Pairicia Boname Russ Fraser Bill Soprovich Allan Williams A+ Ron Wood Be HOW COUNCIL VOTED ON KEY ISSUES CUFF REPORT Dut Untort wy been rough. Councilors sito be Ce respect and often i the woes, Iv return. site otters ned herseit more wath Ser car : i Work on her sip swt, and avoid self destruciion, she will deserve 2 secemd chance Liv Burd deserves credit tor being West Van's most improved politi: can. Sail the aistrict’s arts and flowers lady, she is working hard to improve her knowledge of development. finances and overall manic: ipal affairs. Lately, she has shed her “Digzy Lizzie” image in favour of a more selective. politically mature posture. [f she conrinucs to speak out on important issues, she will continue to reap the rewards, Victor Durman says what he thinks and does what he says. His questions are atten cheeky and detiant, much tu the distress of both the mayor and staff, Bur much to the delight of many viewers, this first term councillor is not afraid to mix things up. He is astute with tinancial figures and overall development issues and can be counted to quote the rules first. Strong, solid and seasoned, Russ Fraser is overflowing with poten: tial. As a former provincial pal, he is equipped with the know!- edge, experience and charm to do the job right. Bur West Van is sull not getting the best our of this man. It is a compliment to mark him by a different set of rules because this born leader only needs to adjust his focus slightly. Bill Soprovich is accessible, approachable, conscientious and com- passionate, His overall knowledge base is good but sometimes his heart overrules his head. ‘Truly the people's politician, he uses a hands-on approach with municipal issties. He works hard ta keep up with his more experienced counterparts. but they could all take a les- son trom him when it comes te community spirit and dedication. Allan Williams is the wise old awl with che formidable stare. First elected in 1966, he knows his way around both locally and rovincially. His keea legal mind and organized thought pattern elp keep council on track. He is clearly council’s best defence weapon when the going gets tough. His best kept secret? His wonderful sense of humour. Ron Wood's sott and gentle stvle bas appeal. Long in experience, he brings a quiet calm to many volatile situations. His behind-the- scenes werk, especially with budgets and municipal processes, has nor gone unnoticed and is of key importance. Suill, atter-three terms on council it’s time to shake up this classic image. Time tor Wood to sho. loudly, grab some attention and ery “havoc” more often. PARK ROYAL | | RECREATION AND RELEASE OF MAYOR'S EDITED INFO The first municipal review of its kind in 25 years. Cost: $50,000 plus editing fees. Biggest issue was the mayor's reluctance to release the document to the public. No vote per se was taken, but the results below are a reflection of couicil’s feelings on the matter of releas- ing George Cuff's findings. Boname__Nay Byrd___._Yea Durman______.Yea Fraser. Yea Soprovich..__.Yea Willlams___Yea Wood_____.._Yea — Oct. 1998 BiG BOX EXPANSION Larco hoped to wel- came Home Depot to West Van. Public outrage ensued and council acted by commissioiiing a traffic study. Council then voted (results below) to deny the mall @ new intersec- tion. Council also constructed fencing along Marine Drive. No bridge-building here. — Sent. 1998 Boname Yea Byrit Yea Gurman.._._.__.Yea Fraser Yea Soprovich____ Yea Williams.__.Yea | Wood... ss Yea CENTRE FOR WEST Controversial since its inception, the rec centre proposal called for a new 20,000 sq. ft. struc- ture to be placed on a piece of Gleneagles golf course. Cost: $8.5 million. It also called for Boname’s swing vote on whether the deci- sion should be put to referendum. She said no. Golfers rejoiced. — July 1998 Boname Nay Byrd___Nay Durman___.Nay Fraser. Yea Soprovich___Yea Wiltams__._Yea Wood. Nay ' t Wednesday. November 3. 1998 - North Shore News ~ 3 ‘Tough guy’ stance just not working Ti rollowtiagy is the second of shree North Shave council report cards, Wish just one war to qo until the wxt municipal slection, the North Shore News urges voters ta tke the time to get out to council meetings and fornt their own opinions it local issues. Novel Vancouver City’s counetl ivport card will appear Friday, Nov. 4 North Van Disertet cappeared Sunday, Nav: b. News report cards ave based an the sultiective asses: ments of the newspaper's council reperters, Canucil reporter Catherine Barr has been filing stortes on West Vanconver Conncil for 16 months. West Van council lacks political punch and is dogged by inefficient finger-pointing. When council does stand together, its members show glimpses of the promise the talented lineup boasts on paper. For some reason, though, this council has developed a tough guy template which they draw upon when faced with David and Goliath issues of the day. And they've faced a few. So far, that stance seems to have worked against Larco’s Park Roval expansion and British Pacitic Properties’ Whitby Estates. Bur BC Parks’ Cypress Bow! project and Horseshoe Bay's latest ferry furor have left council shooting blanks. Both projects appear to be going ahead despite council's efforts. Council has blamed the provincial government for their woes too many times this term. Whether it’s Taylor Way traffic, Lions Gate Bridge, court house closures, budget offloading or transit, people in the community expect action and leadership ar the local evel, Despite their limitations, this anti-NDP council must work harder to find 3 way t0 effectively negotiate and prorect West Vancouver's interests, On the positive side of the fedger, council must be praised for acting on unsafe truck travel — an issue that battled past councils. More work still needs to be done here and again we look at council’s ineffective relationship with the province, But, as the saving goes, if united they stand, then divided they will fall. . A hard fall came over the issue of a western reerzation centre. Couneill’s inability to properly assess the wishes of the overall communisy restilted in a nasty public meeting that turned neighbour against neighbour in a distinctly un-West Vancouver fashion, Last but not least, there is the infamous Culf report. Used properly, the much- needed organizational review could have injected new life into an otherwise stagnant system. Council should have acknowledged the report for what it was and then, if it so desired, dismissed it with the kind of conviction that can be respected. Instead, council alowed itself to be manipulated by the conclusions and frightened by the facts, The publicly released version of the report then fell victim to a creative editing system. mene spin thy Catherine Barr N Council Reporter NEWS illustration Norisa Andarson GEORGE Cuff’s report divided West Van mayor Pat Bonaime and her council.