As I've noted in the last few days - the Cariboo Regional District issued a press release this past Friday suggesting the City of Williams Lake has reneged on its' 1st offer to Cariboo RD rural fringe residents in parts of Areas D, E, F for fire protection. In addition - Both Cariboo RD Area 'F' Director Joan Sorley was interviewed Monday by CBC Daybreak Kamloops and CRD Chair Al Richmond was interviewed by both Welcome to Williams Lake and The Rush on the latest turn of events on rural fringe fire protection.
Last night - Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook asked Council to limit their comments in relation to In-Camera Report #15 - 2012 (see below), given the Cariboo Regional District press release of last Friday and the fact that Council was going to deliberate further on this subject In-Camera immediately following last night's WL City Council meeting:
“That Council enter into a 1 year agreement with the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) to provide fire protection to those areas of D, E, and F based on the maximum requisition indicated in the Regional District’s Bylaw and further, prior to the expiration of this agreement, the City and CRD enter into discussions for renewal of fire protection services.”
As I noted yesterday - WL City Councillor SPS Rathor opposed receipt of In-Camera Report #15-2012 as he supported the term length (1 year) but not the amount of money involved
As anyone in corporate communications will tell you - you don't allow your "opponent" to outwit you by framing the message in your own mind to the public. Certainly - Council could have had an emergency conference call this past weekend and had something out on Monday or even Tuesday during the day, given CRD Chair Al Richmond's comments that the City had been sent a letter already requesting re-consideration of its' new offer for rural fringe fire protection
I hope, for the City's sake, that a press release will be issued later today explaining its' side of the story because so far, the Cariboo RD has been quite successful in framing the City as a 'bully' to rural fringe residents for fire protection. Meanwhile - the Cariboo RD, I would imagine, is getting impatient with the City, as any legal or financial option that needs to be pursued prior to Dec 31st, would need to be acted on, either Wed, Thurs or Friday of this week and next Thursday and Friday and on Monday, Dec 31st, given the Cariboo Regional District's insistence that fire protection remain in place, for the interim, for rural fringe residents, starting on Jan 1, 2013
-- SBF
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