In a year that saw Williams Lake Council more 'busier' than their counterparts in Wells, Quesnel, 100 Mile House and the Cariboo Regional District, here's a brief look back at the year that was in local politics...
Jan to April 2013 - City of Williams Lake/Cariboo Regional District continue their 'public' fight over Rural Fringe Fire Protection which led to a 5 year deal for Fire Protection to Rural Fringe residents in parts of Cariboo RD Areas D, E, F until 2018
February 2013 - City of Williams Lake announces it has hired a new CAO in Don DeGagne only to rescind the appointment in late Feb 2013. This matter is still undergoing litigation (lawsuit) in the courts for determination sometime in 2014 and may impact City of Williams Lake taxpayers in 2014, should the City in fact lose this lawsuit
March 2013 - Several Quesnel residents' initiate lawsuit against Quesnel Council in regards to severance payout to former Quesnel City Manager John Stecyk
April 2013 - Facilitated Meeting at 150 Mile House in regards to WL Community Forest. Both WL Council/WL Indian Band in attendance. 100 people in attendance
May 2013 - St Joseph's Mission Commemoration Event. Lots of community support for this event is evident
June 2013 - City of Williams Lake announces that it has hired Darrell Garceau as the City's CAO effective July 2013
June 2013 - Several residents in Quesnel launch lawsuit declaring approved secondary suite in Johnston Sub to be 'null and void'. Matter considered in BC Supreme Court on July 10th, 2013 and ruled in favour of the City of Quesnel
July 2013 - Quesnel lawsuit in regards to severance payout to John Stecyk abandoned
September 5th, 2013 - Williams Lake City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor placed under arrest on a charge of 'Obstruction of Justice'. Matter to be dealt with in court sometime in 2014
September 7th, 2013 - South Cariboo residents' approve new Search and Rescue Function in their area for 2014 as well as changes to South Cariboo Recreation. Residents in Area J of the Cariboo RD approve new Search and Rescue Function for 2014
September 8th, 2013 - Another WL Community Forest Meeting held at Miocene. Williams Lake Council/WL Indian Band are 'no-shows' at this meeting. Also - local Big Lake resident Bee Hooker pleads with residents of Williams Lake, in a letter to the editor & news story in Williams Lake Tribune to ask their elected officials to show respect to their 'rural neighbours' and work together to have a Community Forest that works for everyone
Late Sept 2013 - Successful 'Orange Shirt Day' events in the Cariboo - a big thanks to Cariboo RD Area F Director Joan Sorley and many others working together who made this event a big success
November 2013 - Proposed North Cariboo Multicentre receives devastating blow as the Loan Authorization Bylaw to borrow up to $15 million for the construction of a Multicentre in Quesnel was not renewed for another 5 years. Members of the North Cariboo Joint Committee will be holding a 'Strategic Planning Session' as to what to do next in mid Jan 2014
December 2013 - Al Richmond/Ted Armstrong returned for a 6th consecutive term as Cariboo Regional District Chair/Vice-Chair respectively.
For myself - it was a busy year starting in Feb 2013 when I was appointed the Cariboo RD Area D Alternate Director and thus I was asked on numerous occasions, by Area D Director Deb Bischoff, to represent Area D at various Cariboo Regional District meetings this year and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then in September of 2013, I was appointed Chair of the local Catholic School Council (School Board) which manages the affairs of the local Catholic School in Williams Lake. In 2014 - I expect to remain busy in these two roles for the foreseeable future
Finally -- as 2014 is an election year, all local governments in the Cariboo-Chilcotin have two primary tasks to complete:
1) Pass 2014 Budgets
2) Have their Staffs conduct the 2014 Local Government General Election
In addition, each sub-region will be focusing on the following:
a) North Cariboo -- next steps for renewal of North Cariboo Recreation Facilities
b) Central Cariboo - Nov 15th, 2014 Referendum for $11.3 million project (borrow $10 million and obtain funds for remaining $1.3 million) for Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex which includes upgrades to Sam Ketcham Pool and other upgrades
c) South Cariboo - discussion on Community Forest in Forest Grove area, further progress on South Cariboo Community Foundation
Also - Decisions are pending on both the WL Community Forest and 'New Prosperity' which both projects will have impacts on the future of the Central Cariboo region for a significant period of time to come
During the 1st half of 2014 -- you can expect your elected officials (Wells, Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Cariboo Regional District and School Districts 27/28) to decide if they wish to run for another term or call it a day. Some have made up their minds already like Williams Lake City Councillor Danica Hughes who said this past August that she would not seek another term so her seat will be up for grabs on Nov 15th, 2014 as well as Cariboo RD Area D Director Deb Bischoff who said this past September that she would also bow out.
As the current Area D Alternate Director, I will be announcing my local election plans no later than June 1st, 2014. Expect to see robust elections in Quesnel/Williams Lake in 2014 while tame elections in Wells/100 Mile House and the Cariboo Regional District will occur, in my opinion. While School District 28 elections is likely to be tame in 2014, elections for the 3 Trustees in Williams Lake for School District 27 could get robust given the school closures for Glendale/Kwaleen Elementary Schools recently...
Finally - Williams Lake City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor's political future is, literally, in the hands of a Supreme Court Judge when he/she considers Rathor's 'Obstruction of Justice' Charge sometime in 2014.
*If* Rathor loses - there will likely be not enough time to appeal the Court ruling and still run for Williams Lake Council. Bear in mind, voters in Port Coquitlam rejected the bid of their former Mayor Scott Young as he was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, ran for Port Coquitlam Council and lost and you can expect the same here, if Rathor was convicted of Obstruction and ran for WL Council in Nov 2014
*If* Rathor wins and the Crown chooses not to appeal the Court ruling - then Rathor would in the clear to announce either a 8th campaign for his Councillor seat or a possible Mayoralty bid
The various election races will kick off in September 2014 when the Chief Election Officer for all local governments in the Cariboo-Chilcotin will announce that various elected posts (Mayors, Councillors, EA Directors and School District Trustees) are up for Nomination in late Sept/early Oct 2014 and Nominations will be accepted during a 10 day window which starts on Sept 30th, 2014 and concludes on October 10th, 2014
As always - I will endeavour to keep you informed as to what your local governments are doing and when they are meeting and look forward to your comments here
Thanks to all of my visitors here in 2013 and may 2014 be successful for you all
~SF
1 comment:
Steve, have you ever heard the phrase "paradigm shift"? Of course you must have. "Devastating blow" for the multicenter? How about "democratic victory"? A strong majority voted against the question, and it was a far greater majority than what the Quesnel Mayor was elected with in the squeaking victory that she has overparlayed as any sort of confidence mandate where her public support is concerned.....facebook and twitter notwithstanding. She and Council are so extremely out of touch and so arrogant, that they spent thousands of taxpayer dollars promoting a cause that the people didn't support, and were shocked at the referendum result....how could they have been so disconnected you ask? Groupthink and leadership arrogance might be the answers. It was not a devastating blow, rather, it was many other good things that will make these people stick their heads outside the Sjostrom bubble and use their minds independently.
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