ontentious budget hikes Sunday, May 2, 1993 - North Shore News — Lixes 6. 25% Coun. Turner compares district’s decision-making to ‘Wheel of Fortune NORTH VANCOUVER District’s annual budget, which will increase taxes by 6.25% in the municipality, almost failed to pass its first three readings Monday night. With councillors Joan Gadsby, Ernie Crist and Paul Turner op- posed, the budget was approved by a slim 4-3 margin. And it was Turner who provid- ed the strongest criticism of the in-camera budget decisions, com- paring the process to ‘‘Wheel of Fortune’ and castigating Mayor Murray Dykeman for his role in it. “The ship of state has come in leaderless, rudderless and without any sense of direction. The mayor presented nothing in the way of leadership or guidance that coun- cil could follow,’’ charged Turner. But Dykeman defended both his style and the budget process to the News, “The function of a mayor is to ‘bring about a working at- mosphere, not just to tell people how (o run a_budget,”’ said Dykeman, who congratuiated staff and council for working together By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer in a new system. He said that a series of shirt- sleeve sessions had provided an opportunity for reflection on community input and served to identify choices. Asked to comment on Turner's allegations, Dykeman noted that, ‘de’s an election year. 1 think it started in February 199],”* The $54,913,190 budget reflects a 4.7% expenditure increase and a 1.55% revenue loss. Coun, Rick Buchols, who in- troduced the budget, said a 4.2% increase was required to maintain 1992. levels of service and only $328,062, or 0.5%, was earmark- ed for service improvements. The largest portion of service improvements in the budget is the allocation of $154,112 to hire five Flower limitation wilts the erieving _ process of family A WEST Vancouver man says a West Vancouver bylaw tnniting the amount of flowers allowed to be put on ceme- tery graves is causing him grief. Shahram Djavaherizadeh said he was told by West Vancouver District staff that he can only put ‘flowers in a container provided by the municipality. A second flower holder would cost him the price of 4 $20 permit. ’- He calls the bylaw unfair. “The bylaw is not permitting le to put flowers on my mother’s grave. The bylaw says that. you can only put flowers in a small “pot they provide and that only ‘holds a very, very smal! amount, only. about two or three flowers,’’ said Djavaherizadeh. . But’ West i Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager said the municipality “is only abiding by its own bylaw. _ If Djavaherizideh wants the bylaw changed. he. should) approach district council. : Djavaherizadeh. said that Capilano View: Cemetery. staff have tossed ‘out about $1,000 worth of flowers that he and his ‘father have placed on his mother’s grave. “They've ‘been taking, the flowers away. I don’t want them to touch the flowers. I find it ri- diculous that I can’t put flowers ‘on’ my mother’s grave. That (grave) is just like a house. That . person belongs there. “f don’t think it’s. right for Mayor Mark Sager to decide if J can put flowers cn my mother’s grave,’’ he added. But Sager said Djavaherizadeh ‘,can place flowers on his mother’s grave: as loug as he follows the bylaw. - “Pm rm Sure it’s a very, very dif- ac Cocktails & Caviar #8 Comics. Fashion..... By Surj Rattan News Reporter ficult time for this gentleman. If he writes to the mayor and coun- cil, then we can review the bylaw and we can all be brought up to date. ‘‘Maybe we are too restrictive, | don’t know. We’ve never had a complaint about it before,’* said Sager. Meanwhile West . Vancouver municipal clerk Margaret Warwick said she has talked to Djavaherizadeh about his con- .cerns. She said the bylaw in ques- tion allows an unlimited number of flowers to be placed on graves at the time of burial. Once those flowers die, additional . flowers must be placed in a container. “When you put large floral ar- rangements on a grave, quite frankly, it kills the grass,’’ said Warwick. ; She said a container can ‘hold several flowers. Many people put bouquets of flowers in the con- tainers. “One of the reasons that we have to ask that flowers be placed in a receptacle is from a van- dalism point of view. Anything on top of a grave could be kicked away. “Y can appreciate what the gen- tleman is saying. One has to ap- preciate that it’s been a very re- cent death. If we allowed him to do it, .then we would have. to allow everyone to do it,’’ she said. @ What's