qathet Regional District's (qRD) board will consider a committee of the whole recommendation to receive a status update from City of Powell River on the vacant social planner position.
At a committee of the whole meeting last month, Electoral Area D director and committee chair Sandy McCormick brought forward a motion that the regional board send a letter to the city’s mayor and councillors regarding the status of the shared goal of social planning in the region, and the expected time frame for filling the social planner position.
McCormick said the motion had been constructed so the regional district can move forward with this and talk with the city regarding the status of the shared goal of social planning. In past, the social planner was a shared position with the city, regional district and Tla’amin Nation.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the social planning function service is now essentially functioning as a grant-in-aid, much like the economic development function.
“I’m concerned that the social planning function is just becoming another grant-in-aid function,” said Gisborne. “It’s not meeting the shared goal of the social planning position.
“If we send a letter to mayor and council, they are facing financial challenges right now, and if they choose not to hire a social planner, then we are essentially stuck with a service that is just a grant-in-aid service.”
City director George Doubt said the correspondence is a good idea.
“City council has given instruction to city staff to come back in January with cuts to our budget, between five and 10 per cent,” said Doubt. “The city has not made a decision at this point to replace the social planner. It makes sense to me for the regional district, if it wants to go ahead with a three-party social planning service, that you tell the city that.”
City alternate director Trina Isakson said she also supports the correspondence. She said council could discuss whether to continue with a social planner.
“When I sit on city council, I would appreciate receiving this,” said Isakson. “It’s important for the regional district to express its interest so we can move it along.”
Isakson asked if there had been any staff-to-staff conversations on the matter, and what were the outcomes?
Chief administrative officer (CAO) Al Radke said the topic has been broached with the other CAOs, but he would be overstepping his boundaries to discuss the conversation if it hadn’t been made public at a council or executive meeting.
Gisborne asked how long the city had been operating without a social planner. Doubt said it had been 18 months.
“That is what I think is causing me concern,” said Gisborne. “We send a letter to council and municipal council will consider whether to continue participating with the social planning position. We have the funding and we have the service. It has been 18 months with no social planner at the city. It’s frustrating that we have to keep asking for the city to fulfill its end of the agreement.”
The committee unanimously carried the motion for the regional board to send correspondence to the city regarding the status of the shared goal of social planning in the region and the expected time frame for filling the social planner position.
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