Today's Township Council Meeting

*** Council Update May 5, 2009 ***

We have just learned that yesterday several noteworthy things happened at Township Council. Here's the short-list:

1. Mayor Rick Green asked the Administrator Jason Winslade to clarify that "only staff time" was involved in the Finance Committee work and that the exercise didn't cost hard dollars. I guess Green figures that the 1,300+ hours spent on the committee work could not have been better spent on other things and that these are "free hours". Go figure!
2. Kim Richter clarified that her recent trip to San Diego was not on the Township teet. It was on the Kwantlen (another) public teet.
3. Kim Richter will be going to Portland, OR for a conference on the Township teet. She justified it by saying that she won't be attending some other teet bun toss events. 
4. Grant Ward left the in-camera at least 30 minutes early. We have no details other than Ward felt some other councillors were acting like children and he didn't want to be involved with the mess as an informed source reports. 

There will only be a 3:00pm Special Council Meeting today, Monday, May 4, 2009 at the Municipal Facility's Fraser River Presentation Theatre. This information was posted to the Township website late and we re-post it here for your information.

Apparently the Mayor's Standing Committee on Finance cost the taxpayers of the Township almost $100,000 in the 10 weeks that they operated. We assume this $100K does not include the cost of people on salary that worked until 9:00pm many evenings to compile data for the committee. 

The Mayor Green and Councillor Kim Richter has expressed a desire to expand the number of people on this committee and examine each ToL department. This committee idea by Mayor Green was a very costly exercise for such a slim report that said nothing of any value. But apparently the mayor feels compelled to march on with this work and the expenses related to it. Councillor Charlie Fox would like to see proper department reviews  that won't cost anywhere near $100K, and directed by the people who know these areas. After all, this Finance Committee spent much of their time trying to figure out how things work and why certain expenses were placed in various "baskets". Far from productive work for sure. Councillor Richter is always talking about a cost-benefit analysis, so we gather she will support this motion given the facts and costs involved. See the Councillor Fox Notice of Motion below. 

Minutes of April 20, 2009 Special Council Meeting

Agenda for May 4, 2009 Special Council Meeting

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Councillor Fox presented the following Notice of Motion within the deadlines according to Council's policy: 

Corporate Department Reviews

Whereas:

The Mayor's Standing Committee on Finance has cost the taxpayers of Langley a significant amount of time and financial resources, and

There now appears to be a desire on the part of the committee to review each department within the Township for efficiencies and financial wherewithal;

Therefore be it resolved that:

Each Division engage the services of an appropriate consultant to undertake an Organizational Review, as the Fire Departments has done, to review ways to increase efficiency and reduce costs provided, however, that they also advise if the Township has adequate staff levels for the Services they provide, and

That each Divisional report contain both recommendations for improvements and strengths within the Division, provided that the costs are not to exceed the amount spent to date by the Mayor's Standing Committee of Finance; and further

 

That Council Priorities Meetings be set to occur concurrently with the Mayor's Standing Committee on Finance meetings so that Council may interact with the Committee to better understand their perspective and to make for a more efficient use of resources.