Councillor Logtenberg's Memory Lapse

UPdate Mar. 2019,  still no idea where the solar system bought with public money disappeared to.
Now Councillor Logtenberg(the sky is falling) is on his doom and gloom the world is ending
 in 11 years, global warming tirade,.  He should be running this city for the benefit of all, he is
there for his benefit, Nelson taxpayers will be paying for this.

He is claiming Climate Emergency and the city has joined some save the planet wacko group.

   THE COUNCILLOR IS PINNING BY BS METER

I first became aware of Mr. Logtenberg via the Seed Network Solar power system grant and I wrote
a letter to the editor at that time.  $25,000 in public grant money disappears in little more than a year.

The business the solar system and everyone disappeared a little more than a year later, I emailed Mr. Logtenberg and others associated with the Seed Network, these emails never bounced back to me undelivered, nor did I ever get a reply.

I was asking what happened to the solar system, I also contacted the Ministry responsible for the grant.   Mr. Logtenberg reappeared in the city running for city council I again asked the question, he denied any knowledge or connection.  This went on in the media and recently he came up with a public response to a news story.  The system went to a non profit sold for $5000 and only his brother in law was involved he had no connection nor did he work for the Seed Network.  My information is it went to a winery in the Okanagan.  Their claim of a non profit sounds better, why did they accept any money?

Here is the latest comment from Councillor Logtenberg  copied from a news story.

Rik Logtenberg

I didn’t deny any knowledge. I have given you a comprensive account many times and explained that since I was not with the Seed during this period (I was CEO of Timely) than I have to refer you to Bradley (who you have already been in touch with). So, again, here is what I have been told: after the building that we were renting was sold, the new owners wanted our solar panels
off the roof. We had no place to put them, so we offered them for sale (at cost) locally. Nobody wanted them. So Bradley sold them for $5000 through Craigslist to a nonprofit in the Okanagan. The BC govt employee responsible for this project said that the Seed behaved entirely appropriately. It’s as simple as that. You’ve been in touch with Bradley. You have his contact info. We’ve both offered to sit down and review things with you, which, for some reason you have refused. If you don’t believe Bradley, why don’t you do a FOI request? Or meet with him. Or actually come talk to me? I won’t bite.

Laughable, comprehensive account? didn't deny knowledge?  you are still denying knowledge! above you say you have offered to sit down and talk, I refused?    Show me an email where you Bradley or the engineer have  replied.   And now that you have reappeared in town and its become public the pressure is on to come up with some explanation.  Bradley has never responded to anything ever.

$25,000 in public funds disappears, I am asking what happened, and you know nothing only your brother in law knows and he can't remember.

One email from the Victoria Ministry rep responsible for the grant states Bradley and Steven Thomson the engineer spent considerable time explaining the project to me.....baldface lie, NEVER happened, something that was told to the rep and he repeated that to me!!!

 I wouldn't know Steve Thomson the engineer who completed the application sold and installed the system if he was in the same room, I have never seen, spoke or had any email replies from him.

I certainly did email Mr. Thomson P Eng and his partner Corey something or other ragging on what a unethical way to get at public money.  They never replied.

I made an FOI (freedom of information request) for all the grant application documents.  I have them before me.

The total system cost before taxes was $34,800, after taxes about  $38,000 borrowed over 25 years at 3.5% is annual payments of  $2300.   The system didn't make $400 annual power.  Hardly replicable unless its public grant money!  Which has just happened, Balfour golf clubhouse, community hall and seniors centre just got CBT grants for solar power systems.  I am trying to stop the bleed of 

public money for these feelgood misinformed solar projects from phoney applications.  The Nelson Community Solar Garden is also wasting everyone's money and deceiving the public.  They say Nelson hydro guarantees payback in 12 to 15 years, even the
engineers own report full of errors can't make 25 year payback happen. 

The application was filled out by Steve Thomson P Eng of Omineca Solar systems whose
office was literally under the same roof.  He was claiming the same annual sunhours as Yuma Az in his calculations.  His facebook page at the time said he had just taken the CBT workshop on how to apply for grant money.  When I complained to the CBT person involved at the time she said "sometimes we get burned".  This wasn't a CBT grant it was a LiveSmartBC grant from Victoria.

                      The LOI (letter of interest) was to be received before Mar. 21, 2012 at 4pm.

You claim 10 Full Time employees in the above application.  I was in the office twice, it was a big vacant room for the most part, there are some on line photos showing that.  The second time I visited there was one person, I spoke with him he told me he was just subletting a desk space.

