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CBC
11-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Windsor councillors consider cancelling $285,000 purchase of American-made outdoor furniture for city park
Windsor city councillors are questioning city staff's recently approved purchase of American-made outdoor furniture for the new public outdoor space in front of city hall, amidst a trade war with the United States. Staff approved spending $285,957 on seasonal, outdoor metal tables, umbrellas and garbage cans days after council endorsed a call from upper levels of government to prioritize buying Canadian "wherever reasonably feasible both financially and operationally." The furniture deal was not brought to council for approval because it falls within the $15.4 million project budget council previously approved for the space. Instead, it was approved by the city's tariff task force, made up of senior administration, who were warned by the suppliers that some of the items could be subject to $71,000 in tariffs when they're imported to Canada. Coun. Fred Francis said he's heard complaints from taxpayers about the furniture deal and says staff should look at cancelling the purchase depending on any potential financial penalties. "If there's a way to get out of this purchase, I think they're probably looking at ways to do that and bring it to council. They're probably looking ways to fix this because the PR has been so bad," said Francis, who voted against the civic esplanade project where the furniture will go. The city's head of infrastructure, David Simpson, said that the tables, umbrellas and garbage cans were bought through Park Street Solutions, an Ontario-based company from which the city has purchased before. These are sole source purchases — which means the city did not ask for bids from other companies for the project or shop around to see what options were available. Simpson said that's because staff decided they wanted to continue buying these American-made products through the company because staff are familiar with the products, making them easier to maintain. He also said that purchasing these products from familiar suppliers would get them installed in a timely manner. "We already benefited from having that validated Canadian point of contact for procurement logistics and also anything having to do with after purchase services," Simpson previously told CBC News. "Not only do we feel we can save cost to the taxpayers when it comes to long-term maintenance but it just seemed to be the most time expedient process to acquire the products." Staff tell councillor American-made furniture is better able to handle the elements Earlier this week Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who brought the "buy Canadian" motion to council, asked staff if the purchase could be cancelled. But after meeting with staff on Thursday, he said this purchase is the best option. "One of the things that they said was that there wasn't a comparable Canadian comparator for the item that they wanted to purchase," said McKenzie. He said that staff told him the American-made furniture came with an unmatched warranty and unmatched quality. "It's their ability to withstand the elements outdoors for the next 20 to 25 years," McKenzie said. "And again a track record with our municipality of it being reliable equipment that's already in a number of our different parks." He also said that the procurement process started "quite some time" before the trade war with the United States started. "I think it's fair to say that the optics were unfortunate." Councillors weighing out the cost of buying Canadian Council will be briefed by city staff about the potential impact to Windsor's operation because of the trade war, which McKenzie said he hopes leads to shifts in procurement policies. "But at the end of the day the municipality just isn't going to on a dime change all of its procurement polices when that's going to have a deep and significant impact on project timelines and deliverables." Downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino is questioning how far the city should go when it comes to sourcing products from Canadian companies instead of their American counterparts. "I think that the idea of saying, 'listen, it's going to be Canadian or nothing,' that's a very interesting conversation to have because then that means you're going to turn to all your partners in this city that have American connections," said Agostino. He teased a possible event he's working on with the Detroit Lions as an example of the complex situation Windsor is navigating right now. "'I'm sorry, guys, we don't want to do an event here in Windsor, no drone show this year because we're not gonna do any business with Detroit.' That's ludicrous, right?" asked Agostino. But Francis said this is getting confusing for taxpayers, who have watched Canada's relationship with the United States influence decisions council has already made. He circled back to the debate over ending the city's tunnel bus service, which connected Windsor and Detroit. That service will end later this year, in part, because Mayor Drew Dilkens said he did not want to subsidize a public transit service that brings business to the United States during the trade war. "What you heard from some of the people around the council table was, we feel uncomfortable supporting a service that helps to bring more revenue and more tourists and more support to the American economy," said Francis. He said that has people confused about the city's stance on its relationship with the United States. "You turn around here and you're purchasing something from an American company supporting American workers in in the American economy." Company Windsor is buying items through is based in Ontario The city is purchasing these items through Park Street Solutions, a three-person company based out of Waterloo, Ont., that does not manufacture the products the company sells. "We work with various manufacturers from across North America and market and sell their products within the Canadian market," said company president Kevin Bettridge. He declined to answer questions about the financial details of the deal with the City of Windsor, but said the company has deals with the city going back to when the company was incorporated in 2013. "We've had a very long standing relationship with the City of Windsor, being a standard supplier since before Park Street Solutions was in existence. Victor Stanley has been a standard supplier in the city, has used these products successfully for many, many years," said Bettridge. He defended the city's purchase. "I would say that they're making a measured and calculated decision to buy high quality products that they know and trust," he said. "At the end of the day, Park Street Solutions is an Ontario-based company. We've built our business around working with these companies and having good relationships with our municipalities and landscape architects and the marketplace in general." The tables the city bought for the project outside city hall will be the same onces purchased and installed for the recently opened Legacy Beacon project on the riverfront. Staff initially hoped that the civic esplanade project where the outdoor furniture will be placed would be operating last winter, but now say it will be ready before the end of the year.
Associated Press
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
California's surge in EV sales has stalled — so what happens to its landmark mandate?
