| NVD fall meeting change riles

District’s decision to meet every other week is

NORTH VANCOUVER District Council’s decision to continue into the fall its summertime format of meeting once every two weeks instead of once per week has been called ‘‘disastrous’’ by one district council member.

The decision will result in coun- ‘cil combining in-camera, commit- tee and formal council meetings

on the second and fourth Mon--

days of each month, starting Sept. 14.

The suggestion to continue the summertime scheduling came from legislative’ services manager Col- leen Rohde.

In an Aug. 24 report to council, Rohde said, “The July and August meetings have demon- strated that council can complete all standing-committee agendas and hold special council in- camera meetings as well as com- plete the regular council agenda at the twice-monthly meetings.””

But Coun. Ernie Crist questions whether completing ‘an agenda after midnight in front of an emp- ty gallery is really a public meeting.

Crist told the News that the decision was ‘‘disastrous’’ and questioned whether any member

By Martin Millerchip Coniributing Writer

of the public ‘‘would want to wait for up to seven hours to hear an agenda item.’”

He also pointed out that the decision tc change ccuncil’s meeting schedule had been reach- ed after 11 p.m. with councillors Joan Gadsby and Janice Harris having already gone home.

“Our main purpose is co deal with the agenda in an efficient manner, but we cannot make ra- tional, sane decisions after seven hours of meetings,’’ Crist said.

“The meetings meander along at their usual speed until three- quarters of the agenda gets crammed into half an hour just before midnight,** said Crist

But Rohde told the News that the issue of public appearances can be dealt with by giving dele-

NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL

gations and appearances a specific time and by encouraging council to stick to those times.

Said Rohde, ‘‘It’s tough to have the public come out and sit from 8:30 (p.m.) to midnight for one minute of debate on the council agenda, but standi::3 committees should provide an opportunity for substantive debaie nearer the beginning of the evening.”’

Rohde told council in her report that the biggest advantage of the bi-weekly schedule would be the two Mondays in a month that would be ‘‘available for other meetings involving council members."’

Rohde says shirtsleeve sessions on strategic planning and budget discusssions and single-issue pres- entations or delegations could take place on the ‘‘off’? Mondays.

Other poiential advantages of the new system, according to Rohde, include:

@ less overtime for secretarial

alae ~ NEWS photo Nell Lucente

THE SQUAMISH Netion's new gymnasium, designed by architect Gordon Hylinski as an all- purpose facility, is scheduled to ba completed on Sept. 15.

Squamish fulfilling dream Longhouse-style facility will be place of gathering

A BUILDING project that has been an elusive dream for the Squamish Nation since 1972 is finally nearing 7 completion on its Capilano reserve

‘The unique longhouse-style gymnasium, nestled in the trees

on the southeast corner of ‘Welch Street and Lower ‘Capilano Road, was designed “by. architect Gordon Hylinski, and is the first of its kind to be built in B.C. . Former Squamish band manager Glen. Newman said, - “It will be our place of gather- ‘ing. We will be able to’ use it not only for sports, but general meetings, cultural events, pro- .vincial native meetings, na- tional? crganizational meetings _ seven wedding receptions.’’ - The building has a total area of 18,000 square feet; its open-area, hardwood gym- nasium floor covers 10,200 square feet. “Other features of the facility “include four carved wooden

By Paul Hughes Contributing Writer

entrance doors, murals and traditional designs. All of the artwork is being done by native Squamish craftsmen, including Stan Joseph and Rick Harry.

The gymnasium will seat up to 850 pe.sle, and will be out- fitted with a commercial kitch- en, complete with walk-in cooler.

At one end of the gym floor will be a stage equipped with a professional lighting system and dressing rcoms off to ei- ther side.

Surrounding the gymnasium will be several smaller rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting. Some will be used for

‘NATIVE AFFAIRS

meetings, another will be set aside for the use of the elders, still another is destined to become a dance studio.

Yet one more room — with a vinyl floor — is slated to be a teaching area for children.

The special flooring ensures less damage from tiny finger- painting enthusiasts.

Builder Pat Miller of Newhaven Construction Ltd. is in charge of the project. His company has been involved in several native projects throughout B.C.

Forty per cent of the employees working with Miller on the gymnasium are from the Squamish band.

