qathet Regional District’s (qRD) board of directors will consider an amendment to its policy for photographing board members.
At the November 22 committee of the whole meeting, directors were presented three options for taking photos of board members, including individual photos and group photos. According to a staff report, currently, individual photos are taken at the beginning of the term after elections and the group photo has been taken at the end of the four-year term.
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander recommended a change in policy, to add the group photo at the time the individual photos are taken at the beginning of the term.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the current policy is that a group photo be taken at the end of the term.
“The policy is fine as it is,” said Gisborne. “I know we are talking about a couple of hundred bucks every four years. We should leave it as it is. We are making a mountain out of a molehill here.”
According to a staff report, a one-hour headshot sitting fee costs an average of $486 per session. The report stated it can be anticipated that the total cost for each photography session and prints would average $656 per instance.
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said that should the city revisit the directors they have on the board mid-term, would the recommended option accommodate that?
“At this point, the city is planning on revisiting in two years possibly changing who is on the regional board from the city,” said Elliott. “Does this matter to this policy?”
Electoral Area D director and committee chair Sandy McCormick said the recommended option includes taking a new photograph if a byelection takes place, so it would probably apply to new city directors.
Chief administrative office Al Radke said it was a point of concern if the city appointed new directors.
“The intent is to have a group photo of everybody,” said Radke. “We could have different shots of different teams if the municipal directors were changed out. What the city does with their appointments is their own accord and the regional district has to live with whatever those decisions are.”
City George Doubt said the recommended option was a reasonable way to agree on taking photos of the board, which is probably the least important thing he could think of.
“We’ve already spent more money talking about having pictures taken than it costs to take pictures over again,” said Doubt.
The committee voted in favour of taking the group photo at the beginning of the term, with Gisborne opposed.
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