again, they have huge harbour interests, so is it good or bad they are on the board.

[Benezet]

There are some interesting people on the GVHA board:

http://www.victoriah...a_boardinfo.php

For example, Bill Wellburn is the chair of the GVHA and he is also the chair of Coast Capital Savings. Visit coastcapitalcompensationwatch.com to learn more about member concerns regarding board compensation at Coast Capital.

Also, John Doyle is on the board. It surprises me that an independent officer of the legislature would hold an outside appointment like this.

Most interesting. Other than a retired customs broker, not one of these people has any direct connection to maritime industry.

[G-Man]

^Did you read the post above yours?

[Benezet]

^Did you read the post above yours?

Thanks, I missed the connection. The 'new' name still registers with me as a certain realtor.....

[Holden West]

I haven't listened to these yet so I can't give any highlights:

Tune in just after 45 minutes to hear an interview with Bill Wellburn, board chair of the GVHA. http://www.cfax1070....ry-10,-2013-8am

And here's Shellie Gudgeon with Stephen Andrew on the topic http://www.cfax1070....ry-11,-2013-9am

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