Wednesday, February 6, 2013

City of WL responds to Cariboo RD Civil Claim

On Tuesday Jan 15th - the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) initiated legal proceedings against the City of Williams Lake asking a BC Supreme Court justice to rule that the City of Williams Lake must honour an reached agreement for fire services to those residing in CRD Rural Fringe areas within Areas D, E, and F.

View the CRD court claim below:



The City of Williams Lake then had 21 business days to response to the CRD's Court Claim.  View their response below:



In short - the City rejects the claim by the Cariboo Regional District and asks the Court to reject what the Cariboo Regional District is seeking (force City to honour its' original offer) and give Court costs to the City

If either side rejects each other views' - I can't see how mediation will work out but good on the CRD for trying every effort to reach a fair settlement for all sides

Finally - both Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook and City of WL Ivan Bonnell complained about the City not being a member of the CRD's Williams Lake Fringe Area Fire Protection Standing Committee but the CRD had no choice as they needed to remove the obvious conflict of interest, had the CRD permitted Williams Lake to be a member of the Standing Committee.  Bonnell went so far as to suggest rural taxpayers' pick up the tab for the operations of that Standing Committee.  As one taxpayer of Williams Lake - I don't accept that argument.  Rural taxpayers' already are paying their court costs and operations of the Board (including Committees) are funded through the appropriate budgets so I really don't see a problem here

-- SBF

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