City Hall - Entanglements

[bob vernon]

Sadly, when these people leave city hall they have so many favours they've done for developers that they land a cushy management job with a development firm. Grifting just keeps on giving. And they still have lots on contacts inside city hall who will move into their old jobs and the litany of favourable rezoning and infrastructure paid for by taxpayers continues. It's just the way of the Okanagan. It's been this way for decades and the public just accepts it as business as usual.

[DaveJV]

When City Staff align themselves with Mayor and Council, they must lose their protection. Looks like CoK staff are advocating for Mayor Basran's re-eleciton by allowing City resources to be used filming the Mayor a fluff piece. We get what we deserve as GODlike GilCHRIST (in his own eyes) has no City Manager experience and we are suffering as a result of it (no surprise as Basran hired his guy). This video should have never been released as the election campaign is on, SMH. He probably called Rotten Ron/Carla for advice.

[DaveJV]

Ryan Smith, who worked at the Mission Group and now is a senior manager here at the City of Kelowna has been a longstanding best friend with CAO GODlikeGilCHRIST (godlike in his own mind). These two were also Rotten Ron's buddies, hence why they are in the positions they are in now.

[Max125]

i’m a newbie here.
spot on comments here regarding many civic politicians being in bed with developers.
what a refreshing change to read your comments. thank you.
mismanagement of OCP process really gets my goat!
general public doesn’t care that perception of conflict IS conflict of interest.

[cv23]

i’m a newbie here.
spot on comments here regarding many civic politicians being in bed with developers.
what a refreshing change to read your comments. thank you.
mismanagement of OCP process really gets my goat!
general public doesn’t care that perception of conflict IS conflict of interest.

Welcome to the forums Max.


Council and staff are the ones who have made the OCP a joke.
We stakeholders were asked for our opinion and we gave it. Staff took all our input and formed the OCP. Council praised staff and formally and legally adopted the OCP. Now at every opportunity both staff and Council completely ignore the OCP basically flipping the community the bird in favor of developer profits. They have even made changes to zoning so their developer friends projects are profitable even though the developer knew what was allowed before they even bought the property knowing their friends at City Hall will just change things to make them money and all at the expense of the community.
Some of these developer friends of City Hall have come back multiple times for variances to make their projects more profitable and easily received those variances after easily receiving previous variances as no one at City Hall even questions them anymore.

[DaveJV]

Massive changes are needed not only on the political level BUT also the administration here at eh City of Kelowna. These changes are going to be costly in the short term, but needed for the long term integrity of the City. Ron M. planted the bad seeds that are in leadership positions still at City Hall. His entanglement is still employed at the City (in a leadership position - which means perhaps the entanglment may not have been reciprocal or maybe it was) as is his proclaimed successor City Manager Doug Gilchrist, who is despised by ALL staff (at least those he hasn't fired or has put into positions of power to support him) and the public. Fair to say Mayor Basran was/is aware of Ron M's transgressions (this is the scandal of all scandals that he has never addressed) and permitted him to retire and kept his entanglement on staff and his hand picked successors). Time for a MASSIVE change, our City is dysfunctional at ALL LEVELS.

[DaveJV]

Mayor Basran has no business being elected in 2022. He has kept the entanglements at City Hall super secret and has in fact condoned this behaviour by allowing it to happen while CEO of our City.

[the truth]

Mayor Basran has no business being elected in 2022. He has kept the entanglements at City Hall super secret and has in fact condoned this behaviour by allowing it to happen while CEO of our City.

x2

[lesliepaul]

Mayor Basran has no business being elected in 2022. He has kept the entanglements at City Hall super secret and has in fact condoned this behaviour by allowing it to happen while CEO of our City.

x2

X3

[DaveJV]

City Hall is broken, not from the elected officials, but by the nefarious and shady dealings of senior administration and the lies and promotions that have put unqualified people into these positions. Look no further than DOuG GilCHRIST. DOuG was Rotten Ron's handpicked choice to ascend to a position that pays over 300K a year. Not only that, but Ronnie also had a very "close" relationship with his 'leadership' team. This was brought to Mayor Basran and Council but they did nothing about this and have hidden behind "In-Camera" legislation. Serious change is needed and new leadership at the Mayor and Council level is needed to do the heavy lifting of making City Hall accountable and rectifying the horrible administration that has been cobbled together by this Council led by Basran, time for change Kelowna, your tax dollars are not hard at work with this team.

[inside city hall]

Everything is this thread is true, City Hall staff know of the transgressions of the former City Manager R M. and we still have to work with a member of staff who was in his concubine. Doug Gilchrist is the worst City Manager in the province, he is despised by staff (except those he has chosen for leadership position - in his own Misogyny he has not promoted any women outside of those that Ron but into place). Mayor Basran is complacent with CM Gilchrist's decisions, a complete change is needed in order to serve the public - its disgraceful.

[lesliepaul]

Everything is this thread is true, City Hall staff know of the transgressions of the former City Manager R M. and we still have to work with a member of staff who was in his concubine. Doug Gilchrist is the worst City Manager in the province, he is despised by staff (except those he has chosen for leadership position - in his own Misogyny he has not promoted any women outside of those that Ron but into place). Mayor Basran is complacent with CM Gilchrist's decisions, a complete change is needed in order to serve the public - its disgraceful.

.........it is EVERYBODY above who are turning Kelowna into a hole by lining developers pockets and having the taxpayer cover infrastructure shortfalls created by them.

[inside city hall]

Hopefully Mayor Elect Dyas and the 'new' Council will undertake a core services review at City Hall. It is needed to clear this "administration' was aligned with Outgoing Mayor Basran. City Manager GilCHRIST was appointed by Basran and Co., upon recommendation of Rotten Ronnie (as Basran knew about Ron's concubine with City staff. We deserve a City Manager with integrity and one whom wont appoint their friends (Ryan Smith etc) to senior positions or keep people like Carla whom has compromised their position based on "relationships" within City Hall

[John Crawford]

Is it time we had a clean sweep, now we have a new broom at city hall.
To bring confidence back and clear the air, perhaps GilCHRIST and SMITH be moved on

[marvin gardens]

Yes there needs to be a housecleaning at city hall.
The system needs vetting and assessments of what is going on.
I don't mean the hiring of consultants like Joe Creron and Ron Mattussi either.
While it may be perfectly legal, Creron retires as Asst City manager of Kelowna,($231.00 per) and now holds the job of CAO of Peachland;
Ron Mattussi retired former city manager of Kelowna ( $ 300.000 plus) has acted in a similar capacity for Grand Forks, Summerland and now....are you ready?
He is the CAO of Lytton in the community rebuilding.
All retirements and salaries are paid by the taxpayer.
There are rumours, not confirmerd by CofK officials that Mattussi also did consulting work to the city re extended benefits for city councillors.
I wonder who was paid the $75 thousand dollars for the survey to determine if city employees were happy with their managers.Just asking
Now, here is the question: any guesses who our former mayor will be working, oh I mean consulting for?