Upcoming Local Gov't Business....

Tomorrow - a number of local gov'ts are meeting and here's my take on the business that they'll be considering:

North Cariboo Joint Committee:

1) Eric Wickham, Committee Chair & Wyle Bystedt Fundraising Coordinator from the Multi-Centre Fundraising Committee to appear before the Joint Committee - Editor's Note - looking forward to hearing what they present to the Joint Committee as time is running out on the $15 million borrowing authority from North Cariboo Recreation taxpayers' to build a Multi-Centre (Nov 15th, 2013).  Here are the minutes from the Fundraising Committee's Dec 14th, 2011 meeting - read here

2) New Appointment to Multi-Centre Fundraising Committee - see here
3) Rick Hansen will not be attending Quesnel "Rick Hansen" Relay Event in March - see here (Editor's Note - good bet that if Mr. Hansen won't attend the Quesnel Relay Event, then Williams Lake won't see him either)

City of Williams Lake:

1) 3 Delegations - a) Members from local BIA (sign MOU), b) Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy (Literacy Week Proclamation) and c) Inspector Brown re: RCMP Crime Stats

2) New Memo of Understanding between City of WL & WL Central BIA (Business Improvement Area) - read MOU here.  Editor's note - this is good news for both organizations and hopefully leads to a more fruitful relationship between Council and organization that represents downtown business owners...

3) Heritage Values Workshop on Saturday, January 21st at WL Fire Hall (Hodgson Rd) from 9am to 2pm - see here

4) Two zoning amendment bylaws for adoption (555 Wotzke Dr and 1800 Kozuki Rd) - see here (Kozuki) and here (Wotzke).  As the bylaw for 1800 Kozuki Rd will be adopted - Council can now proceed to adopt a Development Variance Permit, also for 1800 Kozuki Rd. - see Staff report from Oct 4th, 2011 WL Council meeting here

5) Council will receive In-Camera Report #10-2011, as follows:

At the In-Camera Meeting of Council held December 20, 2011, the following Resolution was passed:

Moved and Seconded

“That pursuant to the request of the Big Lake Community in their letter dated December 18, 2011, Council communicate to the community of Big Lake their intent to meet in January 2012 regarding the City of Williams Lake – Williams Lake Indian Band Community Forest proposal.”

This item is being brought forward to a Regular Meeting of Council to become a matter of public record.

However, as I read this, receipt of a letter normally doesn't qualify to be discussed "behind closed doors" however, if the In-Camera Report read like this:

"At the In-Camera Meeting of Council held December 20, 2011 "and under the provisions of Section 90(1)(x) of the Community Charter", the following Resolution was passed..."

then that would bring maximum certainty to the public, in my mind, that Council had the legal basis to receive a letter "behind closed doors"

6) Council will receive a report from the City's CAO asking for authorization to permit Mayor Cook and Councillors Bourdon, Walters, and Zacharias to attend the Local Government Leadership Academy (LGLA) 2012 Elected Officials Seminar in Prince George, BC from February 27 to 29 - see the CAO report here.  The CAO states that $5,000 will be used from Mayor Cook and Councillors' Bourdon, Walters and Zacharias's travel budgets'and the CAO travel budget.  The CAO will also attend with his travel costs expended out of his own travel budget.  With George Cuff (renowed expert in local gov't systems) being in Williams Lake on Jan 17th for CRD (Cariboo Regional District) Directors' (see more info here) - discussions could have taken place to do the same thing in Prince George here and save taxpayers' money for returning elected officials (Cook, Zacharias, Bourdon and Walters) and send newly elected officials like Councillors Ivan Bonnell (local gov't law has changed since last elected in 2002) and Danica Hughes (1st time elected) to Prince George instead

School District #27:

1) Appts of Trustees to various Committees (Internal/External) - Board Chair W. Van Osch to announce at the meeting

2) Trustees to attend "Targeting Technology for Maximum Student Benefit" - read more details here