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$700+ FOI regarding Victoria City Manager’s Office and the UDI, reveals conversation that led to close to $2000 Nashville trip for City employee to spend time with developers.

By Sasha Izard
June 2, 2026

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Last fall, I wrote the following article:

An Expensive Party: Victoria Employee flew to Nashville and back, to hang out with developers at their “Social Event”. Cost to the taxpayer: almost $2000 – CRD Watch Homepage

Earlier this year, I made an FOI request to the Victoria City Manager (Jocelyn Jenkin)’s office.

The FOI request was for:

All records regarding communications by and to the Victoria City Manager’s office regarding the Urban Development Institute (UDI), including communications with it.

(Date Range of Search 2020 01-01 to 2025-12-17).

The cost of the FOI request came in at a whopping $712.50, which I paid on on Friday February 27, 2026. After the weekend, on Tuesday March 3, 2026 the City of Victoria pulled out of the UDI by council decision during budget deliberations.

City staff Staff concluded during the deliberations that it was unlikely that the city’s paid membership which had increased 75% that year, had real value, in that the city was unlikely to recoup the annual costs through discounts on UDI events noting that there are only so many UDI events in a year.

Staff’s statement in this regard appeared to catch Councillor Caradonna off guard during the deliberations. Caradonna had previously shelved Councillors Hammond Gardiner’s UDI membership withdrawal motion for half a year and it probably would have stayed on the shelf maybe even indefinitely. Caradonna had back in the fall intentionally made the time for the motion returning vague, and technically the city was now just past the membership renewal date already. However, Hammond finally brought the withdrawal motion. After staff’s statement during the deliberations even Caradonna was scrambling however reluctantly to end the membership. How could the membership still be justified, if it didn’t provide value for the cost?

On May 29, I finally received the FOI response. It was over 3500 pages in my PDF viewer.

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Nashville Tennessee, Here We Come

Needless to say, I’m not going to cover 3500 pages of the FOI in this article, but I’ll start with covering some of the content from the last 30 or so pages (less than 1% of the total FOI response), because those pages are very revealing and provide considerable context to the Nashville episode.

“We will meet, mingle, and tour with local planners, private developers, and business association members who will share their successes and challenges.”

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How it started: A staff retention strategy, opportunities for bonding, and building a cultural with development services.

The following was a staff email sent by Victoria’s City Manager Jocelyn Jenkyns on May 16, 2023:

Subject: FWD: Out of Town Development Tour: Nashville, TN

Hi. I’m seeing conferences and study tours as part of our retention strategy and where possible staff bonding opportunities

Planning (Development Services) is sending Mike Angrove. I don’t have an update from Community Planning. In light of the culture we’re trying to build vis-a-vis development services, it would be great to send staff from your departments as well.

Let me know your thoughts.

Regards,
Jocelyn

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Cross pollinating staff relationships with developers.

On June 29, 2023 – the email discussion on the upcoming UDI Nashville trip continued:

Morning Will.

Philip never circled back on this.

It might be good to send someone from ENG and PW to encourage cross pollination and to develop relationships with our local development sector.

I’ll leave with you to determine who to send.

Regards,
Jocelyn

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“Brent Molnar came to mind as someone intertwined with development in the city and someone we want to reward and show our appreciation.”

The previous email was followed by this one soon after from Ross Kenny to William Doyle and Jas Paul:

Hi Will,

Originally when this came up, Brent Molnar came to mind as someone intertwined with development in the city and someone we want to reward and show our appreciation. I had suggested one of our transportation planners.

I just checked the website though and it appears that the event is sold out. (I should have checked availability last week)

Expect a request shortly to send staff to Ottawa for a TAC conference in September.

Ross

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Doyle wrote:

Hi Jocelyn,

Brent Molnar (our hard working Supervisor of Land Development and potential future Manager of Land Development) was identified as a suitable person for this opportunity. Unfortunately, as Ross notes, the event is sold out. Do you think the UDI would consider squeezing us in if possible? If not, not a worry, we will keep our eyes out for next year’s event, and find other opportunities for Brent.

Thank you,

William

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Jenkyns wrote back:

Thanks William. I’ll see if UDI will do us a solid.

Regards, Jocelyn

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Jenkyns wrote again 19 minutes later:

Brent is in! They are delighted to have him.

