GVAC Elects New Chair, Vice Chair

Written by Peter McIntyre  107.5 KISSFM Friday, 06 January 2012 15:22

The director for BX Silver Star is the new chair of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee on parks, recreation, water and culture issues.  Area C's Mike Macnabb (pictured) was acclaimed to one year position, taking over for Vernon's Wayne Lippert who was not reelected. Macnabb, an engineer who is in his second term, says the new Vernon members on the board have created a more positive attitude for the members. "We still have struggles and we have to deal with them, but if we can all agree to work together towards consensus, then I think an awful lot of this stuff can be resolved." Macnabb says the committee will take another look at finding agreement on parks. "I think there's a great deal of interest in making sure that function continues." He says there's really just one sticking point, the governance issue. "If that's resolved, I think there's a great deal of interest in going forward." Macnabb says the new Vernon members on GVAC (Sawatzky, Lord and Spiers) have helped. "I think there was an entrenchment with the last council about how things should go. It's to be seen if that changes, but the new councillors seem to have an openness about them, and a willingness to discuss other options." Another positive sign saw new Vernon mayor Rob Sawatzky nominate Jim Garlick for the committee's vice chair, which the Coldstream mayor won by acclamation.
Garlick nominated Macnabb for chair.