Present:
Mayor Cook and Councillors’ I. Bonnell, G. Bourdon, D. Hughes, SPS Rathor, L. Walters and S. Zacharias
Staff Present:
Brian Carruthers - CAO
Geoff Goodall – GM of Planning and Operations
Rena Schill – Corporate Services Records Management Coordinator
Tom Chung – IT Manager
Ken MacInnis – Communications Coordinator
Chris Hutton – Planning Technician
Anne Burrill – Manager of Social Development
Meeting called to order at 6:03pm
Minutes of April 3rd, 2012 WL Council meeting approved
Delegations/Presentations:
1) Allison Ruault of Interior Health appeared before Council to give an update on health services in Williams Lake area including Deni House, integrated health services, practioner support program, changes to residential care policy (emphasis on home care as long as possibility), diabetes, lab progam at CMH, wine tasting event at Gibraltar Room on May 5th (fundraising event for Cariboo Hospital Memorial Trust – Mammography Machine)
2) Jay Goddard, Tracey Elkins and Tatijana Yung from the TRU Sustainability Committee appeared before Council regarding the "Awakening the Dreamer" Sustainability Forum on April 21, 2012 at the TRU WL Campus
3) Patrick Newsome (WL Junior Councillor) appeared before Council to give a ‘Junior Council’ update on April 26th Youth Forum at TRU
Business:
1) Council amended its’ internal Committee appointments where responsibility for Scout Island was transferred from the Community Services to the Planning & Operations Committee
2) Council received for information a report from the Manager of Economic Development indicating the 2012 Economic Development Association of BC Awards process and determining that none of the City's current economic development projects, including the BEAS project, meet the awards program categories or ranking criteria
3) Council received the 2012 First Quarter Economic Indicators Report for information.
4) Council approved the proposed mural project at 298 Proctor Street, on the corner of Third Avenue and Proctor Street (RONA Store)
5) Council approved the Annual Tim Horton's Bicycle Rodeo on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at the Canadian Tire parking lot from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Meeting recessed at 6:53pm to conduct Public Hearing at 7pm on Bylaw #2152
Meeting resumed at 7:13pm
6) Council received a report from the Planning Technician regarding Heritage Value Workshop Outcomes and directed Staff to work with the Heritage Advisory Committee to proceed with further public input over the summer months on the heritage values drafted out of this Heritage Value Workshop
7) Council adopted two Central Cariboo Joint Committee recommendations as follows:
a) a member from the Seniors Advisory Committee be added to the Pool Task Force Committee; and further, the Pool Task Force Terms of Reference be amended to include the additional member
b) Ross McCoubrey, from the Seniors Advisory Committee, be appointed to the Pool Task Force and Diana French be appointed as his alternate.
8) Bylaws #2152, 2156 and 2157 were adopted by Council – Councillor Rathor registered a ‘no’ vote to adoption of Bylaw #2156 (APC Repeal) while Councillors Bonnell, Hughes and Rathor registered ‘no’ votes to adoption of Bylaw #2157 (2012-2016 5 Yr Financial Plan/2012 Budget)
9) Council adopted 1 recommendation from its’ Committee of the Whole meeting last week, as follows:
a) Approval be given for the installation of up to twelve inspirational quotes by the Girl Guides on the exterior fence of Kiwanis Park, to be removed no later than October 30, 2012; and further, Staff be directed to work with the Girl Guides group to ensure all signage is appropriately constructed and installed in Kiwanis Park
10) Council gave approval for the annual Stampede Parade on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
11) Minutes of the March 28th Central Cariboo Joint Committee meeting were received and all recommendations contained in the minutes were endorsed by Council
12) Council declared two proclamations as follows:
a) "Day of Mourning" - April 28, 2012
b) "Day of the Honey Bee" - May 29, 2012
13) Council received for information two In-Camera Reports as follows:
a) In-Camera Report #1-2012 - appointments to the Accessibility Advisory Committee and Heritage Advisory Committee for the 2012 term
b) In-Camera Report #2-2012 - receipt of the March 27, 2012 letter from the BC Human Rights Tribunal advising of the dismissal of Ms. Candie Laporte’s Human Rights complaint be received and Council issue a statement regarding the settlement
During consideration of Item H2 – Mayor Cook read out the following statement:
Candie Laporte, the former Director of Finance for the City, filed a human rights claim against the City of Williams Lake in May 2011 alleging discrimination on the basis of sex in respect of wages. The City strongly felt that it had not breached the Human Rights Code. The parties agreed to attend a mediation with the Tribunal on January 24, 2012, to see if there was a way to resolve this complaint without proceeding any further with the complaint. In doing so, the parties were successful and resolved the complaint.
The resulting settlement was an economic and practical resolution of the complaint and it did not constitute any admission of wrongdoing, liability, blame, or lack of confidence in the merits of its case by the City. In agreeing to settle, the City recognized that the costs to defend this complaint, even if it was successful, was going to be much larger than the sum to be paid to Ms. Laporte.
The City felt that it was more responsible to the taxpayers to resolve the complaint at mediation rather than paying the City’s lawyers to defend the complaint even though the City was confident the complaint would be dismissed. In return for Ms. Laporte agreeing to withdraw her complaint and release the City from any further claims or actions, the City made a business decision to pay $15,000.00 to Ms. Laporte.
14) Late Item - Council approved the proposed 2012 Municipal Property Tax Rates and Bylaw No. 2158 (2012 Tax Rates) was given 1st, 2nd and 3rd Reading – Councillors Rathor and Bonnell opposed
15) Council received the “Council Information Package” as of April 17th as follows:
a) March 22, 2012 - Letter from NDIT to the Williams Lake Cycling Club re Approval of Funding for Snakes and Ladders Signature Trail Development - read here
b) March 30, 2012 - CRD Board Highlights - read here
c) April 2, 2012 - Response Letter from Interior Health to RE/MAX Williams Lake Realty re Future Redevelopment of Cariboo Memorial Hospital - read here
Meeting adjourned at 8:34pm and recovened In-Camera, persaunt to Section 90(1a) of the Community Charter
Editor’s Note – Elke Reiner requested and was denied permission to speak to WL Council regarding Bylaw #2158 but was requested by Mayor Cook to provide her comments in writing to Williams Lake Council on Bylaw #2158
2 comments:
What kind of president does it set to make a $15000 payment to someone the city believes does not deserve it? To someone they believe would not have been successful in court. Perhaps more people will start city lawsuits with the expectation of getting rich quick.
If the city truely would have won in court they would have been entitled to some court costs and other expenses I'm sure.
Was this a smart "business" desicion or perhaps just another city screw up and are now once again trying to cover their a**.
Hmmmmmmmmm
First off, its precedent....
Second, most municipalities and corps will weigh the decision to go for a no fault payout or go to court. If the costs of court exceed the costs of payout for no fault to make it stop, i say it was the smart move. Saved taxpayers alot of money later on.
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