a

a second
opinion

HAVE you ever
\ stumbled over a pro-
> posal so simple and yet
so obviously sensible
that you're forced to
wonder why it’s not
-already in practice?
You know, the kind of
~ fdea that, while hardly earth
shattering, inakes you Won-
der: “Now, why didn’t f
think of that?” Or it might be
va the kind of basic, common-
“sense notion that could only
be apposed by the most
a ‘entrenched bureaucratic
. \ thinking...
Justy prior to recently step-
‘fing y dawn as chairman of the
os West Vancouver School
“ Board, Ken Haycock pro-
,, posed ‘such a concept, It's
neither radical nor revolu-
“tionary, but so far the sugges-
“ton has been shunned by the
4 Hvers that be in West
‘ancouver as if it poses some
. kind “of a.threat to peace,

_ " order ‘and ood government,
». Hayéack’s proposal was
oiitlined i in a brief discussion °

_ faper “Toward Improved
ntegration of Council and
© School Board Programs and
y Services in Weat Vancouver.”
* And, what dangerous, wild-
“eved ides was he advocating?
“Simply. this: that the local
“council and school board
should cooperate with cach
other,
“Twa nutshell that’ 5 what

Iniagine the gall! Just where
dows he get the necvel As if
10 local elected bodies
gould actually work together
for the common good, avoid:
ing costly duplication, pro-
viding enhanced accatmtabill-
ty fo Caxpayers, and establish:
jng “a seamless progrant of
services for West Varwouver
residents,” Tes a wonder that
Haycock hasn't been run out
of town for espousing stich
heresies, ‘There's one stall
problem, however, You see,
en Haycock j is probably the
best school board chairman
we've seen on the North
Shore for along, long time.
For the past three years
he’s done an exemplary job
both as a school trustee and
asa local government leader,
The West Vancouver School
Board and council have rarely
worked so well together, but
‘Haycock says, “we need to
do much, much more.”
~ And instead of question-
ing his thoughtful proposal,
we should probably be asking
why his fellow: elected repre-
sentatives, particularly those
on council, seem so intent on
sweeping it under the carpet.
Essentially what Haycock
is saying is that West
Vancouver has two local
elected bodies that use the
sams tax base to develop and
deliver needed services; there-
fore, any courdination or
‘integration of common ser-
vices can only benefit taxpa
ers. For instance, the school
board js naw considering
relocating, its district offices,
Haycock suggests they
Should be scaled down and
integrated on the municipal
hall site, This in turn would
make j it casier to consider
merging the school district's

and the taunicipality’s various -

administrative functions, such

paren

as purchasing, persorinel, pay-

roll, firanee, safety, ete.

In addition, there are a
aunber of other joint ser.
vices, programs and public
consultation processes Chat
could be integrated,

Does West Vancouver
really need two separate fel’
dams to cut the grass at
scliout shies and at local
parks? 1a comaninity group
Wants to rent a meeting room
and there's nothing available
al the seniors’ centre, could-
n't they be automatically
referred to convenient space
in nearby Jocal schools?

‘The answers to such ques:
tions should be obvious, Bat
without a stronger sense of
partnership between the
school board aud council,
stich cooper ration simply
doesn't occur — not in West
Vancouver, and not anywhere
else either.

Haycock’s proposal was
dealt with like a hor potato
when it was handed to West
Vancouver" s councillors, Now
it’s being studied by staff
until the fall, But there's an
obvious conflict of interest
for non-clected officials to be
deciding the fate ofa propos-
al that could put an end to

- some of their own empire-

building tendencies.

‘ft’s our elected represen-
tatives who should be show-
ing some leadership on this

_ kind of an issue, rather than’
meekly deferring to local

government functionaries for
excuses for inaction...

If Haycock's idea was .
given even half'a chance to
work, it could lead to a sig-
nificant reform in local g | pov-
ernment, the ripples of which
would extend well beyond
the North Shore...

And my suspicion is chat
residents of West Vancouver
would be more than pleased
to see their community serve

ba tg. EP

# An ovation for integration

WNUAUAU DOE ene esate tora eecenaunaarpacdenisonsee

asa pllot project for a reform
that Catt change the way
community services are deliv.
ered throughout the
province, Haat the COUNTY,

West Vaneouverites aren't
Attvid to be deaders, So why
are members of their lected
council?

— ‘The Noveh Shore News
detieves strongly in freedou a
spiee ch and the! right af all sides
ina debate ta be beard, The
colpsnnists ppssblished in the
News present diffe ring points
of view, butt those views are Hot
necesarily those uf the news
prev itself’

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