This week’s The Uniter gives an update on the current state of the City’s plans for the Water and Waste Water Utility upgrades.
“First it was a ‘private partner,’ then it was a ‘strategic partner’ and now it’s a ‘strategic consultant,’” said Trevor Semotok from the Winnipeg Water Watch Committee.
Semotok said this is important because the first two terms have the same meaning, but the third term limits the partnership to be a mere construction contract.
“Using the term ‘consultant’ eliminates the notion of financing and operating [the project],” he said.
The mayor’s office didn’t comment directly on the language change, but referred The Uniter to Bryan Gray, project manager of utility development at the City of
Winnipeg, who confirmed that the now-termed “strategic consultant” will play a role in infrastructure construction but not operating and financing.
Exerpt from: The Uniter, March 17th 2010, WaterWatch – Recent language change in city council eliminates private financing/operating of city’s water utility – by Samuel Swanson (Beat Reporter)
click here to link to original article.