One Taxpayer's Concern at WL City Hall (Updated)

Yesterday, after I blogged on Cliff Wyatt's full-page ad in the Williams Lake Tribune Weekend on snow removal services, I received the following comment and I'd thought I would share it with everybody.  I'm also going to look into this poster's concern over possible lost Tourism dollars

SBF

UPDATE - UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities) reports that a Phase 2 Tourism Grant the City of Williams Lake received last year has not reported out by the required date of August 31st, 2010 and has not formally asked for an extension and if it doesn't report by Monday or ask for an extension by then, then it'll lose $20,958.57.  Again - voters' in Williams Lake should ask where Mayor Cook and WL Council's priorities are.... and how they could allow Staff not ensuring it reports on use of UBCM funds and also ensuring we get the full 100% grant, rather than 75%.  Will taxpayers' have to pay money back if we don't get the full 100% grant for whatever tourism project the UBCM's $83,674.28 went towards??

I think we can add snow removal to the list of a drop in services. In light of the Fire Hall cost overruns I thought I would try and get a bit more informed with our local government and what is happening within the City of Williams Lake. I took the opportunity to read the council agenda and then review the outcome.
I have to say I am now really concerned about what is happening. Where as I tend to be apolitical by nature I think someone needs to step in and review the city's operations.
First off I am confused as to how the City could just allow an outside party to have complete say into a capital project funded by the taxpayers....isn't that what got Jack in trouble when he bought those beans. I agree with a previous post in wondering what exactly happened in the meetings when all the senior staff met weekly to discuss the project. Now to find out that the project was 3/4 of a million dollars over in costs....that has to be way more then just a "calculating error on soil removal". Someone is not being up front and transparent to the taxpayers.
I then noticed on the agenda a report brought forward from staff asking that they be provided a higher per diem for travel. I was shocked as most people in the region are with out jobs or working at substandard wages City staff felt they should be given more money for their travel. I looked at the communities they compared WL too and was shocked even further in that they compared us to communities that are bigger or have a bigger tax base...who makes those decisions and shame on you who ever did.
Further on down the line I noticed a letter to City Council outlining the status of grants awarded to the City of Williams Lake. One of them was for Tourism and according to the report the deadline for a report to be submitted is now 8 months overdue and if not submitted by January 31, 2011 we will lose over $80,000. I thought the need to diversify our economy was a priority, yet the City let this money slip away. The letter went on to indicate that the City did not even pay the courtesy of asking for an extension. If the City was not going to act upon the grant they applied for they should have informed someone so someone else could use the funds. This to me presents egg on our face....and that in light of what has been happening in our beautiful City is not something we need.
Why was staff's priority putting effort into a report that would give them more money and not a report that would further the City's tourism concerns. Hats off to Council for rejecting the recommendation for an increase in per diems and in particular to Councillor Rathor for continuing to ask for accountability. A bit of concern expressed to Mayor Cook and Councillor Hebert who feel it unnecessary to review the misplaced priorities and the fire hall over runs. Now all of current Council should ask themselves if you are sensitive to what the community is going through and are you representing your constituents in the best way possible. It is one thing trusting staffs recommendations it is another thing following them with blind faith. Taxpayers only have the power to hold you accountable.