Thank you for timely and thorough reporting on the solar-farm proposal. There are many as yet unanswered questions, including why is a government getting into the electricity business at all? Most municipalities recognize that energy production is the private sector's expertise. They would at least issue a request for proposal (RFP) to ensure the gathering of competitive estimates of costs and revenue. That would be transparent.
Also, there are a variety of energy options to solar. Why was solar selected? Have disposal costs been factored into the life-cycle costs? Finally, what is the problem the city is in such a rush to solve — projected revenue or costs? Why is spending less not an option?
The city should issue an RFP seeking a solution to the problem first or make it an election issue or host a referendum, as the risk is huge and borne by the voter, the taxpayer. Come to think of it, maybe the voter should have a say, not the councillor, when any project exceeds some agreed upon limit. This would serve as a long overdue check on excessive public debt and taxes.
Perry Kinkaide, St. Albert
