There have been conflicting reports recently on the original cost of the pier, ranging from $9.2m to $12.5m. The anticipated costs when council first approved the project in 2006 were $6.2m. The table below charts the increases over time, sourced completely from city documents. There are important lessons here for all of us to ensure future projects are costed appropriately from the beginning, and stay on budget.

See costs

I did not support the retender path because of the additional costs and timelines, but alternatives to complete the pier are now closed, so we need to get on with the retendering. However, I remain concerned about the amount of money spent on this project when we have other significant priorities - our hospital and infrastructure repair, to name just two. I also have reservations about the joint venture with Jardeg. Finally, I will continue to push for transparency on the legal costs, design changes and alternatives considered on this project, so residents can hold your representatives accountable for the decisions we've made.

My take: Residents deserve transparency and accountability, through proactive communications from City Hall, not secondhand information. That's best practise and good governance. I've asked our legal and communications staff to advise what can be shared with residents on the retender specifications without compromising our legal case - especially given that the new specifications are public.

Now that we are on the litigation path with HSS, AECOM and others originally involved in the pier, there will be winners and there will be losers - the courts will determine who's who. We've lost the opportunity to negotiate a win-win, and that's disappointing for everyone involved in this project.

My take: I'm glad a solution was found that saves the retender. Our first response to challenges must always be to use common sense and aim to negotiate a win-win solution. It shouldn't take an 11th hour crisis to get us here, which is neither good governance nor best practise. Going forward, we must ensure we do appropriate risk assessments and have all the facts before taking a position. In our drive to get the pier finished and move on, let's ensure we do right by the people we do business with, safeguard the city's reputation and protect taxpayer dollars.

Can pier legals likewise be released?

The city of Waterloo has been forced by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario to publicly release the amount of its legal costs in an ongoing legal battle over the financing for a park development. Until now, officials have insisted costs would only be willingly disclosed once the lawsuits are settled.

A resident gave me a copy of the news article about the case at our Ward 2 Citizens Advisory Committee last week.

"Just change the word 'park' for 'pier'," she said, advocating for voluntary release of our own legal bill on the pier design dispute.

My take: Given this ruling, I support the city voluntarily releasing its legal fees, and immediately releasing the value of staff time spent on this project.

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