Opposition On City Council To BTC Land Swap

Opposition On City Council To BTC Land Swap

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 11:36

 

 

North Battleford city council voted last night to trade land with the Battlefords Tribal Council.

 

But one city councillor voted against the deal.

 

Trent Houk says the BTC owes the city $469,000 — a debt he says goes back at least 10 years.

 

Houk says he doesn’t understand why the city is doing business with a corporation that’s been in arrears with the city for a decade.

 

He says it “just does not make any sense” that the city is going to essentially give money to a group that owes it money.

 

City Manager Jim Toye says it’s not as simple as that.

 

He says the BTC has purchased land along the Gold Eagle Casino, but the tribal council doesn’t see the point in paying for this land until it’s sold, or serviced.

 

Toye says, under the deal, the BTC will pay $300,000 when it gets a proposal on one of the lots — or by April 1st, 2011, whichever comes first.

 

He says the balance will be paid when the tribal council develops or sells another lot, or four years from now — whichever comes first.

 

Officials with the BTC could not be reached for comment.