WL Council Business - Sept 18th

For those in Williams Lake - your Williams Lake City Council will be considering the following noteworthy items:

Delegations:

a) Brian Battison (Taseko Mines) on update re: New Prosperity
b) Irene Willsie re: Take Back the Night
c) Bettina Schoen, Suicide & Sudden Death Committee re: 'Suicide Awareness Concert & Gathering' - see more here

Business:

a) Council will receive a report from its' Director of Finance outlining a timetable to address concerns raised this year from the City of WL Auditor concerning Mail Routing, Whistleblower Policy, Solicitation of Gifts, and other items before the end of October.  Read her report here

b) Mayor Cook will propose to WL Council that it re-affirm its' support for the 'New Prosperity' mine proposal as follows:

Council confirm support for the New Prosperity mine development, provided that Provincial and Federal environmental standards are met and affected First Nations are adequately consulted; and further, that the Province of BC be requested to ensure all necessary Provincial approvals for the project are granted in a timely manner and the Cariboo Regional District be invited to make the same request of the Province.

Read the report of the CAO here

Editor's Note - given the CRD Board was quite timid about touching this subject earlier this year at the request of CRD Area 'J' Director Roger William, I don't expect the Board to broach this subject once again

c) A number of reports are coming forward regarding the 2013 Budget Process including 30 mins public input at public budget meetings on October 30, November 28 and, if required, November 29. Council will also adopt two recommendations as follows:

1) Staff bring forward a status quo budget with supplementals based on the strategic goals and priorities of Council.

2) Staff bring forward budget scenarios for discussion based on a 0%, 1.5% and 3% tax increase.

You can read the minutes of the Sept 5th Budget Meeting here

d) New Building at 3rd Ave and Cameron Street - read here
e) Mayor Cook will propose the following Resolution to Council concering the redevelopment of the 2nd Floor at Cariboo Memorial Hospital:

Council reaffirm its support for the redevelopment of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) as a high priority for the community and request the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Board to pass a similar resolution and the Interior Health Authority and the Minister of Health provide their 60% share of the project funding; and further, that Council facilitate the establishment of a ‘lobbying committee’, including the CCRHD Board, Doctor’s Association, Unions, Seniors and other stakeholders to communicate the need for the CMH redevelopment on behalf of the community

Read the CAO report here

f) In a related matter - Mayor Cook will propose to Council that Williams Lake and the Central Cariboo region remain within Interior Health given the possible upgrade of the 2nd floor at CMH as follows:

Council support Williams Lake and the Central Cariboo remaining in the Interior Health Authority

Read the report of the CAO here

Editor's Note - if the Resolution had said merely Williams Lake only and not Williams Lake and Central Cariboo, it wouldn't necessarily be a problem, from my perspective.  I can see CRD Directors' Bischoff, Kemp and Sorley saying "I don't like WL Council presuming to speak for me on the subject of whether or not Central/South Cariboo should receive health services from Interior Health vs Northern Health".  Also - the CAO report does not indicate if the CCRHD Chair John Massier was notified of this resolution coming forward.  Certainly, if I was Mayor of Williams Lake and I was about to do something that was "off-message" from the key message on this subject at the CCRHD table, namely looking at whether or not the Central/South Cariboo should continue to receive health services from Interior Health or Northern Health, I certainly would advise the CCRHD Chair of my intention to ask my City Council to pass a resolution in support of Williams Lake remaining within Interior Health. 

g) 2011-14 Strategic Priorities of Council to be adopted - read here
h) WL Council to send a letter of appreciation to those who cleaned up the 'goose poop' at Scout Island - read here
i) WL Council to allow Troy Weir (resident of Woodland Drive) to connect to City water, against advice of WL City Staff who had recommended that Mr. Weir not be allowed to connect until a common position around Water/Sewer services for Woodland Drive was indentified and agreed to between the City & all Woodland Drive residents - read here

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