Though council has yet to make a decision on honorariums for the Vernon Land Corporation, members of another city committee is weighing in on the issue.Joanne Georgeson of the Advisory Planning Board sent a letter to city council and
city staff saying that if one committee receives payment they all should.“I was stunned that any volunteer committee/board/corporation working for the City of Vernon would even consider asking for any type of payment for services rendered,” she said in the letter.In an interview, Georgeson a member of the board since the early 1990s, said it never even occurred to her to seek financial compensation. She said she doesn’t see why the Land Corporation is deserving of honorariums while other committees aren’t“They’ve got a lot of committees in the city. I can’t see where at this point that committee is doing any more work than the rest,” she said.Georgeson said the board meets twice a month and spends a significant amount of their own personal time driving to on average four or five different development proposal sites before each meeting. She said members of all the city’s committees have been willing to put in their own time and do research at their own expense.She said they do it for “the satisfaction of trying to help the city, of trying to help council make good decisions.”“I wouldn’t expect money; it’s a volunteer job,” she said.In writing the letter, Georgeson said she wanted to make sure that council understands the hardwork and dedication it takes for citizens to take part in the city’s committees.“The reason I wrote it is because there are four new councillors,” she said. Georgeson said that with the acquisition of most of the properties on the Coldstream Hotel Block there is little left for the land corporation to do.“I can understand when they were dealing with the Coldstream property and the Elks property,” she said. “I don’t think from what I’ve been hearing that they’re doing anything major – I think the biggest job is done.”When asked what she hoped council would do with the letter, Georgeson replied that it was up to them decide how to handle it.
city staff saying that if one committee receives payment they all should.“I was stunned that any volunteer committee/board/corporation working for the City of Vernon would even consider asking for any type of payment for services rendered,” she said in the letter.In an interview, Georgeson a member of the board since the early 1990s, said it never even occurred to her to seek financial compensation. She said she doesn’t see why the Land Corporation is deserving of honorariums while other committees aren’t“They’ve got a lot of committees in the city. I can’t see where at this point that committee is doing any more work than the rest,” she said.Georgeson said the board meets twice a month and spends a significant amount of their own personal time driving to on average four or five different development proposal sites before each meeting. She said members of all the city’s committees have been willing to put in their own time and do research at their own expense.She said they do it for “the satisfaction of trying to help the city, of trying to help council make good decisions.”“I wouldn’t expect money; it’s a volunteer job,” she said.In writing the letter, Georgeson said she wanted to make sure that council understands the hardwork and dedication it takes for citizens to take part in the city’s committees.“The reason I wrote it is because there are four new councillors,” she said. Georgeson said that with the acquisition of most of the properties on the Coldstream Hotel Block there is little left for the land corporation to do.“I can understand when they were dealing with the Coldstream property and the Elks property,” she said. “I don’t think from what I’ve been hearing that they’re doing anything major – I think the biggest job is done.”When asked what she hoped council would do with the letter, Georgeson replied that it was up to them decide how to handle it.
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