Council Quickie: Meeting Tonight

Update on Special Meetings During Summer 'Hiatus'

For a month where Council was expected to take time off, the August calendar on the Village website appears remarkably full. The Beach Park, Infrastructure, Climate Action and Board of Variance committees all found time to meet this month. In addition, Council called seven special meetings, outpacing every month of the term so far. Each of the meetings was principally held as a closed session, but The Watershed offers a brief summary of information that was shared openly over the course of these gatherings.

• Meetings on August 3, 10, 12 and 13: Topic – Personnel issues. No recording of the meeting published. No reporting out made public.

• August 22: Topics – Trail safety, Wildfire Mitigation. No recording of the meeting published. Reporting out as noted by press release on the village website, again in the August 25 Village Update, and HERE, in The Watershed.

• August 29: Council voted to waive customary 'notice of special meeting' before passing the agenda. Topic: Personnel issues. In addition, prior to going into the closed portion, Mayor Ken Berry put forward a motion that, subject to the advice of experts, the trailheads and parking be reopened on Friday, September 1. The motion passed. Reporting out, the Mayor said that council has agreed to terms and an offer of employment for a new Chief Administrative Officer. Video HERE.

• Tonight's meeting, August 31, is at 5 p.m. Topic – Review of trail access closures, with expert opinions from Phil Folkersen, Emergency Program Coordinator, Lions Bay, Brant Arnold-Smith, Program Manager, Security & Emergency Management, Metro Vancouver, and Barret Germscheid, Lions Bay Fire Chief.

The Watershed will continue to follow the story of trailhead and parking closures. Share your thoughts below, or send us an email to editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca