1 01:00:00,990 --> 01:00:04,290 my point, we are all in this 2 01:00:04,530 --> 01:00:07,730 together. And yes, there were certain unfairnesses we cannot begin to overcome. 3 01:00:08,230 --> 01:00:09,796 There's no question about it. And I feel the frustration in having grown up in 4 01:00:10,296 --> 01:00:13,730 Coombs and seen all the fights for the regional district and against 5 01:00:14,230 --> 01:00:17,370 the regional district over the years, I'm very conscious 6 01:00:17,870 --> 01:00:19,410 of that. And I'd like to think that the members of this board who are 7 01:00:19,910 --> 01:00:24,210 here because they are counselors or the mayor of the city 8 01:00:24,710 --> 01:00:28,210 of Nanaimo have tried to exercise a consciousness 9 01:00:28,710 --> 01:00:31,900 about the frustrations that are felt. And I'll be quite 10 01:00:32,400 --> 01:00:36,620 candid, it's been expressed sometimes jocularly that we sometimes 11 01:00:36,780 --> 01:00:40,060 have the view that Lansville has 12 01:00:40,560 --> 01:00:44,140 complaints about the levels of taxation, but Lansville doesn't tax 13 01:00:44,640 --> 01:00:48,540 in the way that we do in 14 01:00:49,900 --> 01:00:54,380 Nanaimo, and we take a political hit 15 01:00:54,880 --> 01:00:57,900 for that. And that is okay. We are a large, disparate, sometimes disagreeable family, 16 01:00:58,380 --> 01:01:02,380 but all in all, we generally function fairly well 17 01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:06,960 together. So where I'm going with this ramble, I am very attached to what Councillor 18 01:01:07,460 --> 01:01:11,920 Brown, pardon me, Director Brown has proposed in terms of a solution in 19 01:01:12,420 --> 01:01:16,000 a practical way, because I think overall, having 18 or 19 voices around this table 20 01:01:16,500 --> 01:01:20,440 representing the various groups and the diversity that we do within 21 01:01:20,940 --> 01:01:25,000 the regional district, we actually generally speaking 22 01:01:25,500 --> 01:01:29,890 come up with some pretty good things and the historic record is that 23 01:01:30,390 --> 01:01:35,770 on environmental issues, whether you believe in climate change or not, is separate. I see 24 01:01:36,270 --> 01:01:39,730 some nods from where the expected sources, but having 25 01:01:39,890 --> 01:01:43,130 said that, this particular regional district 26 01:01:43,630 --> 01:01:47,890 has developed a significant reputation. And with the acquisition of Hamilton Marsh and 27 01:01:48,390 --> 01:01:51,170 others, we're demonstrating, I think, the kind of leadership that's important. 28 01:01:51,810 --> 01:01:54,890 So I'm the, forgive the sexist comment here, 29 01:01:55,390 --> 01:01:59,170 cheerleaders can be of any gender, I suppose. 30 01:01:59,570 --> 01:02:03,370 I'm a cheerleader for something sticking close to the status quo that tries 31 01:02:03,870 --> 01:02:05,970 to keep us on this path together because overall, I think we're doing pretty well. 32 01:02:06,470 --> 01:02:09,570 And that may set the hair on fire, not the members of 33 01:02:09,970 --> 01:02:13,783 this board, but some of those who come as delegations from 34 01:02:14,283 --> 01:02:15,050 time to time in the last year or so. But all in all, we should 35 01:02:15,550 --> 01:02:19,290 be pretty pleased with what we're doing and 36 01:02:19,790 --> 01:02:22,970 try and keep it going. Thank you. Thank you, 37 01:02:23,470 --> 01:02:27,180 Dr. Croak. Dr. Brown, then Dr. Thorpe. Thanks, I think Director 38 01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:30,900 Swain raises a good question and I appreciate that we have the opportunity to kind 39 01:02:31,400 --> 01:02:34,940 of discuss this more freely. So I would just sort of start my comments 40 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:38,980 by saying as a former chair, a smaller board 41 01:02:39,480 --> 01:02:42,780 has great appeal. But also, I just also say that as I have 42 01:02:43,280 --> 01:02:46,580 no, I've been trying to think about this as 43 01:02:47,080 --> 01:02:51,220 objectively as possible because there's no circumstance in which I'll be 44 01:02:51,720 --> 01:02:55,050 sitting at this board come in the fall. 45 01:02:55,550 --> 01:02:58,970 So I do think that if, I do think if 46 01:02:59,470 --> 01:03:02,650 the number goes too low for Nanaimo, it would be a disservice for the board 47 01:03:03,150 --> 01:03:07,250 for two reasons. The first 48 01:03:07,750 --> 01:03:10,930 is that in order to achieve that, you have to, you know, 49 01:03:11,430 --> 01:03:16,610 up the population thresholds per vote. 50 01:03:17,110 --> 01:03:20,010 And what that will result in is like, 51 01:03:21,570 --> 01:03:26,530 a reduction over time for all the other areas achieving additional weighted 52 01:03:27,030 --> 01:03:30,370 votes through their population growth because that threshold will be easier every time for Nanaimo 53 01:03:30,870 --> 01:03:34,730 to hit. And then the, I think a second 54 01:03:35,230 --> 01:03:39,130 point to that is deviating too 55 01:03:39,630 --> 01:03:45,010 far from that will start to, outside of the weighted vote, take away from representation 56 01:03:45,510 --> 01:03:49,780 by population. But I also think there's, 57 01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:53,860 I think if you totaled the vote, if you went 58 01:03:54,360 --> 01:03:57,700 back and took a look at votes, the more 59 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:01,340 Nanaimo directors there are, that's seven or eight, often their votes counter each other, 60 01:04:01,580 --> 01:04:04,820 five votes here, five votes 61 01:04:05,320 --> 01:04:09,140 there, based on the vote. Someone kind of observed the board, not in the recent 62 01:04:09,640 --> 01:04:13,700 term, but even before that when Nanaimo had 63 01:04:14,200 --> 01:04:17,350 a much reduced number, I think there was a greater 64 01:04:17,850 --> 01:04:21,190 temptation to vote as a block because 65 01:04:21,690 --> 01:04:25,150 it only takes five people and four of you 66 01:04:25,650 --> 01:04:29,630 might agree or there's less likely for difference in votes 67 01:04:30,130 --> 01:04:32,910 when there's a smaller amount of people. That would actually, I think, carry more weight 68 01:04:33,470 --> 01:04:37,070 at this board table than it has 69 01:04:37,710 --> 01:04:42,070 heccered with the seven or more recently 70 01:04:42,570 --> 01:04:49,200 the eight. I think if we, I think there's some 71 01:04:49,700 --> 01:04:53,200 temptation there from numerous grounds, but I think taken as a whole, 72 01:04:53,920 --> 01:04:57,080 it would actually probably be a negative, a net negative for 73 01:04:57,580 --> 01:05:01,000 board equity when it comes to 74 01:05:01,500 --> 01:05:05,560 decision making. Thank you, Dr. Brown. Dr. Thorpe, then Dr. Stanley. Thank you very much, 75 01:05:06,060 --> 01:05:09,560 Chair. Just a couple of thoughts on this, an interesting 76 01:05:10,060 --> 01:05:14,100 topic and complicated to me at least. I