The city of Vernon has three reps attending the Union of BC Municipalities conference in Whistler, but not to meet with provincial cabinet ministers. Mayor Rob Sawatzky says they feel those meetings are not worthwhile. "They're speed dating. The ministers are very distracted and very time-limited. Our administration is very experienced and they find those are not productive meetings." says Sawatzky. Sawatzky -- who is joined in Whistler by councillor Juliette Cunningham and administrator Will Pearce -- says they try to book the minsters at other times, if they have issues to discuss. The mayor says municipal officials are debating 150 resolutions at the conference, that run the gamut. "(One is) funding for 911 calls. There's are thousands of accidental 911 calls which cause great expense to the local governments when they respond. There's funding for ambulances and disabled children, and resolutions on how annexations should be handled," says the mayor. While some critics have called the conferences a waste of taxpayer money, Sawatzky calls them vital for relations between municipalities and the BC government. "The provincial government takes these very seriously. It is the most consistent, strong interaction between local government and the province, so I think they are absolutely essential," adds Sawatzky. Vernon has two resolutions among the 150, including one calling on ICBC to fully fund claims involving local government infrastructure.
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107.5 KISSFM Poll Results at 6:30 PM
 Do you agree with Vernon's mayor that the UBCM conference is worth the expense of attending ? | ||
|---|---|---|
| another waste of tax dollars | ||
| 19- | 44.2% | |
| yes | ||
| 15- | 34.9% | |
| no | ||
| 9- | 20.9% | |
| Number of Voters | : 43 |
1 comment:
Not meeting with the ministers over matters like the congestion on Highway 97 and 43rd avenue and possible solutions does make the trip seem futile. The high lights of my experience at the UBCM were the visits with the ministers.I found the ministers were always well prepared to discuss an issue and a solution. Too bad. Another missed opportunity. Cheers Shawn Lee a Vernon Taxpayer.
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