By Joe Fries - Penticton Western News Updated: April 25, 2013 3:47 PM
Some municipal representatives on the regional
district board think their time could be better spent not sitting
through stretches of meetings during which they don’t have a vote on
anything. The business of the Regional District of
Okanagan-Similkameen board is split two ways: rural matters, on which
only directors from the eight electoral areas can vote; and corporate
issues, on which the rural directors and their 10 colleagues from member
municipalities all vote. Rural issues usually take up the first half of
board meetings, which are held twice a month and last about two hours,
followed by corporate business. All 18 directors also sit on five
standing committees that meet prior to the board meetings. That legislative structure was up for review at a
committee meeting last week, and while most directors agreed the system
is working, some think the board meetings should be rejigged so rural
matters are dealt with last and municipal directors, if they want, can
leave when their votes are done. “I think that would be a lot more suitable for
some of us who have to sit through two hours of debate… (to get to) five
minutes of the last corporate votes we’re interested in,” said Andrew Jakubeit, a Penticton city councillor and RDOS director. Summerland Mayor Janice Perrino agreed. “We’re all living very, very busy lives. Many of
us are doing three, four jobs,” she said. “To be honest with you, I
could really use the hour and a half for other work.” But Garry Litke, another Penticton city
councillor and RDOS director, noted rural matters in surrounding areas
like Naramata or the West Bench often impact his city, even though he
doesn’t get to vote on them. “I think municipal directors should be sitting
here through that debate just because it helps provide that entire
environmental scan,” he said. Following 45 minutes of discussion, a motion to
leave the legislative structure unchanged was defeated by a 9-8 vote.
RDOS staff will now investigate the possibility of restructuring board
meeting agendas.
Directors then gave preliminary approval to bylaw
tweaks that cover their pay and expenses, including a change that will
provide for pay at a reduced rate for attending meetings via teleconference. The scale in place now pays directors $142 per
board meeting and $47 per same-day committee meeting, but total pay for
meeting days is capped at $284. Last Thursday, five committee meetings were
scheduled between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and the board meeting was
scheduled from 1-3 p.m. Meeting money is paid out on top of a regular
monthly honorarium of $317 for municipal directors and $1,095 for rural
directors. All remuneration and expense amounts are adjusted annually
for cost of living increases. In 2011, the last year for which data is available, total compensation for the board’s salaries and expenses hit $449,559. The board also budgeted $16,968 this year for meeting-day lunches, condiments and supplies.
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