like Director Brown's suggestion 77 01:05:14,600 --> 01:05:18,540 in the 6.7 for the same 78 01:05:19,040 --> 01:05:22,460 reasons that Director Krog has mentioned. To me, it seems to strike a 79 01:05:22,700 --> 01:05:26,860 balance with fairness and trying to maintain something 80 01:05:28,220 --> 01:05:32,180 close to the status quo. I don't disagree with everything that 81 01:05:32,680 --> 01:05:36,460 Councillor or Director Salter said, and I'm not convinced that 82 01:05:36,960 --> 01:05:40,060 Nanaimo losing one director would be the end of the world, 83 01:05:40,560 --> 01:05:43,700 but I would prefer that not to happen. But I will point out, building on 84 01:05:44,200 --> 01:05:48,220 what Director Brown just said, when I first came 85 01:05:48,720 --> 01:05:51,980 to this board, Nanaimo directors were expected and were told to 86 01:05:52,480 --> 01:05:56,260 vote as a block and were given directions on how to vote 87 01:05:56,760 --> 01:06:00,380 on each topic. And that was not healthy. And there was 88 01:06:00,880 --> 01:06:04,340 one case where an Nanaimo director was actually 89 01:06:04,500 --> 01:06:07,923 removed from the RDN for not following instructions. That has 90 01:06:08,423 --> 01:06:11,830 changed. And now Nanaimo directors, I'm proud to say, come here and they vote independently 91 01:06:12,330 --> 01:06:14,110 and they vote according to their own conscience and beliefs. 92 01:06:16,190 --> 01:06:19,550 So I think we're all here trying to do our best for 93 01:06:20,050 --> 01:06:24,510 each issue and at the same time represent our 94 01:06:25,150 --> 01:06:28,790 jurisdictions. The other comment I'd like to make, Chair, is, I think, related to that 95 01:06:29,290 --> 01:06:32,990 because I'm hearing a little bit of back and forth jabber 96 01:06:34,000 --> 01:06:35,200 between jurisdictions around this table, which is not, 97 01:06:38,160 --> 01:06:41,320 I don't think productive and it's not out of line, 98 01:06:41,820 --> 01:06:43,440 but I'm hearing there are several options in front of us that the ministry probably 99 01:06:43,940 --> 01:06:47,840 would not accept because of the scalability of numbers. And I feel like they're 100 01:06:48,480 --> 01:06:52,000 telling us, you submit an option, but if we don't like 101 01:06:52,500 --> 01:06:55,920 it, then we won't accept it. 102 01:06:56,320 --> 01:06:59,610 So maybe the ministry should be giving us two or three options. That they 103 01:07:00,110 --> 01:07:02,192 think are fine, and we could choose the one that we think is best. 104 01:07:02,692 --> 01:07:06,290 I guess I'm feeling a little frustrated that we're being guided down 105 01:07:06,790 --> 01:07:09,338 this path, but with certain parameters that we're not allowed to go over. But having 106 01:07:09,838 --> 01:07:11,050 said all that, 107 01:07:13,370 --> 01:07:17,050 I think the proposal that's been put in front of us to think about 108 01:07:17,550 --> 01:07:20,490 at least is a fair one and a good starting point. 109 01:07:22,730 --> 01:07:26,090 Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Thorpe. Very good comments. 110 01:07:27,050 --> 01:07:30,810 I think a lot of us feel 111 01:07:31,310 --> 01:07:33,570 the same way. Mr. Holmes, did you have something to add? Chair McLean, that was 112 01:07:34,070 --> 01:07:37,250 in looking at the history that a couple of directors have brought up on this 113 01:07:37,490 --> 01:07:40,290 topic, we were concerned with exactly that, 114 01:07:40,850 --> 01:07:43,330 that the board would sit around, debate this heavily, 115 01:07:44,850 --> 01:07:47,170 submit its wish to cabinet through staff, 116 01:07:48,450 --> 01:07:51,930 and it would come back turned down. And so we started with that. We said, 117 01:07:52,430 --> 01:07:56,090 what are the no-fly zones? And that conversation went on over a number of 118 01:07:56,590 --> 01:07:59,650 months and over a number of conversations and culminated in that list that Ms. 119 01:08:00,150 --> 01:08:05,770 Hill put up on the board earlier on and said, 120 01:08:06,270 --> 01:08:10,170 these are the types of things that we want the 121 01:08:10,670 --> 01:08:14,650 board to consider, debate, come to some conclusions on, et cetera. Some of the 122 01:08:15,150 --> 01:08:19,210 things that I think are no-fly zones is a model 123 01:08:19,710 --> 01:08:23,569 that I think that Director Thorpe has correctly observed, 124 01:08:24,069 --> 01:08:27,329 something that's not scalable, they're not gonna entertain that. The representation by population is very 125 01:08:27,829 --> 01:08:30,569 important, but at the end of the day, right now, 126 01:08:31,069 --> 01:08:35,249 the current model is about to expire just by 127 01:08:35,749 --> 01:08:39,769 virtue of numbers, and they're saying, so they're putting these questions 128 01:08:40,269 --> 01:08:43,289 with these criteria in mind, how does the board wish to address this? And so 129 01:08:43,789 --> 01:08:48,160 I think that if the board demonstrates it's 130 01:08:48,480 --> 01:08:51,920 viewed those criteria, considered them, debated them, 131 01:08:52,420 --> 01:08:55,880 and gone through a process that considers the individual 132 01:08:56,380 --> 01:09:00,320 councils, has shared this with the community, has had this conversation with First 133 01:09:00,820 --> 01:09:04,360 Nations. Then at the end of the day, 134 01:09:04,860 --> 01:09:09,400 I think the staff will recommend something to 135 01:09:09,900 --> 01:09:14,160 cabinet that approximates what's being concluded upon by the 136 01:09:14,660 --> 01:09:18,140 board. Thank you, Mr. Holmes. I have Director Stanley, 137 01:09:18,640 --> 01:09:23,220 then Director Salt. Thanks. So lots of good comments. I think that the reduction in 138 01:09:23,720 --> 01:09:27,300 cost is appealing, but I'm actually gonna make a 139 01:09:27,800 --> 01:09:31,980 point that is in support of more City of Nanaimo directors. And that 140 01:09:32,480 --> 01:09:35,700 is because I do feel like that, as mentioned, as we see, 141 01:09:36,200 --> 01:09:40,589 there are differing opinions. And I feel like that having that number 142 01:09:41,089 --> 01:09:44,829 to represent the variety of different opinions that are present not 143 01:09:45,329 --> 01:09:48,489 only in the city of Nanaimo, but across the region actually serves a functional purpose 144 01:09:48,989 --> 01:09:52,669 of representation of different values and allowing us to debate 145 01:09:52,829 --> 01:09:56,349 those different values. And so I find that the extent to which that occurs, 146 01:09:56,849 --> 01:09:59,189 particularly with ones perhaps I'm more different, a great opportunity for us to make good 147 01:09:59,689 --> 01:10:02,989 decisions and for us to learn from one another. So I feel that there's a 148 01:10:03,489 --> 01:10:07,060 value in that, which is why I I 149 01:10:07,560 --> 01:10:10,620 do want to suggest that having more City of Nanaimo folk, 150 01:10:11,120 --> 01:10:14,460 there's a benefit to that. However, I guess it leads me 