Quote: Mrs Barista "If it's not due for renewal for another 3 years maybe City want to see how things pan out their side for a while longer?'"
It’s in the interests of the SMC/City to retain their political leverage for as long as possible, I strongly suspect. As the clock runs down, the sirens start to sound much louder on the council’s side. The longer SMC-City wait, the more they’re likely to get.
And, yes - discussing how to negotiate a deal to maximise benefit to one’s own side is slightly painful for me at the moment.