Council’s method of running city business jaw-dropping
Could not believe my eyes when I read the Feb. 21 article on “What’s next for Whistler Street and downtown park?”
Seems the city has hired Mark Lakeman, head of a Portland-based architecture and planning firm to conduct a public placemaking design project for the above locations. Wow! The architect came to Duncan every year on vacation for 20 years so this qualifies him to be hired (without bidding) to create and supervise the plan (and I assume provide working drawings for project and likely supervise construction).
What happened to opening the project for bids/plans from competing architects and city planners as any other ethical city counsel would do? B.C. has many talented city planners and architects that would be well qualified for this job. How about getting over small town thinking in granting friends/acquaintances contracts without a bidding process. This is not a project that will cost a few hundred dollars!
Gary Wiebe
Duncan