151 01:10:14,960 --> 01:10:18,340 to a question which was related to the history conversation, is how 152 01:10:18,840 --> 01:10:22,380 City of Nanaimo appoints their directors to this board? Is that in 153 01:10:22,880 --> 01:10:26,500 policy? And is the independent of the directors votes? Is that 154 01:10:26,580 --> 01:10:30,580 in policy at City of Nanaimo? Because I 155 01:10:31,080 --> 01:10:33,470 feel like that piece and how you're all functioning now, leads to great functioning at 156 01:10:33,970 --> 01:10:35,990 this table, but obviously you can see that it could go the other way and 157 01:10:36,490 --> 01:10:40,070 it could be problematic. So that is my question to City of 158 01:10:40,570 --> 01:10:43,790 Nanaimo, if you don't mind sharing, and I will say if it's 159 01:10:44,290 --> 01:10:46,670 not in policy, be great if it was, but I also agree with the 6.7, 160 01:10:46,830 --> 01:10:50,790 I think that's probably the best way to 161 01:10:51,290 --> 01:10:54,910 go. Thanks. Thank you very much, Chair, the Mayor and the seven highest vote 162 01:10:54,990 --> 01:10:58,590 getters. And the lowest vote getter is the alternate. 163 01:10:59,660 --> 01:11:03,420 A policy? If it's not written in stone, I gotta tell you, it's been written 164 01:11:03,920 --> 01:11:06,860 in practice so long, I can't, 165 01:11:07,260 --> 01:11:11,140 I'm not aware of any ear, including going back to 166 01:11:11,640 --> 01:11:13,900 George Anderson. So, Councillor Brown can give a firm answer maybe. 167 01:11:15,340 --> 01:11:19,260 Yeah, the official policy speaks 168 01:11:19,820 --> 01:11:23,620 to experience and voter 169 01:11:24,120 --> 01:11:27,700 confidence, which translates to votes. May I follow up and ask about the 170 01:11:28,200 --> 01:11:31,920 independence of the vote? Sorry, say that again. Can I 171 01:11:32,400 --> 01:11:35,760 also ask about the independence of the vote of the director's votes versus it 172 01:11:36,400 --> 01:11:40,360 being a Nanaimo block? We have not sat 173 01:11:40,860 --> 01:11:43,720 together on any occasion that I'm aware of, although there may have been some small 174 01:11:44,220 --> 01:11:48,080 subgroups, I wasn't part of them, that has ever considered coming 175 01:11:48,160 --> 01:11:51,760 here and voting as a corporate block, as Councillor Thorpe said, 176 01:11:52,260 --> 01:11:56,390 used to be the practice in the old days. I can tell you 177 01:11:56,890 --> 01:12:00,190 from experience, having heard it from her lips myself, my dear old friend Joy 178 01:12:00,690 --> 01:12:04,170 Leach, who went to high school with 179 01:12:04,670 --> 01:12:07,630 my sister, so we're giving a bit of history here, was appalled when she became 180 01:12:08,130 --> 01:12:11,470 the mayor of Nanaimo to discover that in fact, 181 01:12:11,970 --> 01:12:15,230 willy-nilly, those bloody Nanaimo directors came out here to the 182 01:12:15,730 --> 01:12:18,110 regional district and voted according to their conscience, and she settled that quickly, and they 183 01:12:18,610 --> 01:12:21,910 started voting as a corporate bloc. That practice disappeared over time. 184 01:12:22,780 --> 01:12:26,740 So it doesn't sound like there's a policy in 185 01:12:27,240 --> 01:12:30,860 any direction. Director Salter, go ahead. Thank you, Chair. And so a couple 186 01:12:31,340 --> 01:12:32,364 of things I want to say first. Number one, I don't want this to be 187 01:12:32,864 --> 01:12:36,300 us against them. I don't want this to be you and then Nanaimo or Nanaimo's, 188 01:12:36,800 --> 01:12:37,740 but they've got too many people and they're all, that's not what, I don't think 189 01:12:40,620 --> 01:12:44,500 that was the purpose of this. What I think the 190 01:12:45,000 --> 01:12:47,820 purpose is, I could be wrong, 191 01:12:49,610 --> 01:12:53,210 But what I think the purpose was is we're in trouble with the numbers. 192 01:12:53,530 --> 01:12:57,210 When Nanaimo, when Sna-naimoc become, 193 01:12:58,410 --> 01:13:02,370 if they do, become part of an Anamim voting population, you're going to be 194 01:13:02,870 --> 01:13:07,410 in trouble at any rate because you don't have enough directors to 195 01:13:07,910 --> 01:13:12,050 manage this anymore. You're going to need another 196 01:13:12,550 --> 01:13:17,580 alternate when you only already have one, but you won't have any alternate when 197 01:13:18,080 --> 01:13:21,140 we look at the numbers. And I think that's what we're doing here today. 198 01:13:21,640 --> 01:13:24,420 It's not, I think Nanaimo's voting a block or I think, 199 01:13:24,920 --> 01:13:29,220 no, I don't think that's anything of any part 200 01:13:29,720 --> 01:13:33,660 of this and 201 01:13:34,700 --> 01:13:38,340 shouldn't be any part of this conversation. I don't think today. I think 202 01:13:38,840 --> 01:13:40,780 it's about how do we, what's the fix here? You're gonna have, you're gonna be 203 01:13:41,280 --> 01:13:44,900 in a position where you're gonna have not enough numbers to manage what 204 01:13:46,100 --> 01:13:49,300 you're supposed to be managing here. And so when we look at this, yes, 205 01:13:49,540 --> 01:13:52,780 there's a savings. I like it. But there 206 01:13:53,280 --> 01:13:56,580 is a savings, which is if you drop down 207 01:13:57,540 --> 01:14:01,740 to whatever, I'm just going to throw this 208 01:14:02,240 --> 01:14:02,580 out to people. 209 01:14:03,940 --> 01:14:07,420 You drop down to directors. 210 01:14:07,920 --> 01:14:11,740 You now have an alternate, which you have to have, and then maybe a 211 01:14:12,240 --> 01:14:16,280 spare. I don't know. But at least it 212 01:14:16,780 --> 01:14:20,280 gets, or at least you have, if you drop down to seven, then you 213 01:14:20,780 --> 01:14:23,080 have an alternate and maybe an alternate alternate. Because quite often I have seen where 214 01:14:23,580 --> 01:14:26,800 Nanaimo has had the one alternate, but you're still missing people at 215 01:14:30,080 --> 01:14:34,480 the table because one alternate isn't cutting it. 216 01:14:34,980 --> 01:14:38,720 You need more than that because there's more of you 217 01:14:38,880 --> 01:14:42,190 and obviously more life things that happen. So for 218 01:14:44,270 --> 01:14:46,910 the rest of us for the most part, especially those of us with only one 219 01:14:47,410 --> 01:14:50,270 sitting here, there's only one thing happening to one person and then the alternate kind 220 01:14:50,770 --> 01:14:54,590 of comes in. So it's a, I think a bigger 221 01:14:55,090 --> 01:14:59,670 issue for Nanaimo because of your numbers. And so I think I want 222 01:15:00,170 --> 01:15:03,350 to go there rather than we're being outvoted or we're being whatever your 223 01:15:03,850 --> 01:15:07,240 blog vote, whatever it is. I don't want to talk about that stuff. 