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www.comoxvalleyecho.com Friday May 16, 2014
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Volume 20, No. 39
Project to get kids walking, biking to school moves forward By Michael Briones Echo Staff
Comox Valley Housing Task Force chair Ronna-Rae Leonard presents the proposed budget for an arms-length agency.
Referendum on integrated poverty strategy canned By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff If you listen to the Comox Valley’s homeless population as they panhandle and traipse from one temporary resting place to another you’ll hear stories of disenfranchisement from civilian life, police harassment and brutal addiction. You can’t believe everything you hear, but one thing that’s beyond doubt is governments have once again failed to come up with a solution for how to help these most vulnerable of residents. In the most recent example of politicos butting heads on the issue came in the form of a vote at the Comox Valley Regional District that killed off an idea to send the concept of a cross-community non-profit agency to a referendum, meant to see if locals were interested in kicking in up to $300,000 to fight the problem. But competing concepts of how to help the poor clouded the debate and at least one director became furious that more than half of the money was slated to go to adminis-
trative costs, under a preliminary financial plan. “I cannot champion this at all,” said Courtenay director Manno Theos, during the CVRD’s committee of the whole meeting May 13. “This is exactly why I’ve wanted to get into public life, is to not have budgets of 50, 60, 70 per cent going into studies, going into legalities, going into hiring somebody. And then people are going to say, ‘I thought that money was going to put people into warm places. Where is that money going towards again?’” Under a proposed budget presented by the Comox Valley Housing Task Force $93,900 represented the maximum amount suggested to go to hiring a social planner. There would be up to $20,000 set aside for legal costs. Another $12,700 would go to regional district staff. And $12,000 was listed as the office space amount. Theos was not the only officical who balked at the $150,000 expenditure tab. (Continued on page 2)
Manno Theos was visibly angry with the budget as presented, saying he could not champion the referendum plan.
The pilot project that is aimed at encouraging students to walk or bike to school is set to enter the implementation stage. The Hub for Active School Travel, or HASTe that was introduced last October is being tested at three elementary schools, École Puntledge Park, École Robb Road and Huband Park Elementary. The project was initiated by School District 71 and has received support from the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, Comox Valley Regional District and the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force, which all helped with initial funding for the $30,000 program and also provided staff resources for it. Coordinator Angela Holmes, and Ian Heselgrave of SD71, who appeared in a delegation to Courtenay council on Monday, said they have been actively working on the plans and now have the data to start the implementation phase of the project. To get a better idea on how parents and families feel about allowing their child to ride or walk to school, Holmes sent out nearly 1,000 surveys at the end of October. They received positive feedback, she said, from between 44 to 55 percent surveyed. The data collected showed the main reasons why kids are driven to and from school. Top on the lists are distance (it’s far from home), traffic danger and personal safety issues. Parents also said they would allow their kids to walk or cycle if they were older, if there were reduced traffic dangers, if there were safer walking routes, and if they’re not alone. The impetus behind the implementation of this project in the school district is due to traffic congestions, particularly at key elementary schools said Holmes. “Out of this process of gathering data from the parents in the recent survey and also doing a walkabout, we were able to draft a best routes map,” said Holmes. “The idea for this map is to help families figure out what is the way to get their kids to school so that they’ll feel safe to either let them walk or cycle.” The map will show preferred family bike routes, park and walk areas as well as bus exchange. It also contains priority action plans that calls for reducing traffic congestions at school through education campaign, proposed bike lane extensions, crosswalk upgrades, painted pedestrian lane, develop park and walk/ride sites, and also start a walking/biking school buses. (Continued on page 2)
Rogue Cumberland councillor gets an earful from Mayor By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff Cumberland’s mayor publicly called out the conduct of a councilor who recently announced she would not run for reelection, describing comments made in an Echo article as “inappropriate” and “out of line.” Speaking at the outset of the regularly scheduled council meeting May 12 Leslie Baird chastised Coun. Kate Greening for her method of airing frustrations with the political process and her actions at past council meetings. “There has been repeated comments to members of Council during open meetings that other members of council have taken offence to,” she said. “Members of council have treat-
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“Your behaviour is not appropriate and contrary to our procedure bylaw” ed you with respect in listening to your comments during discussions and have voted on issues with their conscience. Your behaviour is not appropriate and contrary to our procedure bylaw.” She took particular issue with statements made in the May 2 edition of the Echo in which Greening lambasted Cumberland political system and announced she was quitting life as an elected Village official come
November. In the article Greening claimed to have been contacted inappropriately by CAO Sundance Topham in relation to concerns she had about the contract with the new Multi Materials BC recycling deal, which had been both spurned and agreed to by council previously. Topham has said he is unaware of the particular conversation she was referring to since he speaks with councilors on a variety of issues often. “Your comments in the local newspaper regarding the political process and commenting on the CAO were inappropriate and out of line,” Baird said. “As a member of council you are aware that staff members have no recourse to defend themselves against your comments. As a professional
courtesy we deal with staff on an in camera basis.” The mayor then read out Section 22 of the Council Procedure Bylaw, which notes council members who do not use “respectful language” during an open council meeting can be ordered to leave. Refusing to do so “may cause the member to be removed by a peace officer” and only allowed to return if they apologies and are allowed back in by resolution. There was a mixed response to the mayor’s statement from the rest of council. “Council needs to be conducted in a respectful manner,” said Coun. Roger Kishi, who has been the target of some of the crass phraseology used by Greening at their biweekly Monday
evening meetings. “That respect needs to go across to other council members and staff and the decisions of council. Those are decisions of the entire council.” Greening doesn’t always appear to perceive her actions as disrespectful. For example, when council voted to go for the MMBC deal and accept what was estimated to be a $55,000 annual incentive, Greening purchased chocolate dollars and distributed them to council members at the next meeting in order to show her displeasure. She says this was just a way for her to voice her disagreement with council having made one decision only to change their minds weeks later, though little material had changed with the strict contract. (Continued on page 2)
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