Dear Editor: My attempts to bring about amalgamation beoween the City and the District of North Vancouver, or at leasi lay bare the true costs of the present financial and jurisdic- tional arrangement between the city and the district, have been derailed. Almost two years have passed since I made a motion on district council te initiate a step-by-step program to bring abour an amalgamation between the two municipali- ties. Both the city and district are geographically and histori- cally closely interconnected, It simply does not make sense to have nwo jurisdictions and two of everything rather than one. The program. was to start off with the setting up of a cit- izens’ task force and joint city and district dialogue and end with a referendum in time for the next municipal election in November 1999. The city ~ Haycock ’ Dear Editor:. As a long- time West Vancouver resident with chil- dren who have attended our school system and the grand- parent of two children. cur- rently.in the school system, I’ve been interested in the going-ons of the’ recent McCreary report debate. Personally, | think the survey - is rubbish, but in a democrat- ic society, ‘T value debate. The recent lively debaces at West Vancouver school board “mectings both at education and school board meerings have been interesting. .. While some of the trustees have. made fools of themselves refused to participate. Most of the recreation, parks and other facilities such as playing fields etc., are in the district. This saves the city having to build them tor their own residents. Only recently district residents passed a $26 million referendum to build additional. community and recreational facilities. This included playing ficlds. Tie city residents, on the other hand, turned down a $2 mil- lion proposal benefiting their youth. Depending on the city’s responses my motion called for a detailed go-it-alone study on the true cost benefits of the joint services currently provided by ithe nwo munici- palities. While 1 accept that these shared services have the potential to save money, | believe that in reality there are no such savings. There are important fac- missing with ignorant comments, I must admit that they were there to offer their opinions on the matter. As a voter in this commu- nity, I expect my schol trustees to do just thar. What has irked me though has been the very notable “absence of Ken Haycock. Mr. Haycock has rarely attended any of the board meetings when the debate was such a big issue to discuss. T rarely attended these public meetings in the past but as a result of the recent discussions over the report, I’ve decided to come more regularly and I can only remember once sce- ScotiaMcLeod’s West Vancouver Office ‘Invites ‘You to Attend a Seminar on Estate ‘and ‘Tax Planning. Strategies to be Discussed are Designed to Help Maximize the After-Tax Value of Your Estate for _. Your Heirs and to Ensure that your Estate Settles Properly and Efficiently. Specific Topics include: ve Use of Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Joint Tenancies, and Inter Vivos Gifts + Choosing an Executor + Tax and Probate Issues * Use of Segregated Funds ‘Host: Robert Keenan, Investment Executive, ScotiaMcLeod Special Guest Speakers: J. Scott Brodie, Estate Lawyer, Paul Coridor, CLU, Insurance and Estate Planning. ‘Please RSVP by May 25 to Jennifer at 913-7034 Date: Time: Wednesday May 27, 1998 2 Sessions ~ Noon and 7pm Location: 3rd Floor, 1555 Marine Drive West Vancouver, B.C. ‘Ee ScotiaMcLeod Building Relationships for Life This advertisement is eI Sponsured in part by: S=sczet eae PROWDING TRUSTED INVESTMENT. ADVICE TO CANADIANS SINCE 1921. north sho re mews MAIL Box N. Van amalgamation efforts undermined tors that have never been brought co light. Shared ser- vices have to: answer (Wo mias- ters. This is not only an administrative pain hut it also reduces efficiency. Sitting between two masters has reduced effective control by either council. My motion called for facts. Those facts, | thought would convince the city at least to talk, In the event that the city did not want to participate, all agreements would be open for review. If the city does nor want to amalgamate then we should not subsidize them, | thought. But omy motion was derailed. Confroning the city with hard evidence would require strong political leader- ship. 1 would mean taking on powerful bureaucratic and political status quo interests on both sides. It canic as no surprise therefore that the go- it-aione study on shared ser- in boar ing the man. Where is he? Is it fair that this elected, paid, per- son be allowed to sit in a posi- tion of trust when he doesn’t seem to have the time to attend meetings of this impor- tance, Considering that the vort- ing was split between Haycock and three others ver- MAILBOX POLICY vices costing the district tax- payers $48,000 was seriously flawed. There was no menton of porential savings in the event of amalgamation. It also failed to provide accurate infurma- tion in other critical areas. It flunked on the real or replace- ment value of the district’s recreational factitties. It even failed ro mention the value of the land on which they are sit- vated. In other areas, it provided incomplete and, in some instances, even erroncous inturmation. It stated that the Centennial theatre is under the jurisdiction of the Arts Commission, for example, when, in fet, ix is under the jurisdiction of the Recreation Commission. I was highly critical of the report and I made a motion chat we start from square one. {did not get my way how- ever. Instead we received a debaie sus the votes of two others, it really bothered me — thar Haycock was rarely there to defend his position. Ifhe’s not at meetings, is he out iss the community in the schools he is supposed to suppor’? J.F. Grant West Vancouver LETTERS to the editor must be legible (preferably typewrit- ten) aid inchide your name, full address and telephone, num- ber.Duc to space: constraints the North Shore News cannot: publish all letters. Submissions can be faxed to 985-2104 but. still must be signed and fully addressed. bpoun> ut eno} yas opow No GST, No PST! * ROBIN KAY SIMPLIFY LIFE Limited time only. We pay tax. Some exciusions. 1571 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER. 925-6611 Sunday, May 24, 1998 ~ North Shore News — 9 staff report on how to improve the existing sharea servicss with the city. Thar report, unfortunately, is nothing more than an excuse to continue with the status que more or less, It never mentored the original purpose of my efforts, namely amalgamation. It is nothing more than an apology for our arrangement with the Ciry which is itself fundamentally Sadie e ec athe Botttigh Vacation ps De Vo flawed. It is clear that the district is not tough encugh to look after the interests af its own taxpayers. What we necded is a businesslike document fol- Jowed by action. What we got is political baftlegab justifying the status quo more or less and yet another victory for mediocrity. Ernie Crist, Councillor ‘District of North Vancouver ane AAR TL VAAee NA ee eee fms Vancouver Laser and Skin Care Centre - Dr. Martin Braun Fairmont Medical Building « 309-750 West Broadway, vancouver, 8.C. V5z 1H2 (604) 708-9891 . 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