224 01:15:09,390 --> 01:15:12,750 I just want to talk about what is the answer then 225 01:15:13,250 --> 01:15:16,750 for you to have the numbers when your whole world changes because 226 01:15:17,790 --> 01:15:21,590 you're about to get a population 227 01:15:22,090 --> 01:15:24,750 increase that you never did count on until now. And so I think that's where 228 01:15:24,910 --> 01:15:28,270 I want to go. 229 01:15:28,910 --> 01:15:33,030 And the other thing I want to say is we're also 230 01:15:33,530 --> 01:15:36,420 looking out 15 years ahead. So if you do drop by two counselors, Tare, 231 01:15:36,920 --> 01:15:41,220 you know that in 15 years time, who knows what you're going 232 01:15:41,720 --> 01:15:44,140 to do in 15 years time as far as population goes. 233 01:15:44,300 --> 01:15:48,700 And then the other piece of it is, of course I like the 234 01:15:49,200 --> 01:15:52,860 financial part, of course I would, but that's not 235 01:15:53,360 --> 01:15:56,460 the reason for that we're here. And then the 236 01:15:56,960 --> 01:16:00,820 last piece for me is that 237 01:16:01,320 --> 01:16:02,540 I think for me, 238 01:16:06,840 --> 01:16:10,720 I don't want to make a decision today. 239 01:16:11,220 --> 01:16:14,840 I did talk to the chair and some others. I want time to percolate this 240 01:16:15,340 --> 01:16:19,240 because I saw that new table that you put up. I have not had time 241 01:16:19,740 --> 01:16:23,200 to look at that table. And I've heard a 242 01:16:23,700 --> 01:16:27,240 lot of conversation around the table that I had not considered 243 01:16:27,740 --> 01:16:31,430 until I heard it today. And so I would like time to, whatever we 244 01:16:31,930 --> 01:16:34,270 come up, whatever we decide, 245 01:16:34,750 --> 01:16:37,950 I'd like time to 246 01:16:38,450 --> 01:16:42,110 take that away and think about 247 01:16:42,990 --> 01:16:46,870 it and then come back like within a week or something, whatever, for us 248 01:16:47,370 --> 01:16:50,910 to make a final decision that we could send into the ministry 249 01:16:50,990 --> 01:16:54,030 and hopefully it'll be something that they will accept. 250 01:16:54,510 --> 01:16:56,790 I guess we all in one way or another, there's going to be a change. 251 01:16:57,290 --> 01:17:00,870 And then we just have to, we just have to accept that. That's it. 252 01:17:01,370 --> 01:17:05,310 Thank you, Director Salter. Yes, that's one thing that's guaranteed is something has 253 01:17:05,810 --> 01:17:09,310 to change. We, even if we make a recommendation today, 254 01:17:09,989 --> 01:17:14,470 it's not a final decision. So if we do 255 01:17:14,970 --> 01:17:19,350 get to that, great. It'll still come back to the 256 01:17:19,850 --> 01:17:22,950 board. If we don't, we're still 257 01:17:23,450 --> 01:17:27,350 going to come back to the board because we do have to do something. 258 01:17:27,850 --> 01:17:30,950 Thank you, Director Calhoun. Look to Director Westbrook, then Vice-Chair Malatynski. Thanks, 259 01:17:31,450 --> 01:17:35,590 Chair. I'm just following up on Director Salter. We need to 260 01:17:36,090 --> 01:17:39,550 come up with some response, but maybe not 261 01:17:40,050 --> 01:17:43,990 today. And I'm just curious whether the rest of the City 262 01:17:44,490 --> 01:17:47,750 Council de Naimo agree with Tyler's that's some point 263 01:17:48,250 --> 01:17:51,550 solution. I think as far as I'm concerned, not going to change anything for Falcon 264 01:17:52,050 --> 01:17:57,230 Beach for a very long time. And it doesn't bother 265 01:17:57,730 --> 01:18:00,950 me that Lance may have a third of population or, 266 01:18:01,450 --> 01:18:05,430 or McLean's area has a third of population and we have 267 01:18:05,930 --> 01:18:09,830 one vote each. That's all because we have the weighted vote to kind of 268 01:18:10,330 --> 01:18:13,640 work that out, so. I'm easy on 269 01:18:13,720 --> 01:18:17,000 this. I was disappointed that we didn't get this addressed when we had only five 270 01:18:17,500 --> 01:18:20,360 members from the Naimo, one from Parks and lots of rumor on the table. 271 01:18:20,860 --> 01:18:24,840 Because I believe that the voting strength makes that up. And I also never, 272 01:18:25,160 --> 01:18:28,560 and I've been around almost 30 years, I don't 273 01:18:29,060 --> 01:18:32,280 think the city of Nanaimo ever forced their way through 274 01:18:32,780 --> 01:18:36,480 because they have the 54% on the vote when it 275 01:18:36,980 --> 01:18:39,100 comes to a weighted vote. So I think I'm good with either way. But I 276 01:18:39,600 --> 01:18:43,020 think we need to wrap this up today and say, okay, we'll come 277 01:18:43,520 --> 01:18:47,140 back. I could talk to my fellow counselors, others could 278 01:18:47,640 --> 01:18:51,060 too, and just have a conversation, but we need to close 279 01:18:51,560 --> 01:18:55,260 it off or we're going to be going in circles. And I would 280 01:18:55,760 --> 01:18:57,340 like to somehow suggest that we come back and somebody can make a notice of 281 01:18:57,840 --> 01:19:01,520 motion. I would encourage Tyler to make a notice of motion that we 282 01:19:02,020 --> 01:19:06,400 can discuss at the next meeting. Thank you. 283 01:19:06,900 --> 01:19:10,320 Thank you, Director Westbrook. Before I go to Vice-Chairman Launson, just on the process, 284 01:19:10,820 --> 01:19:14,000 Ms. Hill, we're going to potentially make a recommendation today 285 01:19:14,480 --> 01:19:17,960 or not. Either way, it'll come back to 286 01:19:18,460 --> 01:19:21,800 an upcoming board meeting in the very near future, 287 01:19:22,300 --> 01:19:27,920 perhaps next week. And after the board makes 288 01:19:28,420 --> 01:19:32,180 a decision, we'll refer that to our neighboring First 289 01:19:32,680 --> 01:19:34,970 Nations and our resident municipalities. Is that correct? And we'll put it out to the 290 01:19:35,470 --> 01:19:38,700 public for their information as well. Yes, Chair, also just to let you know, 291 01:19:39,200 --> 01:19:43,060 given that the committee, the whole report was published, 292 01:19:43,560 --> 01:19:47,099 the get involved page is open. It's just high level information for the 293 01:19:47,599 --> 01:19:52,820 public and allowing them to know the conversation 294 01:19:53,320 --> 01:19:56,620 and when the upcoming board meeting and this committee, the whole 295 01:19:57,120 --> 01:20:00,300 meeting would be. Thank you. Okay, thank you. 296 01:20:00,800 --> 01:20:04,060 Vice-Chairman Lanson and then Director 297 01:20:04,560 --> 01:20:07,820 Rogers. Thank you, Chair. I just first wanted to say that over the last 298 01:20:08,320 --> 01:20:11,500 couple of years, I've had the privilege of 299 01:20:12,000 --> 01:20:15,860 working with most of the City of Nanaimo counselors 300 01:20:16,100 --> 01:20:19,740 on a collaborative basis, and it's never been my experience that 301 01:20:20,240 --> 01:20:20,820 they have been anything other than gracious in sharing their experience and knowledge and working 302 01:20:20,900 --> 01:20:25,590 collaboratively with me. And ditto for 303 01:20:26,090 --> 01:20:29,190 the other southern electoral areas in the city or the village 304 01:20:29,690 --> 01:20:33,310 of Lansville. It's been nothing but a 305 