Appointing a Powell River-based airport manager for Texada Island is creating baggage for the Powell River Regional District.
At the district’s Thursday, July 17, committee of the whole meeting, correspondence from Texada Island resident Linda Bruhn, opposing the appointment of the current manager, was reviewed. In the email to the regional board, Bruhn said the recent appointment of a non-Texada Island resident to the position of Texada Island airport manager demonstrates the failure of regional district to “allow” Texada Island to use its ample local human skill and talent to deal with Texada issues. While Bruhn acknowledged the new manager is qualified, he is not going to be present to deal with emergencies, she added.
She said challenging components for the newly appointed manager will be working with Texadans to maintain and enrich the airport.
“These very important aspects of the job can be accomplished far better by a Texada resident who knows our community, our resources and users, both local and from off-island, of the Texada Airport,” Bruhn said. “This is not a job for a Powell River resident to try to do remotely, with an occasional or even weekly trip to Texada.”
She said in a true emergency, the manager would be stuck in Powell River and unable to help anyone on the island.
Tom Read, another Texada resident, also emailed the regional district and said the decision to select Powell River resident Russell Storry as the airport manager ignored due process established by the regional board. He said the airport advisory board was not consulted before the contract was awarded to Storry in violation of the airport committee’s terms of reference.
Read is concerned that Storry is also the regional district’s emergency radio coordinator, which would likely mean he would be in Powell River in the event of a major emergency.
Read requested the board rescind the “invalid contract” with Storry and tender the position a second time in consultation with the Texada Island Airport Committee.
The committee of the whole was reviewing a motion that the regional board send an informative letter to Bruhn and Read, explaining the structure of local government in BC, the responsibilities between governance and administration, as well as legislation and regulations that prohibit imposing barriers to restrict labour mobility.
Colin Palmer, regional board chair, said there was a need to pass the motion and send the letter to let the public know what is going on and why the regional board does things.
“I was also thinking about the Linda Bruhn letter, with some claim that if there was somehow a disaster on Texada Island, that Texada is not going to get any help,” Palmer said. “I think the letter might want to explain that there is now a regional emergency program for disasters and the executive committee consists of the chief administrative officer, the chair, the mayor and the director from Texada Island.”
The composition of the executive committee was a “very deliberate decision” by the board, Palmer said. It recognizes that Texada Island has a response program in place. The board also recognizes the importance of the separation of Texada from the mainland, so if there is a disaster on the island, the Texada representative knows how the system is going to work. Palmer said Powell River backs up the system, the province comes in and backs up the region, and if it’s a “total disaster,” the federal government comes in as well.
“We deliberately put Texada on the executive committee of the whole program and I think Linda Bruhn needs to know that,” Palmer said.
Patrick Brabazon, committee of the whole chair, said what he gleaned from the letter was a complete lack of understanding of the role of an airport manager.
“If there’s a disaster at Vancouver International Airport, the airport manager is not out directing the fire trucks and the crash vehicles,” he said.
The committee carried the recommendation that the regional board send an informative letter to Bruhn and Read.