They’ll get me the info they need to register him. They’ll be back in touch tomorrow.

Regards,
Jocelyn

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In between those emails, Jenkyns had an email exchange with Kathy Whitcher who was Executive Director of the UDI Capital Region at the time (note, the “Out of Town Development Tour: Nashville, TN” was now referred by Jenkyns as a “UDI Study Tour” although the UDI categorized it as a social event):

Subject: UDI Study Tour — Nashville — asking for a favour

Kathy – I hope you are well and planning for a restful long weekend.

I have an ask of you. I asked our Director of Engineering/PW to identify a most deserving candidate to participate in your study tour. Unfortunately, he is on a medical lave, and we missed getting our name to you.

I know that you are sold out but if you could squeeze in one more, it would be Brent Molnar, our Supervisor of Land Development.

Please let me know if you could make this happen… fingers crossed!

Regards,
Jocelyn

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Whitcher wrote back:

Hello Jocelyn –

Nice to hear from you. We are headed to Parksville for the weekend. I hope you too are doing well and have some fun planned for your long weekend.

I would be happy to squeeze Brent in to join our Nashville tour. Brent will be a great addition to our tour. I have cc’d my work colleague Emily on this email. She will be in touch to get what she needs from you to register Brent.

Thank you for reaching out. I am thrilled that the City is sending a staff member to join us. We have a great tour shaping up.

Cheers,

Kathy Whitcher

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Jenkyns wrote back:

Kathy – thank you so much for your lightning-fast response! I really appreciate this.

Emily – let me know what you need.

Have a fabulous time on the beach Kathy!

Regards,
Jocelyn

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The following day it was Emily Donner at the UDI to chime in:

Hello Jocelyn,

I am happy to help set Brent Molnar up to join us in Nashville this September!

Attached you will find our Registration Package, please fill out the attendee and payment sections and send them back to me as soon as you can. The package includes the contact for our travel agent, Angela Brinkworth. She is helping our attendees set up their travel and accommodations in Nashville. If Brent decides to book his travel, etc. on his own, please note that Kathy and I will be staying at the Bode Nashville (401 President Ronald Reagan Way Nashville Tennessee 37201,) this is where most of our tours will start and stop throughout the trip.

We are very much looking forward to the tour and are happy to have Brent along to join us.

Have a great weekend,

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Jenkyns replied:

Beautiful – thanks so much Emily!

And yes — have a great long weekend!

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Within the same minute as the previous email, Jenkyns sent the registration package to Doyle to share with Brent:

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The lucky ones…

On July 1, 2023

Jenkyns wrote to Brent Molnar:

Brent — WE are the lucky ones… so lucky to chose Victoria!

So well deserved and UDI is delighted you are joining.

I hope you’re enjoying some down time this weekend!

Regards,
Jocelyn

Molnar wrote back:

Hi Jocelyn

I feel very privileged to be considered for the UDI tour to Nashville. Frankly, privileged to be noticed amongst such amazing staff at the City.

Thank you for thinking of me.

Brent Molnar

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When the discourse at city hall begins to look like an episode of Wheel of Fortune, it may be a sign that not all is well with the city and its caretaking of public funds.

The reader may recall some articles that I wrote about a UDI event called Pathways to Progress: Uniting Land Use and Transit for Sustainable Growth.

More Freedom of Information data surfaces, this time from Saanich, regarding the May 7, 2024 UDI event at the Union Club: “Pathways to Progress: Uniting Land Use and Transit Strategies for Sustainable Growth” – CRD Watch Homepage

Jenkyns, the City Manager was one of those were in attendance at the event.

She also invited a colleague to whom she wrote:

Hey Gal – do you want to attend this with me?

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Appendix: The FOI response letter from the City of Victoria.

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See also:

Plane Flights and Helijets, where taxpayer dollars go from the City of Victoria, for Development Lobby Events – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of Articles regarding Jet Flights for City of Victoria Staff to development lobby events, that were charged to the City. – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of articles about lobbying influence on the City of Victoria and deliberations regarding it. – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of articles regarding lobby events and other meetings between government and lobbyists. – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of Exorbitant Cost Estimates Provided for Freedom of Information in British Columbia – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of articles and other resources on government lavishness using public funds. – CRD Watch Homepage