01:20:33,710 --> 01:20:36,816 pleasure to work with my colleagues in those areas. So I 306 01:20:37,316 --> 01:20:41,310 feel fortunate that that's not been. 307 01:20:41,810 --> 01:20:45,030 Or that that's been the case in in my term. 308 01:20:45,530 --> 01:20:48,740 I just want to briefly talk about the weighted to vote minimum. While representation by 309 01:20:49,240 --> 01:20:51,680 population, I think we can all safely assume is very important to all of us, 310 01:20:52,180 --> 01:20:56,120 I want to briefly talk about 311 01:20:57,400 --> 01:21:02,320 one of the challenges that 312 01:21:02,820 --> 01:21:06,640 we face as electoral area directors, where we feel 313 01:21:07,140 --> 01:21:10,600 the need to represent our populations, but we're also the stewards of the 314 01:21:11,100 --> 01:21:15,320 largest portion of the regional district by land mass, and particularly for area 315 01:21:15,820 --> 01:21:19,160 C, which has the the smallest population 316 01:21:19,800 --> 01:21:23,240 and the largest geographic landmass, we often feel the need to do more 317 01:21:23,740 --> 01:21:27,440 with less as far as a tax base. We're protecting watersheds and mountains and forested 318 01:21:27,940 --> 01:21:34,440 areas that are much larger than any of the other 319 01:21:34,600 --> 01:21:38,120 areas with less money and also with less voting strength. 320 01:21:38,200 --> 01:21:40,760 So it forces us to be collaborative oftentimes in situations where we don't necessarily- the 321 01:21:40,920 --> 01:21:44,180 segments were completely random. Strangely pleasant in the 322 01:21:44,680 --> 01:21:48,140 way the Helens gently expressed their opinions. 323 01:21:48,640 --> 01:21:52,940 As for which one? Thank you. Thank you, whoever that was. 324 01:21:53,440 --> 01:21:56,700 Is that you, Director Wood? Yeah. So I feel 325 01:21:57,200 --> 01:22:00,660 like we're often forced to work with our neighbors in 326 01:22:01,160 --> 01:22:06,100 this area, and rightly so, because we're the 327 01:22:06,600 --> 01:22:10,460 resources and the playground and the 328 01:22:10,960 --> 01:22:13,940 water for other areas. So it forces us to work with our neighbors. But if 329 01:22:14,440 --> 01:22:17,860 we water down that weighted strength even more, I feel like we lose 330 01:22:18,360 --> 01:22:21,140 that piece of stewardship to a certain extent. So my preference would be to look 331 01:22:21,640 --> 01:22:25,380 at a formula that maintains 332 01:22:25,540 --> 01:22:28,940 that to vote minimum. That being said, 333 01:22:29,440 --> 01:22:32,820 if director brand feels confident in moving his motion, 334 01:22:33,300 --> 01:22:38,240 he would have my support because I think that's 335 01:22:38,740 --> 01:22:43,640 the fairest way to move forward. So I look forward to 336 01:22:44,140 --> 01:22:47,560 that conversation. Thank you very much. I have Director Rogers, then Director Krog. 337 01:22:48,060 --> 01:22:51,760 Thanks, Chair. And through you, just a couple of comments that I 338 01:22:52,260 --> 01:22:55,640 might, with respect to, and I 339 01:22:56,200 --> 01:22:59,880 guess in conjunction with Director Thorpe and Director, 340 01:23:01,010 --> 01:23:04,290 Hm? Nino. I've been around 341 01:23:04,790 --> 01:23:09,850 here a while and I don't think that I've ever felt 342 01:23:10,350 --> 01:23:14,530 that the city of Naino has 343 01:23:14,770 --> 01:23:18,370 voted as a block. And I don't ever think that 344 01:23:18,870 --> 01:23:22,570 the directors from the Naino have voted other than with their conscience. 345 01:23:23,070 --> 01:23:26,500 So, but I do believe strongly right across this whole country, 346 01:23:26,890 --> 01:23:30,610 in our representation based 347 01:23:31,110 --> 01:23:35,850 on population. So looking at 348 01:23:36,350 --> 01:23:40,130 the number of directors that Nanaimo has, I also agree 349 01:23:40,630 --> 01:23:44,570 with trying to maintain the status quo and taking a look seriously at that option. 350 01:23:45,070 --> 01:23:49,210 But I think that we need to give this some real theory 351 01:23:49,450 --> 01:23:52,810 of thought. We have to make sure that 352 01:23:54,220 --> 01:23:57,780 our electorate have a chance to get feedback to 353 01:23:58,280 --> 01:24:01,380 us on this. I know every resident in the news does not look 354 01:24:01,880 --> 01:24:03,460 at the agendas on a daily basis or on a regular basis. They may look 355 01:24:03,960 --> 01:24:08,340 at it fairly frequently, but not every resident has 356 01:24:08,840 --> 01:24:12,406 a chance or the inclination to do that. I think 357 01:24:12,906 --> 01:24:16,340 this is one of the more serious things that we've done as 358 01:24:16,840 --> 01:24:20,550 a as 359 01:24:21,050 --> 01:24:23,590 a board is to review the number of directors that we have and the representation 360 01:24:24,090 --> 01:24:28,110 by each jurisdiction. So I wouldn't want to make a 361 01:24:28,610 --> 01:24:32,150 recommendation today. I would want to take this away 362 01:24:32,950 --> 01:24:36,310 and think about it some more. I noticed on one of 363 01:24:36,810 --> 01:24:40,390 the slides had an option in there with respect to a workshop 364 01:24:41,270 --> 01:24:46,330 type approach for it. That may not be necessary if people are all if if 365 01:24:46,830 --> 01:24:50,290 the majority of us are thinking 366 01:24:50,790 --> 01:24:53,770 about trying to maintain the status quo, we get one of the concerns, you know, 367 01:24:54,270 --> 01:24:57,930 different directors have at different times is with respect to 368 01:24:58,430 --> 01:25:00,050 when we look at the financial plan and the fact that, oh heck, what does 369 01:25:00,550 --> 01:25:04,250 it matter? And Nanaimo's got 370 01:25:04,750 --> 01:25:09,290 a weighted vote and they're going to approve whatever financial 371 01:25:09,790 --> 01:25:12,770 plan they want. I don't think that's quite the case. They may, on paper and 372 01:25:13,270 --> 01:25:17,490 on numbers, they may have that ability, but it doesn't always 373 01:25:17,990 --> 01:25:20,250 work out that way. 374 01:25:22,490 --> 01:25:30,570 So when we look at this thing here, we pay 375 01:25:31,070 --> 01:25:33,650 for in all the services that we have, 115 services. So each one of those 376 01:25:34,150 --> 01:25:38,330 services within our financial plan, we're told what the participation and what the formula 377 01:25:38,490 --> 01:25:41,880 is for that. We know what that is because 378 01:25:42,380 --> 01:25:46,720 we've set those things up. We know what the participation is and then 379 01:25:46,880 --> 01:25:50,560 we know whether you're paying 100% by assessment or 380 01:25:51,060 --> 01:25:54,840 if you're paying by population and assessment. So we know all those 381 01:25:55,340 --> 01:25:59,920 things and we have the flexibility to change those. And there have 382 01:26:00,420 --> 01:26:03,800 been some cases where that has been demonstrated. We know there's a difference between 383 01:26:04,300 --> 01:26:07,090 transit south and transit north. So and we're still able to work through some of 384 01:26:07,590 --> 01:26:12,770 those things. So I don't think it's so much the makeup of 385 01:26:13,270 --> 01:26:17,210 the board, because that is up to the electorate, when the electorate, when they 386 01:26:17,710 --> 01:26:21,170 decide who they want to have on those, representing them, either as directors individually for 387 01:26:21,670 --> 01:26:26,410 the electoral areas, or whether it's for counselors for Qualicum 388 01:26:26,910 --> 01:26:27,450 Beach, for Langford, for Parksville, 389 01:26:36,340 --> 01:26:39,620 and Nanaimo. Those are choices that the residents make and I wouldn't want to be 390 01:26:40,120 --> 01:26:43,740 in a system where we have anything but that choice. 