Though he will be leaving town council for a seat on county council next month, Ken Chapman plans to remain a member of the town’s recreation and culture meeting.
He has also volunteered as the project manager for the new skateboard park project, but town councillor Barb Tocher last week expressed some concern with that move at council’s final meeting of the current term.
Tocher noted Chapman was previously the manager for the McMillan Park (109 Main Street) project, which, while completed on time and to everyone’s satisfaction, also had considerable cost overruns.
“What assurances do we have that won’t happen again?” Tocher asked point-blank.
Chapman said he was never in charge of the budget for McMillan Park, and he met only a few times with the committee that was in charge of budgeting.
“I just got the job done,” he said. “I never saw a budget.”
Tocher said members of council are ultimately taxed with approving and taking responsibility for project costs, so they need to be concerned with budgets.
Chapman said he understands, but again stressed he just gets the work done by relaying to others what they need to do. Tocher replied that approach has “budget implications.”
