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Council seeks public participation on committee

City residents have until April 16 to submit resums

City of Powell River council approved an advertisement at the March 15 meeting that invites members of the public to participate in implementing service review recommendations.

City residents have until April 16 to submit a covering letter and resumé detailing relevant experience and qualifications to participate on a select committee that will advise council.

Council released the Helios Group report, which reviewed the city’s general operations, service delivery and organizational structure, at a special council meeting on March 8. The review found that the city is not in a financially sustainable position, if it continues on its current course. It highlighted nine key findings, with the first one stating the city needs to reduce costs and develop a mentality shift toward a leaner organization.

At the special meeting, council passed a motion to establish a 15-person select committee that will make recommendations on implementing the review. The committee consists of Mayor Dave Formosa, councillors Maggie Hathaway, Myrna Leishman and Chris McNaughton, the chief administrative officer, city clerk, director of financial services, manager of human resources, three members of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), one member of the International Association of Fire Fighters and three members of the public, to be appointed by council.

Councillors discussed the select committee at the March 15 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Formosa said he wants the committee to study and debate the report, then make recommendations on how to implement it or find a way to the same results, without reducing the number of city jobs. “I don’t want to let people go,” he said. “I want to use them more efficiently to save us money in other ways. That’s why I want the workers at the table.”

Councillor Maggie Hathaway expressed some concerns with the number of people on the committee. “I think it’s somewhat unwieldy, with 15 people on it,” she said. “I also have some concern about bias. If I were a staff person on that committee, human nature says I’m going to be territorial. People are going to be defending their positions. I think there are some really serious decisions that need to be made and I can see a huge breakdown.”

Formosa said he was optimistic about the committee. “I’m going to try hard,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, then we’ll shrink it down. But I want to give it a chance.”

As well, Formosa said, he has received numerous phone calls and emails from people in the community about the service review since it was released. In particular, a person who has been involved in this type of process before contacted him, Formosa added. “They could be hired to be the person who leads us through this process,” he said. “I would like this person to get interviewed by somebody.”

Formosa said he told the person the city might be able to find some money for hiring someone to facilitate the committee.

At the end of the discussion, councillors also directed staff to develop terms of reference for the committee.