391 01:26:44,240 --> 01:26:46,660 So going forward, I want some time to think about this thing. I wouldn't want 392 01:26:47,160 --> 01:26:50,580 to have us see us just next Tuesday make a 393 01:26:51,080 --> 01:26:54,980 recommendation to the province and this is 394 01:26:55,540 --> 01:26:58,820 what we want. But I appreciate that we don't want to leave it. 395 01:26:59,230 --> 01:27:01,630 For too long a time. 396 01:27:03,150 --> 01:27:07,110 I think we do have lots of flexibility 397 01:27:07,610 --> 01:27:12,270 and we have a chance 398 01:27:12,770 --> 01:27:15,950 to talk about things 399 01:27:16,450 --> 01:27:19,590 as individuals and amongst ourselves. But I don't 400 01:27:20,090 --> 01:27:23,750 think that I've ever felt that the Nanaimo Board or members of the Nanaimo Board 401 01:27:24,250 --> 01:27:28,010 have got together and said, okay, we're going to this is how 402 01:27:28,330 --> 01:27:32,370 we're going to vote and this is how 403 01:27:32,870 --> 01:27:37,090 we have to vote. I've worked with, 404 01:27:37,590 --> 01:27:40,770 as a school trustee, I've worked with Joy 405 01:27:41,270 --> 01:27:45,970 Leach, who Leonard referenced. 406 01:27:46,470 --> 01:27:50,210 And there may have been a different approach at that school 407 01:27:50,710 --> 01:27:53,610 district when Joy was chair of that. But that's bygone history, I think. 408 01:27:54,010 --> 01:27:58,290 And I haven't felt that we've been going through 409 01:27:58,790 --> 01:28:01,450 that for the last number of years. 410 01:28:02,410 --> 01:28:05,570 So I'll just leave it at that, 411 01:28:06,070 --> 01:28:10,610 but I would like some time to be able to think about this and hope 412 01:28:11,110 --> 01:28:15,090 that we have a chance to not rush into this 413 01:28:15,590 --> 01:28:19,010 decision, because it does have an impact on the makeup of the 414 01:28:19,510 --> 01:28:23,470 board. And it's something that we 415 01:28:23,970 --> 01:28:27,550 want to do before October when we come up 416 01:28:28,050 --> 01:28:31,070 for the local elections this fall. Thank you. Thank you, 417 01:28:31,570 --> 01:28:34,070 Director Rogers. Director Krog, then Director Westbroek. Thank you very much, 418 01:28:34,570 --> 01:28:38,630 Chair. And I just want to be clear through 419 01:28:39,130 --> 01:28:42,870 you to Director Salter, I think she expressed some concern about the addition 420 01:28:44,470 --> 01:28:48,350 of the Sinixt territories into the City of Nanaimo in terms 421 01:28:48,850 --> 01:28:52,090 of voting. And I'm sure the consultant will 422 01:28:52,590 --> 01:28:56,990 correct me if I'm wrong, but we're talking about an addition of less than 423 01:28:57,490 --> 01:29:00,710 800 voters, and if they vote with the same awful turnout as everybody else who's 424 01:29:01,210 --> 01:29:05,150 already in the city of the now, that means about 200 votes. 425 01:29:05,630 --> 01:29:09,390 So it's not going to be a substantive change. To come back to, 426 01:29:10,430 --> 01:29:13,830 though, to what Director Rogers, Director Salter, and others have said, 427 01:29:14,330 --> 01:29:15,810 notwithstanding it is a cow meeting and it's not the final decision, I'm quite happy 428 01:29:16,310 --> 01:29:20,210 to see consideration of 429 01:29:20,710 --> 01:29:24,890 this delayed without considering a motion. I must say 430 01:29:24,970 --> 01:29:28,690 my personal view is at this stage, 431 01:29:29,190 --> 01:29:33,210 I would happily support what Councillor Brown has proposed for 432 01:29:33,710 --> 01:29:37,250 all the reasons that many have articulated one way or another today. But in deference 433 01:29:37,750 --> 01:29:41,402 to the electoral area directors, if there is even How shall I say, 434 01:29:41,902 --> 01:29:43,810 and there appears to be a reasonable minority of them who would prefer some time 435 01:29:44,310 --> 01:29:48,210 to consider this, then I think it is worth doing 436 01:29:48,710 --> 01:29:52,490 that and also giving them a time to consult their constituents. As I've pointed 437 01:29:52,570 --> 01:29:56,650 out many times, virtually no one comes to me ever as a regional director 438 01:29:57,150 --> 01:30:00,970 with a regional district of Nanaimo issue. They, on the other hand, 439 01:30:01,530 --> 01:30:05,130 are dressed in the coffee shops and the 440 01:30:05,630 --> 01:30:09,460 gas stations and the barbershops shops just 441 01:30:09,540 --> 01:30:13,420 like I am on city issues, but they're addressed on already 442 01:30:13,920 --> 01:30:17,140 an issue. So for what it's worth, I say give them time. 443 01:30:18,580 --> 01:30:21,900 Thank you, director Krog, director Westbrook. Thank you, chair. After being, I thought 444 01:30:22,400 --> 01:30:25,300 I was convinced that and I would never vote as a block, but then director 445 01:30:25,780 --> 01:30:28,380 sorb said that when he got in, he was told to vote as a block. 446 01:30:28,880 --> 01:30:32,700 And maybe if I was naive, I thought they wouldn't 447 01:30:33,200 --> 01:30:35,980 do that. But anyway, I would say if it's appropriate, 448 01:30:36,540 --> 01:30:39,460 we could make a motion to defer this to the next board meeting and perhaps 449 01:30:39,960 --> 01:30:44,940 someone could, as I suggested, I like Tyler Brown's or Director Brown's 450 01:30:45,440 --> 01:30:49,620 suggestion as well with the decimal point 451 01:30:50,120 --> 01:30:55,020 in it. And hopefully we can then make a decision because we've got 452 01:30:55,520 --> 01:30:57,580 to make a decision at some point. And to me, it's not a big deal. 453 01:30:58,080 --> 01:31:00,670 I think the voting strength is what makes the difference. And we need to move 454 01:31:01,170 --> 01:31:01,990 forward. So I don't really think there's much more to be said. I think we 455 01:31:02,490 --> 01:31:06,030 had a good discussion. So if it's appropriate, Chair, I would move 456 01:31:06,530 --> 01:31:10,150 that we defer this to the next board 457 01:31:10,870 --> 01:31:14,043 meeting. I'm not sure that's 458 01:31:14,543 --> 01:31:17,950 necessary. I will be on a board meeting agenda, but Mr. Holmes, you did just 459 01:31:18,450 --> 01:31:22,390 have your hand up. Chair McLean, as you and I talked about 460 01:31:22,550 --> 01:31:24,926 earlier on, our intention is to bring it to the March 10th board meeting just 461 01:31:25,426 --> 01:31:28,750 as a matter of course. To keep 462 01:31:29,250 --> 01:31:33,030 the conversation going until the board comes to some conclusion. So that'll happen 463 01:31:33,750 --> 01:31:37,190 in any event. Well, in that case, I move that we adjourn. 