Steve Rant - Budgets, Process and Respect for Staff

1) In today's WL Tribune, Natalie Lynn Montoya suggested the following:

"Saying that we didn’t require all the money this year and saying we’re going to lower the budget next year and put the money that we didn’t use this year elsewhere is not using a budget properly.”

I don't agree with Ms. Montoya, in this case. If you have a surplus in a fund and it is not required, then provided that your strategic goals are being met, using the surplus money elsewhere would be appropriate, provided that Council signed off on the spending and it was not wasteful spending.

2) At the Oct 28/08 Central Cariboo Joint Committee, the issue of the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Function came up during discussion for 2009 Grant-in-Aides. Although Duncan Barnett didn't mention me by name, he mentioned that there was a individual that was vocal in opposition to this Function and suggested that residents' in Area 'F' were in favour on this Function. Establishing an Arts and Culture Function, as an Economic Development tool, is not a bad thing and I'm not opposed to that, provided that the Function is used for that purpose and it is something that has broad support from Area residents and all necessary information is provided to the residents' so they can make an informed decision (i.e.: Synopsis of Bylaw and Draft Business Plan and any other relevant documentation)

In this case, the above was not done and consequently, residents' want the Arts and Culture Function withdrawn, at least that is the message I'm receiving at the door while I'm out campaigning in Area 'F' of the Cariboo Regional District

3) During discussions on amendments to the Solid Waste Function for Central Cariboo, Duncan Barnett clashed, or at least, appeared to me to be clashing with CRD Staff. I've said time and again, you must treat Staff like human beings and you treat them the same manner as you would like to be treated. It is, after all, the right and humane thing to do. I intend to push aggressively for a "Code of Conduct for CRD Directors" to ensure clashes between CRD Directors and CRD Director(s) - CRD Staff come to an end. We have many issues to deal with and clashing publicly between a CRD Director and CRD/City Staff is not efficient useful of meeting time, either at the CRD Board or at the Joint Committee level

4) Also today in the WL Tribune, CRD Director for Area 'E' Brandy Dickey, while announcing her bid for a 2nd Term, said this:

"I saw phase one of Cariboo Memorial Complex completed on-budget and on time"

Unfortunately, the above statement can not be supported by fact. The fact remains that Director Dickey, along with WL City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor and CRD/City of WL Staff worked together, as a team, to get the Phase 1 Upgrade to the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex done on time and on budget. I've sent a "letter to the editor" correcting her statement to the Williams Lake Tribune. There is an old saying that applies in this case: "There is no "I" in Team"