"I am the general manager of the Fort Erie Economic Development and Tourism Corporation and the Chief Operating Officer of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium. I have been involved in the potential sale of the Fort Erie Racetrack proprty currently owned by nordic Gaming to David Kompson."
As some might know, David Kompson is a well-known developer who is interested in buying the racetrack property - except a parcel of 14.31 acres on Industrial Drive. Jim Thibert, in his capacity as head of the EDTC and the racetrack is going beyond the scope of his authority and it trying to broker a side deal with a potential buyer of the race track.
Isn't that a conflictof interest in itself. In true Thibert style, he goes on the attack against the very thing he might be guilty of. In order to take attention away from his possible conflict, he misdirects attention to Don Lubberts whose employer may have done business with Kompson in the past.
Why is the EDTC/FELRC involved in this sale anyway? Since when does the EDTC/FELRC enter into negotiations on behalf of Nordic? It doesn't. It wants to make the deal easier by bonusing-er-helping the possible purchaser. Why would it be a conflict of interest for Don Lubberts to participate in a discussion about the feasibility of bonusing/helping the sale when the man presenting the option does not even have the authority to do so. Just who is he representing anyway? Hard to figure out, yet he seems to know a conflict when he sees one - except the one staring at him in the mirror.
One thing that must be done by whomever becomes the next leader of this community is the repatriation of the EDTC back to town hall as a department, answerable to council.
This may well be the last year for the Fort Erie Race Track. Does anyone think that Kathleen Wynne will throw money at a losing proposition after the way she was treated by certain town officials. I would bet that David Kompson has his own reasons for wanting to just buy the land that is useable for development. He is not interested in the wetlands or the industrial lands in the package. He wants only what can be developed. Can't blame him. Race track land is highly suitable for development, maybe even a gated community. LOL