464 01:31:37,690 --> 01:31:38,782 Well, I see Director O'Brien as his hand up, so I'll go to him. 465 01:31:39,282 --> 01:31:41,629 Thank you, though. Thank you, Chair. And in consideration of the fact we are a 466 01:31:42,129 --> 01:31:45,030 community as a whole, is it possible sometimes, 467 01:31:46,230 --> 01:31:49,630 and I totally understand the fact that 468 01:31:50,130 --> 01:31:52,760 some directors want to, take a step back and consider what we've heard today. 469 01:31:53,260 --> 01:31:57,680 And that's great and we'd like to do that. But I've 470 01:31:58,180 --> 01:32:01,600 also heard from a number of 471 01:32:02,100 --> 01:32:05,840 directors here today that they're looking for a status quo 472 01:32:06,340 --> 01:32:09,440 and a lot, I would suspect, supporting of Director Brown, 473 01:32:09,520 --> 01:32:13,760 so 6.7, myself included. But at the same time, 474 01:32:14,320 --> 01:32:17,950 I would find it helpful if I was to to take a moment 475 01:32:18,450 --> 01:32:21,510 to reconsider. If I could know of those people that aren't convinced that 6.7 is 476 01:32:22,010 --> 01:32:26,150 just a go-to that if they could advise, like they're looking 477 01:32:26,650 --> 01:32:28,870 for, we were presented for so many options. If we could, is it possible, 478 01:32:29,370 --> 01:32:33,270 since we're in Cal to actually get a consensus of what 479 01:32:33,770 --> 01:32:39,510 some of the other directors are thinking 480 01:32:40,010 --> 01:32:44,576 that they, they're favoring this, but we want to we 481 01:32:45,076 --> 01:32:45,405 want to think about it more. And then at that time that we can go 482 01:32:45,905 --> 01:32:49,630 back to our packages that we've been given, 483 01:32:49,790 --> 01:32:53,470 say, okay, well, what does option 3A look like? If this person thinks that it's 484 01:32:53,970 --> 01:32:57,430 a good thing, then I want to consider that. Maybe I'm missing something here. 485 01:32:57,930 --> 01:33:00,190 But is there any way we can come to some consensus of what the 19 486 01:33:00,690 --> 01:33:04,510 members are thinking right at this time? Chair, I'm just trying 487 01:33:04,590 --> 01:33:08,590 to make sure I consider all opinions and the respect 488 01:33:10,770 --> 01:33:14,410 respectfully make a decision? Yes, thank you, Director O'Brien. I do hear a lot of 489 01:33:14,910 --> 01:33:18,010 agreement, but there's some hesitation on making a decision. 490 01:33:18,510 --> 01:33:22,290 So I still have other people who would like to speak, 491 01:33:22,790 --> 01:33:28,010 and I would like to 492 01:33:28,510 --> 01:33:31,890 hear from them. That's the whole point of this forum 493 01:33:32,370 --> 01:33:35,850 today is just to have a good dialogue 494 01:33:36,350 --> 01:33:40,150 and discussion, ask questions, and and not 495 01:33:40,650 --> 01:33:47,110 necessarily formulate a recommendation. So I will go to 496 01:33:47,610 --> 01:33:49,910 Director Craig, then Director Thorpe. Thank you. 497 01:33:50,410 --> 01:33:54,510 And I put those numbers into the handy dandy 498 01:33:55,010 --> 01:33:58,670 spreadsheet and it looks pretty good to me. Very close to status quo. Thinking of 499 01:33:59,170 --> 01:34:02,510 status quo, looking at the other options as 1B is no longer viable 500 01:34:03,010 --> 01:34:06,930 when there's changes to B, with the 501 01:34:07,430 --> 01:34:10,050 7 divisor also has a board size of 19. 502 01:34:10,550 --> 01:34:14,130 So I do think that 503 01:34:14,630 --> 01:34:19,290 the solution that was offered with the 6.7 actually ends up with a 504 01:34:19,609 --> 01:34:22,490 more similar composition and voting strength to what we have now, 505 01:34:22,890 --> 01:34:26,490 but 2B also would attain if 506 01:34:26,650 --> 01:34:30,460 the board wants to maintain its current composition would 507 01:34:30,960 --> 01:34:34,580 also attain that. So I know one of the 508 01:34:35,080 --> 01:34:38,260 suggestions is that we could even potentially identify one or more, but I just throw 509 01:34:38,760 --> 01:34:40,580 that out there for a closer look if people were interested. 510 01:34:42,580 --> 01:34:46,300 But I do think that the 6.7 looks like a 511 01:34:46,800 --> 01:34:50,220 good solution. Thank you, Director Craig. I think it 512 01:34:50,720 --> 01:34:54,380 would be best if we can settle on one option to present to the ministry. 513 01:34:54,880 --> 01:34:58,310 That would be the most effective. With that being 514 01:34:58,810 --> 01:35:03,070 said, I have Director Thorpe, then Director Brown, then Director Geselbracht. Thank you very much, 515 01:35:03,570 --> 01:35:08,030 Chair, very quickly, because I'm just going backwards for a 516 01:35:08,530 --> 01:35:15,030 little bit. I did want to respond briefly to Director Westbrook, 517 01:35:15,530 --> 01:35:19,310 whose expertise and experience I 518 01:35:19,810 --> 01:35:23,710 greatly admire. During the 1914-1918 term, I'm not casting 519 01:35:24,210 --> 01:35:28,110 aspersions on any four former mayor of Nanaimo who 520 01:35:28,610 --> 01:35:32,150 was in a very difficult position in those days. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Not going 521 01:35:32,650 --> 01:35:36,070 back that far. Yeah, I'm doing pretty well for my age. We had a 522 01:35:36,570 --> 01:35:40,949 city manager, I will tell you this, that delegated 523 01:35:41,449 --> 01:35:45,510 a staff person to review the 524 01:35:46,010 --> 01:35:49,950 RDN agenda prior to each meeting and then give a briefing 525 01:35:50,450 --> 01:35:53,680 to to Nanaimo delegates as to 526 01:35:54,000 --> 01:35:57,800 how they should vote. So I am not again criticizing and I 527 01:35:58,300 --> 01:36:01,480 passed mayor, the blame if you wish to put blame lies elsewhere, 528 01:36:01,980 --> 01:36:05,600 but that practice no longer occurs, I'm very pleased 529 01:36:06,479 --> 01:36:09,600 to say. Thanks chair for indulging 530 01:36:10,240 --> 01:36:14,240 me. No problem, thank you Director Thorpe. Director Brown and 531 01:36:14,320 --> 01:36:18,780 then Dr. Gesselbracht. I'm happy to defer to Director Geselbracht, I think, 532 01:36:19,020 --> 01:36:21,940 is the first time speaker, so. Certainly. Okay. 533 01:36:22,440 --> 01:36:25,940 Director Geselbracht. Great. Thanks. And I appreciate all the conversation. And thank 534 01:36:26,440 --> 01:36:29,660 you to Director Craig for putting that, all those numbers into the spreadsheet. 535 01:36:30,160 --> 01:36:33,340 That was impressive. But it did 536 01:36:33,840 --> 01:36:37,940 lay it out clearly. Yeah, I I I was 537 01:36:38,440 --> 01:36:42,020 looking at, um, 1B and 2B, um, the ones 538 01:36:42,520 --> 01:36:45,890 that drop, uh, the city down to. Seven. 