Published: September 11, 2008 6:00 PMB.C.’s community development minister is accused of short-changing the City of Vernon over governance issues.
Three members of council will meet with Blair Lekstrom Sept. 16 in Kelowna to discuss the North Okanagan Regional District’s repealing of governance authority for the Greater Vernon Services Committee. However, only half-an-hour has been allotted for the session.
“I find it hard to believe that this minister thinks half-an-hour of his time will solve the problem,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell.
In early August, all 13 members of the NORD board voted on repealing GVSC’s governance authority. Vernon’s three representatives and Coldstream’s director were opposed.
The city, though, insists that it should have only been a stakeholders’ vote among Vernon, Coldstream and Areas B and C. It claims that with two-thirds of the partners opposed, any move to scrap GVSC should have been defeated. But NORD officials have stated that repealing a bylaw is a corporate vote (all directors).
The regional district had also separately approached the jurisdictions of Vernon, Coldstream, Area B and Area C, and only the city wouldn’t support the GVSC repeal bylaw moving ahead.
Beardsell believes much of the time with Lekstrom could be taken up with detailed information from chief administrative officer Leon Gous and the city’s lawyer.
“This meeting is to get the views of council and the chief administrative officer to the minister so he understands the position of the city,” he said.
While there will be limited time with Lekstrom, city staff has been pursuing the matter with his ministry.
“I’ve been following up with senior staff in Victoria and will continue to do so,” said Gous.
Attending the meeting with Lekstrom will be Mayor Wayne Lippert and Councillors Jack Gilroy and Patrick Nicol.
NORD has now changed the name of the GVSC to the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee.
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Something is wrong with the City's way of thinking(?). NORD, as a corporate body delegated the authority to GVSC. All 13 Directors had to vote, not just the stakeholders (the stakeholders did not have the authority to establish GVSC). Since those powers were delegated by the 13 Directors it is the right of those same 13 Directors to rescind those powers.
The City pulled out of a major component of the agreement (bulk water supply portion of Greater Vernon Water). The Commission's mandate changed materially, it was not the same. When you break part of an agreement with your partners the rest of the partners have the right to withdraw from the original agreement. The Corporate Body had the right to rescind the powers given under different circumstances and with different mandate. One can't have one's cake and eat it too!
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