This excerpt from another news story seems to support the co-working space.

“In Nelson, The Seed Studio above Reo’s and The Building Tree are early examples of where co working has a track record,”

And above we see the pretax total system cost $34,800 grant is for 75%, applicant adds  $9800.
The program  maximum grant was for $25,000  at least you went for the maximum.

Curiously the application was sent in about 1/2 hour before closing, was the engineer hesitating about the
application?  After all the LOI went in  almost two months previously this wasn't a last minute thing.
Might the engineer be questioning his ethics, it was his application information, it didn't meet the guidelines
of  cost efficient, replicable by others.  But it sure would be nice to have a solar system on the roof above his business.

The application said it would be highly visible to the public (you couldn't see it) a benefit to the community(I can't think of one) affordable and replicable by all.  Who would spent over $2000/yr to save maybe  $350? 
Where are the videos, blog posts, tours, on line public data you were to provide.  The on line data disappeared after I went to your office to complain about the application not meeting guidelines.


I spoke with the new building owner you offered the system a fire sale price he told me.  He is in the electronics business he knows it was worthless, he told me it didn't make $30 a month and told you to get it off his building.

The grant criteria stated after one year you were to provide documentation showing the project met all promises and if successful you would be awarded the system.

I would sure like to see that documentation.

I was in contact with the ministry questioning that, they didn't want to answer or give me any details.  My gut feeling is they
didn't do their due diligence and didn't want anyone to know.  My life experiences regarding grants is they are all likely
similar, phoney applications, money spent and when their is an audit showing non performance nobody talks.

This hardly gives me any comfort in the engineering Code of Ethics as the P Eng made this application.

Lets look at Councillor Logtenbergs claims he had nothing to do with the Seed Network or any knowledge of the
system disposition.

SO THE COUNCILLOR CLAIMS NO CONNECTION TO THE SEED NETWORK

here is what we can find on the internet.

  I started and grew two companies one above the old Reo's   that would be the SEED Network office.

His Wife online communications manager   where it states she spent ten years with the Seed Network working alongside her husband, that would be councillor Logtenberg.

I take screenshots now as I have done with all of this information in case it changes.

 I am finding

this to be necessary especially now that the Star newspaper is editing and removing comments. For example commenter Rita Zume, all comments removed, too critical of city hall I presume.  Sure looks like the city has some inside track to the newspaper to censor comments. 

You can now  Join  Rita Talks  to keep up.

Below after councillor Logtenberg moves to Vancouver he shows Prevous employ as the Seed Network, his brother in law works there his wife, another Logtenberg whom I don't know.

He tells me he only OK'd the solar grant project?

It appears the ah ha moment when Time.ly was born was around the "family" kitchen table with his brother in law etc?while councillor Logtenberg and his brother in law Bradley were
operating a design studio in Nelson (the Seed Network?)   Bradley is noted
as a vice president of Time.ly.

Come on Rik, your brother in law, business partner, related in marriage, and only your brother in law knows anything and he now seems to forget what happened or where the system went?  You called yourself an engineer in your campaign, I called you on that you are no engineer, just too many stories and holes councillor, what to believe anymore?

This doesn't look to credible councillor.  You stored the system at a friends in Blewett, would they know who came to pick up the system, where they were from?  Or who delivered it and to where?  I think the memories will come back.

Below another of your news item comments excerpt

Norm Yanke these panels were owned by the Seed. We could do whatever we want with them. We could have given them away for free, sold them for a million, or tossed them in a landfill. After the requirements of the program were met, which the program coordinator confirmed and reconfirmed, then those panels were the company’s property to do with as they please.

Neither Bradley or I owe you an explanation, and certainly not an accounting.  

I think the public would disagree councillor

Who got the money from the sale?
and where is it so I can confirm and feel comfortable I think you know
\
 The application  clearly stated the applicant was responsible they met all guidelines.  In my opinion it did not, the application should never have been made, if it had  I wouldn't be writing this!   I see a responsibility there.

This is exactly where I am going to go with the Nelson Community Solar Garden........if the
city expert had never brought a business case to council, because there Never was one, there would
be no Nelson Community Solar Garden.


The SADDER THING  this city has exactly the same thing going on for the Community Solar Garden, the manager of Nelson Hydro brought the previous council a business case.  I am following that trail, will anyone
be accountable?  I will find out.  Many media publications state "Nelson Hydro guarantees payback in 12 to 15 years".  Even the consulting engineers report full of errors couldn't achieve a 25 year payback without fiddling all the numbers!!!!