Resolving Greater Vernon’s ongoing parks dispute could slide behind closed doors. The Regional District of North Okanagan is holding
another round of talks between the participants in the parks and
recreation service Wednesday and April 30 But it’s suggested by some
that the meetings should not be in front of the public or the media. “It changes the dynamic when it’s public,” said director Doug Dirk. Dirk says there are some items, such as those impacting staff, that should be pursued in private. “These are negotiations and you don’t negotiate in a forum.” However, RDNO administrator Trafford Hall is urging directors to be cautious about possibly closing the doors. “In-camera rules are governed by provincial legislation,” he said. While some of the matters may be considered
confidential — legal, labour or property — Hall says many of the issues
don’t conform to in-camera. “The large part of it is, ‘Should we be partners in parks?’ and that’s a public discussion,” he said. Vernon, Coldstream and the two electoral areas met in
February, the first formal session of a parks and recreation review
since last summer. Participants have disagreed over governance of the
function, control over parks maintenance, service contracts and who is
responsible for the recreation complex. The service review meetings will be held Wednesday and April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the RDNO office.
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It’s time to remind some Greater Vernon politicians who they work for. The Regional District of North Okanagan is trying to
set up another round of talks to hopefully resolve the woefully painful
parks and recreation dispute. But it has been suggested by some that the
process should be behind closed doors. “It changes the dynamic when it’s public,” said director Doug Dirk. Obviously an audience can lead to posturing and
theatrics, but having the public present can also result in
accountability and elected officials feeling the pressure to come up
with compromises. Dirk goes on to say that “these are negotiations and
you don’t negotiate in a forum.” But virtually all of the previous
sessions have been open to the public, so what makes this round
different? There are items that are considered confidential under
provincial legislation — labour, legal and land — and if specific
situations arise, the politicians can go behind closed doors. But most
of the talks are general in nature and deal with which facilities should
remain in the function, how the service should be governed and if there
should even be a partnership. All Greater Vernon residents have a vested interest in
the outcome of this process. Parks, recreation and culture are those
amenities that people feel a deep connection to, and they also make up a
considerable portion of the tax bill. They need to know what is going
on, either by attending the meetings themselves or accessing the
information through the media, In the end, if the politicians believe they are doing what is best for their constituents, what do they have to hide?
1 comment:
There is no reason for these discussions to be closed to the public. Most of us are willing to discuss issues in public and most of us campaigned on supporting open government. We must practice what we preach!
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