Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 10/99) - The curling club has won a few more friends on council but has yet to collect on a $34,555.52 repair bill it says is owed to it by the city.

A report prepared by an Alberta engineering firm stated adapters used in construction of the refrigeration system at the curling club were faulty.

The report the curling club commissioned from Zeo Tec Ltd. stated the adapters were "a poor material selection choice from the outset."

As a result, the report stated, the adapters corroded from the inside out, undermining the city's argument that the problem could have been prevented by routine maintenance.

In addition to presenting the report to council at its regular meeting Monday, curling club manager Klaus Schoenne also attacked arguments community services department director Grant White gave for the curling club paying the bill.

Council was being presented with selective information designed to get the decision city staff want, said Schoenne.

Schoenne's presentation failed to convince council to pay the bill but clearly brought some councillors onto the curling club's side of the debate.

"I'm not a lawyer, so I can't give a legal opinion, but I've been in building maintenance for the last 17-18 years and I can give an opinion of what is routine maintenance," said Coun. Alan Woytuik. "This is not."

"If anybody should be held accountable it should be the engineering firm that oversaw the installation."

Coun. Kevin O'Reilly said he wanted a legal opinion on the lease that defines what costs the city, which owns the building, is responsible for and what costs the curling club, which runs it, must cover.

A legal opinion would be a waste of time and money, said Coun. Cheryl Best, adding "I really hate allowing lawyers to make my decisions for me ..."

The only support O'Reilly got came from Coun. Blake Lyons, who offered, "Some members of council are concerned lawyers will make the decision on this; I think some members of the public are absolutely terrified politicians might."

Lyons proposed the matter be sent back to committee. He and Coun. Ben McDonald said more time was needed in light of the report and new information Schoenne had presented.

"We're being asked to act as arbitrators and we've only been given, at best, one and a half sides of the story," said McDonald.

Coun. Robert Slaven, McDonald, O'Reilly, Lyons and Woytuik voted the matter back to committee.

Woytuik later explained he voted to have committee consider the matter because he believed there was a chance to negotiate a sharing of the repair costs.

The curling club has a membership of approximately 400 people, including 85 junior curlers.