Tuesday, September 15, 2009

UBCM meeting pre-empts council

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: September 15, 2009 7:00 PM

There will be one less gathering of council this month as Vernon’s politicians head out of town.The Sept. 28 regular council meeting has been cancelled so Mayor Wayne Lippert and four councillors can attend the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver. “It’s not a holiday. It’s a lot of work,” said Lippert of attending the event, which runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. And Lippert believes it is crucial to have most of council there if Vernon’s interests are to be represented fully. “There’s opportunities to meet with the different (provincial) ministers and other organizations like RCMP and the ambulance service,” he said. Vernon and other communities also bring forward issues for debate in the hopes that they will ultimately sway provincial policy.

But because of the number of meetings and workshops, having a contingent available for debate is often difficult. “There are so many things to vote on at UBCM,” said Coun. Jack Gilroy, who is also attending. Gilroy insists that Vernon’s role at UBCM is important and that any work missed at the cancelled council meeting will still be addressed. Besides Gilroy and Lippert, also going to UBCM are Councillors Buffy Baumbrough, Shawn Lee, Mary-Jo O’Keefe and Leon Gous, chief administrative officer. It will cost between $700 and $800 for each person to attend.

Baumbrough has been asked by MLA Eric Foster to participate in discussions about meat regulations. While the city is willing to share part of the cost for her to attend, it will also ask the North Okanagan Regional District today to contribute financially. “If it’s an important matter for the city, it’s an important matter for the area,” said Lippert.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

enjoy your holiday you money grabbers, this trip won't help vernon at all.