Water park proposal won't get mayor's vote

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz will recuse himself from voting on the controversial water park proposal for The Forks.

A vote on the $75-million water park and hotel development is set to take placeat anexcutive policy committee meeting on Wednesday.

From there, it will go to a final vote by city council next week. Katz has said he will abstain from that vote as well.

There have been questions about what role Katz should play in the politics of the deal, due to conflict-of-interest concerns.

The city-owned land where the water park would be built is located across the street from Shaw Park, the home of the Goldeyes baseball team.

Katz owns the Goldeyes.

And the agent for the water park developer is Shindico Realty, whose top brass have been Katz's longtime business partners in the Goldeyes.

Coun. Justin Swandel said Katz is doing the right thing by not voting on the issue.

"On recusal it's not only if you recieve a benefit but but also if you can be percieved as having a negative side of the equation," he said."So the mayor's involvement there is obvious and I think it's appropriate that he recuse himself."

Coun. Jenny Gerbasi said Katz should have stepped away from the discussion earlier.

"I guess it's a relief that he's recusing himself," she said. "However, he has been participating in the process all along up to this pointincluding a council seminar on the issue and obviously he had been kept informed all along."

If council approves the plan, the developers will receive a $7-million city grant.

The 50,000-square-foot complex is being proposed by Canalta Development and WaterFun Products.