California's push to electrify its cars is facing a potentially serious problem: People aren't buying electric cars fast enough. After three straight years of strong growth, sales have stabilized in California, raising questions about whether the state will fail to meet its groundbreaking mandate banning sales of gas-powered vehicles. About a quarter — 25.3% — of all new cars registered in California in 2024 were zero emissions, just slightly more than 25% in 2023, according to new California Energy Commission data. The flat sales follow several years of rapid growth — in 2020, only one in 13 cars sold was zero-emissions. Their share of California's market is now three times larger than four years ago. But the slowed pace of growth in the market puts the state's climate and air pollution goals at risk. Under California's mandate, approved in 2022, 35% of new 2026 car models sold by automakers must be zero emissions. That leaves considerable ground to make up as some 2026 models begin rolling out later this year. David Simpson, who owns three car dealerships in Orange County, said he is not seeing increased demand for electric cars. While the initial rollout of some models, such as the GMC Hummer EV, did well at first, the demand did not continue. Sales of the Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer EVs do alright, but aren't strong, either, he said. 'The sales are declining,' Simpson said. 'We've filled that gap of people who want those cars — and now they have them — and we're not seeing a big, huge demand. I don't see households going 100% EV.' Dave Clegern, a spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, which oversees the electric car mandates, said in an email that while sales of zero-emission vehicles in California are 'less dramatic than in years past,' the flat sales occurred in the context of an overall plateauing of car sales last year. Although the rules limit what automakers can sell, Californians are not required to buy electric cars. That means if consumer demand doesn't increase, it could be a major black eye for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has made electric cars a cornerstone of his agenda to fight climate change and clean the air. A spokesman for Newsom declined to comment. The state mandate, however, has some flexibility, Clegern said. First of all, it's a multi-year formula: Each manufacturer's sales of 2026 zero-emission vehicles must be 35% of its total sales averaged for model years 2022 through 2024. Manufacturers also can buy credits from automakers that have exceeded the target — companies that only sell electric models, such as Tesla or Rivian. To enforce compliance with California's sales requirements, state officials could impose steep penalties of $20,000 per vehicle on manufacturers that fall short of quotas. 'Manufacturers may still be in compliance even if they do not achieve these specific sales volumes,' Clegern said. Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, said automakers could seek to avoid the fines by reducing the number of gas-powered cars they send to California dealers. He said that could leave fewer options for buyers, drive up prices and push some consumers to Nevada or Arizona to find the car they want, while others will hold on to their older, more polluting vehicles. 'We're just not going to make the mandate as presently drafted' so automakers will have to take action, Maas said. 'The most rational is to constrain inventory.' The auto industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation has been raising these concerns since at least December, when it published a memo entitled, 'It's gonna take a miracle: California and states with EV sales requirements.' The group warns the mandate could depress auto sales in California — as well as in other states that adopt its rules. Last month, John Bozzella, the group's chief executive, called California's rules 'by any measure not achievable' after President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing federal rules promoting electric vehicles. 'There's a saying in the auto business: You can't get ahead of the customer,' Bozzella said. The outgoing Biden administration's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted California a waiver in December that allows the state to enforce its requirements phasing out new gas-powered cars. Many experts believe the Trump administration is likely to challenge the waiver through the courts. Experts also anticipate that Trump could eliminate the $7,500 federal tax credit for zero-emission vehicle purchases, which would increase the cost of buying some electric cars. Newsom vowed last year to continue offering the incentive through state funding, although that promise came before Los Angeles faced devastating wildfires and the state released its fragile budget earlier this year. Californians have purchased more than 2 million electric cars, leading the nation. The number has doubled in about two years. But electric vehicle sales, which make up the majority of zero emission cars, grew by only 1.1% in 2024, with 378,910 sold compared to 374,668 in 2023. Plug-in hybrids, once considered a potential alternative to a purely electric model, remained relatively stable. And sales of hydrogen-powered cars all but collapsed last year, with sales plummeting to a meager 600 in 2024 from 3,119 in 2023. The slower growth comes amid overall market sluggishness, with all auto sales in California dipping slightly last year to 1,752,030. Loren McDonald, chief analyst for the charging app Paren, said a major contributor is a shift in consumer demographics. The state's market has moved beyond early electric car adopters — affluent, environmentally motivated buyers willing to overlook challenges like limited charging infrastructure and higher costs — and into the mainstream. He said these new buyers, often from middle-income households or who live in apartment buildings without easy access to charging, are far less forgiving when it comes to electric cars. Concerns about range, broken chargers and upfront costs are deal breakers. Tesla's market dominance has exacerbated the issue. Many left-leaning California consumers, who were once loyal to Tesla, appear to have distanced themselves because of CEO Elon Musk's controversial public persona and alliance with Trump. As Tesla sales have softened, dropping 11% in California last year, the decline has disproportionately affected overall EV registration data in California because of the company's significant market share, McDonald said. Affordability remains a crucial hurdle, though McDonald sees signs of improvement. Automakers have ramped up production, leading to competitive pricing and aggressive lease deals—many under $400 per month. But mainstream consumers are largely unaware that electric vehicles offer long-term savings in fuel and maintenance, McDonald said, adding that better education is needed to convince consumers to take the leap, especially as electric car prices increasingly approach parity with gas-powered vehicles. McDonald remains optimistic about 2025. The market will benefit from new electric models priced under $50,000 and technological advancements, such as faster charging and vehicle-to-home power capabilities.
