Open Letter from Mayor Sam Sullivan

Because of the global economic downturn, capital is tight and businesses around the world are struggling. As a result, the City of Vancouver has been engaged in sensitive real estate and business discussions with project stakeholders to ensure we successfully complete this project on time.

City Councillors and staff are legally bound to keep all property transactions confidential. That is the law. Taxpayers are not well served by politicizing these sensitive discussions or conducting negotiations by headline. As Mayor, you have my word that the moment our legal team and negotiators signal that this information can legally be released, it will be without any delay.

Senior City Staff working on this project include City Manager Judy Rogers, Deputy City Manager, Jody Andrews and the City of Vancouver's Director of Business Planning, Ken Bayne. As someone who has served the City of Vancouver as a Councillor for 12 years and Mayor for three years, I can say that I have the utmost confidence in this team. With the assistance of some of Canada's leading legal-finance advisors Stikeman Elliott and Farris-Vaughn, staff has been managing this project in the best interests of taxpayers on behalf of successive City Councils. Southeast False Creek planning started in 1994 under Mayor Philip Owen, continued under Mayor Larry Campbell and during my term as Mayor.

One of the first actions of our Council in 2005 was to deliver more financial discipline and taxpayer protection to the project. Councils have approved development and financial plans at every stage. They are posted at www.vancouver.ca.

When the Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek is completed, it will set the standard for green development and urban sustainability. In the meantime, our city staff will continue to act in the best interest of taxpayers and ensure City Council is properly consulted.

As we approach the finish line for this project, our staff has laid out a plan to ensure its orderly completion. That plan has been supported by all Councillors representing all the major municipal parties in the current election. I am confident that the next Mayor and Council will be well served by this approach in the months ahead.

Around this time next year they will be proud to show off this global model of excellence in urban planning and green living to the world.

TRANSLATED IN CHINESE

福溪東南區規劃逾十載 - 歷屆市長歐文，李建堡和蘇利文同推行這個歷史性工程

大多數溫哥華市民都知道，我不會尋求連任。雖然本星期六是我在十五年來第一次對競選日的結果沒有直接政治利益，但我感覺我有責任對近日有關福溪東南區選手村項目的種種報導作出正式澄清。

作為市長，我有責任強調幾項事實。 首先，奧運選手村和殘疾人奧運選手村會於明年準時完工。 其次，我們的市府職員一直以納稅人的利益為大前題，在這個動盪經濟時期處理這個複雜的項目。 第三，在過去十四年期間，市議會一直有適當地被諮詢，並認可市府職員在這個項目上的計劃和管理。

福溪東南區選手村發展項目位於北美洲海濱其中一個最理想地點，50英畝的土地由市政府擁有。 一半土地被規劃為公園和先進完善的社区中心，都是向公眾開放的。 相當部份居住單位都已經出售，剩餘的都是在海濱的最佳位置。 有歷史保留價值的建築物正被重修。保護海洋生物的自然環境亦被恢復。選手村的海隄長22公里，正好把我們的城市連接起來。 并且，超過20%單位被指定為公共房屋。

由於全球性經濟不景氣，資本緊拙，環球企業都在掙扎。因此，市政府與項目有關公司展開敏感的地產和商業討論，確保這個項目得以準時順利完成。

市議員和市府職員法律上必須把所有地產交易保密。 這是法律。如果這些敏感的討論被政治化或在媒體討論，納稅人的利益便不得到保障。 作為市長，我保證當法律顧問和談判人員指示可以把資料合法地公開，這些資料便會立刻被公開。

參與這項目的市府高級職員包括市政經理Judy Rogers，副市政經理Jody Andrews和溫哥華企業規劃主任Ken Bayne。 作為擔任了市議員十二年和市長三年的人，我對這個團隊絕對信任。 在加拿大權威法律經費顧問Stikeman Elliott Farris-Vaughn的幫助下，市府職員代表歷屆市議會處理這個項目，令納稅人的最佳利益得以保障。福溪東南區規劃於1994年開始，由前市長歐文開始，前市長李建堡和本人在任期間繼續推行。

在2005年本屆市議會上任後首個行動就是在這項目上加強財政管制，保障納稅人的利益。這項目每個階段的發展和財政計劃都由市議會作出批核。所有計劃是公開的，有關公開財政資料可在www.vancouver.ca上瀏覽。

當福溪東南區選手村於明年完成後，它將成為我們全部人感到驕傲的環保和可持續性發展模式。 現時，市府職員將繼續以納稅人的利益為大前題，并且保證市議會適當地被諮詢。

作為您們的市議員和市長，我在這個項目努力了14年。 正當我們接近終點之際，我們的市府職員有計劃確保項目得以完成。計劃亦得到全部現任主要政黨代表的支持。 我確信下屆市長和市議會在未來幾個月將朝著這個方向努力，並可驕傲地向全球展示這個城市規劃和環保生活的典範。