Construction on the building began in January. It is sched- uled to be completed by Sept. 15.

y. Sept oaber 6, 1992 - North Shore News - 3

staff at meetings and during the week trying to meet tight report and agenda deadlines;

@ reduced costs for security staff; @ less crror and omission in reports and agendas with a longer turnaround time;

@ more time for management issues and operational reviews;

@ more time for bylaw prepara- tion.

Coun. Harris was astonished to learn that a new meeting schedule had been adopted after she and Gadsby had left the chamber at 11 p.m.

The agenda item and Rohde’s report had been included in coun- cil’s agenda package bu: not listed on the covering agenda.

Harris told the News that she deplored the decision to become “less accessible’ to the public.

‘*From a public point of view we should be there every week,’’ said Harris.

“Staff would not consider the option of stacking council and standing committee meetings on the same night during our opera- tional review, and now all of a sudden they are coming back with this,*’ she continued,

Harris said that after 11 p.m. council was ill-equipped to make competent decisions and was “usually at least one councillor short.”*

_“‘Are we really an executive at that point, or are staff shaping and moulding the decisions?’’ asked Harris.

When asked abuut potential ef- ficiencies Harris responded, “Where do we come out ahead here?

“I'm confronted with a package containing 60 decisions on Friday

councillor

‘aisastrous, says Crist

for a Monday meeting. That’s not efficiency, it’s a conveyor belt.”

Coun. Jim Cuthbert voted for the bi-weekly meetings but told the News that he had ‘some significant concerns.’”

Said Cuthbert, ‘‘’m willing to give it a chance on an interim basis. What’s hard to measure here is how important the advan- tages are for increased efficien- cy.”

Cuthbert also said the agenda could be chaired faster and that he would be introducing a motion calling for council members to limit their councii reports to those occasions when officially repre-

See editorial page 6

senting the district.

“*We also have to trim the in- camera agenda. Informality breeds length,’’ concluded Cuthbert.

Coun. Joan Gadsby agreed that Monday meetings were already too long and described the sum- mer schedule as ‘‘a joke.’’

Gadsby also called for better chairing and better staff support.

“Murray is a nice guy and all that, but I’m tired of babysitting him. -He’s a bumbler and a fumbler, and I’m concerned with being tarred with the same brush,” said Gadsby.

Councillors Paul- Turner and Rick Buchols said they wouid “give it a whirl and see what. happens.**

Buchols also pointed out that

“it was the men who stayed’’ to after midnight in order to finish council business on Aug. 24.

MLA blasts shipyard compensation package

WEST VANCO‘VER-Garibaldi the Opposition critic for advanced education, has - blasted a joint

Mitchell, training and technology,

Liberal MLA David

feder-

al-provincial announcement for financial compensation for laid-off older shipyard workers.

The deal was announced last week by federal Justice Minister Kim Campbell and B.C. Advanc- ed Education, Training and Tech- nology Minister Tom Perry.

The compensation package has also come under attack by Marine Workers and Boilermakers’ Indus- trial Union president George MacPherson.

Mitchell.called the deal ‘‘too lit- tle, too late.’

**Kim Campbell and Tom Perry should hang their heads in shame for offering littl more than welfare to people who have spent

their lives working and providing .

for their families,’ said Mitchell.

“This is nothing more than a public relations exercise.’”’

Ottawa and Victoria announced that $11.8 million will be made available to assist up to 236 laid- off older workers at seven B.C. companies, including 149 former employees of Yarrows shipyards

' (formerly Versatile Pacific Ship-

yards Inc.) in North Vancouver. **British, Columbians don’t want

By Surj Rattan News Reporter .

welfare, they want skills:to allow them to iead productive dignified lives in the most prosperous pro- . vince in Canada.

“Our federal and provincial governments. are too eager to spend tax dollars on keeping peo- pie inactive,’’ said Mitchell.

The money is being made avail- able under the federal-provincial Program for Older Worker Ad- justment (POWA) and will be geared towards laid-off workers. aged 55 and over.

But in a News interview on | Monday, Perry said that Mitchell has ‘‘missed the point’? about what the POWA program is all about. —

“We've tried to restructure the shipbuilding industry. It’s (POWA) a modest program that is much better than social assistance. Mr. Mitchell talks out of both sides of his mouth,’’ said Perry.

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