Victoria council should not be going into closed-door session to receive a consultant’s assessment of the Johnson Street Bridge project, say directors of a citizens’ watchdog group.

Victoria councillors are slated to go in-camera Thursday to discuss what is listed on the agenda as “legal advice/potential litigation.”

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Councillors are believed to be receiving a report from independent consultant Jonathan Huggett, hired in April on the recommendation of city manager Jason Johnson, to assess risks associated with the project.

Huggett has reviewed all contract documents, interviewed key staff, the engineering consultants at MMM Group, and representatives from PCL Westcoast Inc. and is to make recommendations on whether any additional strategies should be employed to ensure effective delivery of the project.

But Ross Crockford and Brian Simmons, directors of the group johnsonstreetbridge.org, have written all councillors, noting that Huggett is not the city’s solicitor and his report should be delivered in an open meeting.

“The public is paying for this project. It deserves to hear what Mr. Huggett has learned, and concluded,” the email says.

“Citizens need to know what risks face the city, just as much as councillors do — especially in an election year, and when the city faces key decisions about several other infrastructure projects,” it says.

Huggett’s review came as the contractor building the bridge, PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc., filed a change order March 17 saying it needed an additional $7.9 million and 5 1/2 months to complete the $92.8-million project.

The change order focused on two major issues: a delay in completion of the bridge design and an increase in the scope of the project, but MMM Group, which is overseeing the project on the city’s behalf, has recommended rejecting PCL’s request. City staff are reviewing that recommendation.

But two of council’s most outspoken advocates for open government, councillors Ben Isitt and Lisa Helps, say that in this case it is prudent for the information to first be delivered to council in closed session.

“I can understand where Ross is coming from because there has been a history of distrust; a history of information not shared properly; a history of what I would call a bad attempt at public participation from the city on this project. There’s huge reasons for mistrust,” Helps said.

However, she said, since the hiring of city manager Johnson, there has been a change of approach and council has reported out on every step in the process since receiving the change order.

Isitt agreed.

“Pretty clearly, the city is potentially in a legal dispute with at least one of its contractors. So I personally am happy to receive information from our staff in-camera as a first step in order to protect the legal and financial interests of the city,” he said.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com