Rules aimed at keeping the Niagara Parks Commission's search for a boat-tour provider "above board" mean commissioners are to avoid contact with potential bidders, but wouldn't disqualify a bidder who does attempt to lobby members of the government agency.

"This has no consequences for anyone other than commissioners and senior staff," said NPC general manager John Kernahan, after consulting with the "fairness commissioner," one of three experts appointed to help the agency through a controversial bidding process that could result in a new company replacing the Maid of the Mist.

Some commissioners had wondered if Bill Windsor, whose company Alcatraz Media plans to bid on a parks-issued lease, could sink his own chances by frequently emailing Niagara Parks Commission members.

"This guy's emailing the commissioners. He's emailing everybody. I'd be surprised if he hasn't emailed the Pope," said Vince Kerrio, a Niagara Falls councillor who represents the city on the parks commission's board.

During Friday's parks commission meeting – its first-ever in public – Kerrio wondered if Windsor's emails could be viewed as "lobbying," something commissioners are required to resist.

"To me, that would be something the fairness commissioner would have to put a stop to immediately," Kerrio said.

Parks commissioners have been instructed by a fairness commissioner not to have any contact with representatives of companies likely to bid on a lease on property necessary to run boat tours from the Canadian shore, parks commission general manager Kernahan said during Friday's board meeting.

"The issue is all contact about this be above board," Kernahan said.

Parks commissioners are expected to resist any attempt to influence them and report it to the fairness commissioner, one of three consultants assigned to help the parks commission through the a bidding process to select an operator of boat tours on the Niagara River. But if bidders do lobby commissioners, there are no ramifications because the no-contact rules only apply to commissioners and senior staff, Kernahan said.

Windsor, a representative of Atlanta, Ga.-based Alcatraz Media, sends regular email messages to some parks commissioners and to other provincial government and local officials.

Windsor said he has not been "lobbying" parks members on Alcatraz's behalf, though some of them might have received his correspondence indirectly because he sends messages to a wide variety of elected officials.

"There may be a couple of them on my rumour control email list as elected government officials in Ontario. If a commissioner is receiving these emails, please go into your email system and block me. Very simple," Windsor wrote in an email to The Review.

Please see Wednesday's Review for full story.