Steve Rant - Outcome of June 8th WL Council Meeting

1) Deferral Motions

As a Co-Chair of the City's Advisory Planning Commission (APC) and Chair of the Cariboo Regional District's Area 'D' APC, I'm required to be handy on motion-making because members of both City/CRD APC's would look to me as the Presiding Officer of these bodies to provide advice as to how to make motions among other things.

During consideration of this motion --

That the report of the Planning Technician dated May 28, 2010 be received and Council direct Staff to work with the applicant to organize the upcoming public consultation meeting, scheduled for Monday, June 21, 2010 at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall, regarding the Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 2110

Mayor Cook asked for a motion to defer or table the above pending a Comprehensive Development Plan for the Prosperity Ridge site. Now, most elected officials will either know themselves or get advised by City Staff that once a motion to table or defer has been properly moved and seconded, then there is no debate on the motion and it is immediately voted on.

Mayor Cook allowed discussion on it - this is shameful, given she had both the CAO (Chief Administrator) and the Manager of Legislative Services sitting right beside her and they should informed her immediately that a table or defer motion is not debatable. Furthermore, Mayor Cook herself should know how to handle defer motions, given her 3 years of local government experience as a City Councillor during the 1996-1999 term of Williams Lake City Council

2) Councillor Walters & May 19th Central Cariboo Joint Committee Meeting

During consideration of the minutes from the May 19th Central Cariboo Joint Committee meeting, Councillor Walters made mention of the following recommendation, by consensus:

"That the memorandum dated May 11, 2010 from Darron Campbell, Manager of Community Services regarding the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture (CCAC) stakeholder working group report, be received. Further, that the recommendation as presented to form a new society for delivery of the CCAC function, be endorsed. Further, that an application be submitted to the 2010 Legacies Now Creative Communities grant program for development of a cultural business plan and that $10,000 be committed from the 2010 CCAC budget as matching funds for the grant application. Further, that staff arrange to meet with Director Bischoff to go over concerns she has regarding the report"

What Councillor Walters failed to mention was the little fact that Director Bischoff expressed her opposition to this motion. It would be nice if Councillor Walters would, once in a while, remember to express all the facts when it comes to the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Function and not the ones that support her and her friends in the Arts and Culture community. It would go a long way to bridge the gap between those who support local taxation for the Arts and Culture sector in the Central Cariboo and those who do not including those in both the City and in CRD Electoral Areas D, E, F.