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Timeout for TCUPs

In the first days after Vancouver and Whistler were awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics, in July 2003, it was frequently said how so much of the infrastructure and so many of the Olympic venues were already in place that there was lots of time to work o

In the first days after Vancouver and Whistler were awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics, in July 2003, it was frequently said how so much of the infrastructure and so many of the Olympic venues were already in place that there was lots of time to work out the details of the Games.

Indeed, many of the Olympic venues hosted test events last winter and all of the venues are now complete, more than one year ahead of the opening ceremonies.

But 13 months prior to the start of the Games there are still a lot of details to finalize. And suddenly a rush to get some of them done.

Take the TCUPS bylaw — please.

Virtually the last act of the last council was to give first and second reading to the bylaw that would create temporary commercial use permits. The bylaw was enacted to prepare for the large number of temporary uses that VANOC, and other Olympic-related agencies, may have during the Games. These could include outhouses, media tents, food stands, accommodation and retail outlets. Jacqui Murdoch, VANOC’s vice president of services and accommodation, told Pique that when the bylaw is finalized details of the VANOC process would be announced.

The bylaw was given first two readings on Nov. 17, with only Councillor Eckhard Zeidler opposed. On Dec. 1 the new council was sworn in. On Dec. 9 there was an open house on the bylaw. A public hearing took place on Dec. 15 and then a special council meeting was called for Dec. 23 to consider giving the bylaw third reading.

As anyone who’s followed this knows by now, the bylaw was not voted on because councillors were rightly concerned VANOC may be trampling Whistler’s interests in order to save money and appease sponsors. Specifically, VANOC is considering removing the nightly medals presentations from Celebration Plaza in the village as a cost-saving measure. There is also concern over VANOC’s plans for a retail and food outlets in Whistler, which would be direct competition for Whistler businesses.

Officially, the reason for expediting the TCUPs bylaw is VANOC needs to secure accommodation for Olympic volunteers and workers, as well as some media. And apparently it needs to get this accommodation wrapped up by early February.

Accommodation in Whistler has been a problem for VANOC for some time. Because most Whistler hotels are strata-titled, and the owners don’t need to make their units available more than 12 months in advance, rounding up accommodation has been like herding cats. Tourism Whistler, VANOC and the municipality recognized the issue last year, and began making overtures to property owners and property managers, to little avail. Early in the summer Tourism Whistler called a members meeting to try and explain the situation: National Olympic committees, media organizations and sponsors were all making their accommodation plans by the end of summer or early fall. Vancouver was offering significantly cheaper accommodation. Whistler property owners had to act.

But they didn’t. At least not enough of them. That was confirmed this week with the news that the German Olympic Committee had decided to base its operations in Vancouver. Despite the fact that almost all the winter Olympic sports Germans are interested in, and win medals in, are being held in Whistler, Germany chose Vancouver.

The Neighbourhood of Nations concept has also now been scrapped, largely due to accommodation issues.

There are others VANOC still needs to find accommodation for, and it hopes TCUPs will help with that — particularly the 411 bedrooms still needed for media by February.

But if VANOC really can’t find 411 suitable bedrooms this month, as economic forecasts become bleaker and bleaker, why wasn’t a specific bylaw introduced for temporary commercial accommodation related to the Games, rather than bundle everything into one all-encompassing bylaw? And knowing that accommodation has been an issue for at least a year, why did it take until mid-November for the bylaw to come to council?

If the previous council had spent as much time at their last meeting examining the guts of the TCUP bylaw as questioning who was going to approve the applications — staff or council — the present council might not be in the unenviable situation they are today.

The TCUPs bylaw has been characterized as the first serious fissure between Whistler and VANOC, but that would be overlooking the lack of information from VANOC on things like the much-delayed transportation plan, funding for the “look and feel” of the Games in Whistler, VANOC’s retail presence, and now the uncertainty over the medals presentations.

No doubt VANOC has been frustrated by the accommodation situation in Whistler and is feeling the financial pinch. It may be worried about the commitments of some of its sponsors — General Motors has announced it is dropping its sponsorships of the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal International Jazz Festival, as well as eliminating all advertising in this year’s Super Bowl.

But Whistler also needs to look after its interests. Whistler and VANOC are partners but that doesn’t mean their interests are identical.

Delaying the TCUPs bylaw until VANOC reworks its budget and decides on the medals presentations is Whistler looking after its interests.