Going On Weather Monday, ‘rain. Highs 16°C, Lows 7°C. Canadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement Number 0087238 “NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL additional police officers in September. Forecast revenue reductions in- elude: @ a $313,000 loss of woodchip- ping fees; @a_ $555,000 elimination surplus amounts available prior years; @ a $206,300 non-recurring reve- nue from other years. Based on an average home assessed at $270,500 the municipal tax bill will rise $64 to $1,093 (ex- cluding utilities and school assessmenis). Buchols compared the $1,000 in taxes to the value residents get from senior goverments. Listing police, fire, parks, gar- bage, libraries, recreation facili- ties, counci! and roads as cxam- ples, Buchols said that for the of from 44 The ship of state has come in leaderless, rudderless and without any sense of direction. 99 services provided the tax-dollar value was excellent. Coun. Joan Gadsby pointed out that 65% of the budget is wages and that ‘'84% of that increase is attributable to wage increases or additional staff." Gadsby said the district had to fearn to do more with less. Coun. Ernie Crist agreed with Buchols that municipal taxes rep- resented a ‘‘good deal,”’ but he — Coun. Paul Turner said that for the first time in 13 years on council he would reluc- tantly oppose the budget. While he acknowledged that the budget contained ‘‘some good things,’’ Crist said the budgetary process had failed to set objectives and priarities. “‘There’s no cohesion, no ccn- tral thought, no direction,” he concluded. isabled sailor told to return to the Filipino crew member injured on NV waterfront A 30-YEAR-OLD Filipi- no man who is still receiv- ing therapy in Lions Gate Hospital after having his leg amputated in an acci- dent on the North Van- couver waterfront has been toid by an insurance com- pany to return to. the Philippines. ‘By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter Melbin Sarabia was a crew member of the Philip- pines-registered vessel, Occanic Mindoro, when the accident oc- curred on Saturday, March 27, During the accident, Sarabia’s left leg became tangled in the cable of a lifeboat during a fire drill requested by the Coast Guard. The drill was part of a sur- prise inspection conducted by the Coast Guard ship safety department located in West Vancouver. Sarabia said during an inter- view at Lions Gate Hospital that’ his shipping company —. Lon- don, England-based Seahorse Ship Management — and his in- surance company — Shipowners Assurance Management wanted him to go home in a few days. But he said he did not want to go until he was outfitted with a prosthesis (artificial limb). The sailor said his rehabilita- tion treatment will likely be con- cluded at the end of May, when he will be fitted with a perma- nent prosthesis. ; Sarabia’s lawyer Laughton said he had concerns about his client’s access to medi- cal facilities in the Philippines if he left Canada now. Laughton is being paid to rep- resent Sarabia by the Interna- tional Transport Workers Feder- ation, a union for international seafarers. Insurance representative Roger Day declined to comment on the quality of health care offered in the Philippines verstis the quality of health care in Canada. But Day said Sarabia should leave Canada as soon is he. is medically able. He noted Sarabia would be with his famiiy in the . * Philippines. Bruce jlippines ; NEWS phote. Paul McGrath MELBIN SARABIA, a 30-year-old Filipino man, had his leg amputated ‘above the knee last month after a accident on a. foreign vessel visiting the . North Vancouver : waterfront. Sarabla is'concerned about having te. return to the Philip- pines without completing rehabilitation and receiving a per- manent prosthesis. Sarabia said ‘the insurance company wanted’ him to go home before his’ rehabilitation was completed because of com- pany concerns about money, Said Day, “Certainly it is cheaper. in the Philippines. Doc- tors don’t earn the same as they do in North Vancouver.”’ Sarabia has a wife and two- year-old son in flo !lo City in the Philippines. He said it is almost impossible for a disabled person like him to get work in the Philippines, Laughton said he didn’t know if Sarabia was: eligible to receive any disability compensation: for the accident. Sarabia’s ‘accident occurred. three weeks ufter he started work on the Oceanic Mindoro. He had worked on one other vessel for nine months. The Oceanic Mindoro was in Vancouver to load coal at the time of the accident.