By Dan Fumano

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Article contentResponding to council’s questions, staff said they could not publicly share details of the evaluations, but they were based on financial, technical, and sustainability considerations. Staffers repeatedly said the process followed city policy, and complied with free-trade agreements.Article contentIan Tostenson, CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, told council he “strongly” opposed the proposal to change operators. From his experience representing 15,000 restaurants across B.C., Tostenson said the industry is facing immense challenges, and changing “away from an operator that’s shown so much commitment is a huge financial risk” for the city.Article contentCoun. Rebecca Bligh said she believed staff followed the procurement policy, but “there has to be some element of humanistic decision-making … which values community, legacy, incumbency, good will.”Article contentArticle contentAfter the meeting, the Vancouver park board’s general manager Steve Jackson said: “I do think this warrants, maybe, a re-look at some of the procurement policy aspects, and if there’s a different approach that needs to be taken.”Article contentSim also said this situation marks another example of why Vancouver should do away with its elected park board, which is unique among B.C. cities and, in his view, represents an inefficient duplication of services.Article contentAfter the vote, Sim and councillors congratulated the Chattens. Some apologized.Article contentTruffles president Nin Rai also congratulated the Chattens.Article contentIt’s not exactly clear what will happen next with the lease, but the city and park board said they will ensure there is no service disruption at Shaughnessy in the short-term.”Article content“After that, staff will meet internally to determine how to proceed in the long-term from a procurement perspective,” the city’s statement said.Article contentdfumano@postmedia.comArticle contenttwitter.com/fumanoArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentRelatedA family business is shocked that their landlord wants them out after decades. Their landlord is the City of VancouverCasino, soccer stadium or green space? The battle for Hastings Park is back onArticle content

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