539 01:36:46,390 --> 01:36:49,930 And I think Parksville gets dropped down to 540 01:36:50,430 --> 01:36:53,930 one. And then they're scalable to 20 41. And then 541 01:36:54,430 --> 01:36:58,250 with the Advent of being able to look at using 6.7 542 01:36:59,690 --> 01:37:03,170 and kind of thread the needle in there and which allows Parksville to, I think, 543 01:37:03,670 --> 01:37:05,730 keep a director and still scalable, I think that option threads the needle best and 544 01:37:06,230 --> 01:37:10,010 it sort of allows for us 545 01:37:10,820 --> 01:37:15,108 to be scalable and address the population growth while maintaining close 546 01:37:15,608 --> 01:37:19,100 enough to status quo, which I believe, you know, we've been quite functional as 547 01:37:19,600 --> 01:37:23,340 a board with the number of directors that we do have. 548 01:37:23,840 --> 01:37:27,740 And so we don't have to mess around too much with 549 01:37:28,240 --> 01:37:32,060 that. So I'm in full support of going ahead 550 01:37:32,560 --> 01:37:35,620 with Director Brown's suggestion of the 6.7% increase. 551 01:37:36,490 --> 01:37:41,130 Sort of number juggling there that will allow us to address the population 552 01:37:41,630 --> 01:37:45,570 issue and scale. So, you know, I'm happy to have that go forward as a 553 01:37:46,070 --> 01:37:48,450 recommendation. Now, it seems that there seems to be quite broad consensus on that, 554 01:37:48,950 --> 01:37:52,370 but, you know, if there's no time 555 01:37:52,870 --> 01:37:56,890 urgency to slow things down a little bit, but I get a sense that 556 01:37:57,390 --> 01:37:59,770 most people are on board with going ahead with that. Thank you. 557 01:38:01,620 --> 01:38:05,620 Thank you, Director Gesselbracht. I have 558 01:38:06,120 --> 01:38:09,180 Director Brown, then Director Craig, then Director Manley. Chair, 559 01:38:09,680 --> 01:38:13,780 just a question through the staff. I can appreciate, I really appreciate wanting 560 01:38:13,860 --> 01:38:16,460 to take time with this, especially when you have to go out to 2041 trying 561 01:38:16,960 --> 01:38:20,620 to find a solution and the nature of the 562 01:38:21,120 --> 01:38:24,860 topic. I 100% agree with Director Rogers, probably one of the more, 563 01:38:25,360 --> 01:38:30,060 might not seem like it, but one of the most important decisions we're 564 01:38:30,560 --> 01:38:33,080 making. There's been a lot of talk of the six-point divisor, but there's also, 565 01:38:33,580 --> 01:38:36,970 I think, some other details in there with respect to 566 01:38:37,470 --> 01:38:39,040 the unit, the amount of units per vote. And I'm just wondering if we are 567 01:38:39,540 --> 01:38:43,240 to revisit it at the board meeting, is it possible 568 01:38:43,740 --> 01:38:47,996 just to have that spelled out a little bit more so the board's 569 01:38:48,244 --> 01:38:52,200 kind of got in front 570 01:38:52,700 --> 01:38:54,010 of him and we know exactly what we're talking about? I think maybe it would 571 01:38:54,510 --> 01:38:57,010 be helpful to put it up now. And Ms. Hill, I think we can include 572 01:38:57,510 --> 01:39:01,130 that in the in a word 573 01:39:01,630 --> 01:39:02,890 agenda package. Great. Thank you. Thank you. 574 01:39:04,490 --> 01:39:09,290 Were you asking for it to be put up on the screen 575 01:39:09,790 --> 01:39:13,610 now, Chair? Yes, Ms. Homer, if you can do that for 576 01:39:14,110 --> 01:39:17,650 us, that would be great. Thank you. Yes. Can you 577 01:39:18,150 --> 01:39:21,900 see that okay? Yes, we can. 578 01:39:22,400 --> 01:39:24,500 Perfect. And I'll go to Dr. Craig, you're good? Okay, 579 01:39:25,140 --> 01:39:27,980 that was a holdover. Director Manley. Thanks. 580 01:39:28,480 --> 01:39:32,140 Yeah, I was just going to say that I think Director Brown's solution 581 01:39:32,640 --> 01:39:35,980 here works, but I'm also happy to defer this so that 582 01:39:36,480 --> 01:39:39,340 we don't make a decision today necessarily, 583 01:39:39,840 --> 01:39:43,300 but that we all walk away with this idea and then people 584 01:39:43,460 --> 01:39:46,395 can mull it over on their own and we can come back and make a 585 01:39:46,895 --> 01:39:49,550 solid decision at the next board meeting. Thanks. Thank you, Director Manley. Director Gesselbracht, 586 01:39:50,670 --> 01:39:54,030 is that a holdover on your hand? Yeah, okay. 587 01:39:54,530 --> 01:39:57,310 Director Stanley, go ahead. Thanks. Sorry, I just wanted to clarify if these numbers included 588 01:39:57,810 --> 01:40:02,470 the expected changes as a result of the boundary changes 589 01:40:02,970 --> 01:40:06,230 or not, 590 01:40:06,730 --> 01:40:10,590 and if they don't, 591 01:40:11,950 --> 01:40:16,230 Could we get that at some point in 592 01:40:16,730 --> 01:40:20,750 time? Just because I think that's what I'm looking 593 01:40:21,250 --> 01:40:25,150 for. Okay, because I'm pretty, I think that's likely 594 01:40:25,230 --> 01:40:28,550 to happen. So I think this, what's up now is the 595 01:40:29,050 --> 01:40:32,350 likely outcome. It seems likely, but you know, nothing's guaranteed. And I think 596 01:40:32,850 --> 01:40:36,230 we can get both of these scenarios on the report. Yes. Okay. Thank you, 597 01:40:36,730 --> 01:40:41,080 Michelle. Any other questions or 598 01:40:41,160 --> 01:40:45,280 discussion? Well, I'm not seeing 599 01:40:45,780 --> 01:40:49,960 any and I don't see any new hands popping up on Zoom. So I think- 600 01:40:50,460 --> 01:40:54,280 Motion to adjourn. Okay. That's a motion to adjourn by Director Westbrook and seconded 601 01:40:54,440 --> 01:40:59,400 by Director Wood. Is there other 602 01:40:59,900 --> 01:41:03,490 business? I think there's a- New 603 01:41:03,990 --> 01:41:07,810 business, but I'm not aware 604 01:41:08,310 --> 01:41:11,490 of any. There's a series of motions under report. 605 01:41:11,970 --> 01:41:15,930 Yeah, those are recommendations that we could bring to the board, 606 01:41:16,430 --> 01:41:20,810 but this, as mentioned before, this is going to come back to the 607 01:41:21,310 --> 01:41:26,090 board anyway. So it sounded like directors would like some time with 608 01:41:26,590 --> 01:41:30,780 that. And so I'm happy that we can adjourn 609 01:41:31,280 --> 01:41:36,700 today and that we'll just be coming 610 01:41:37,020 --> 01:41:41,020 back to the board for further consideration and decision at that point. 611 01:41:41,520 --> 01:41:45,060 Because anything we do today will come back to the board anyway 612 01:41:45,560 --> 01:41:49,660 for a final decision. So the motion to adjourn was moved by Director Westbrook and 613 01:41:50,160 --> 01:41:52,900 seconded by Director Wood. Any discussion on the motion to adjourn? Seeing none, I'll call 614 01:41:53,400 --> 01:41:58,370 the question and all those in favor. And any 615 01:42:00,050 --> 01:42:03,450 opposed? I see none opposed. 616 01:42:03,950 --> 01:42:07,530 Well, thank you everyone. That was a good discussion and lots of 617 01:42:08,030 --> 01:42:12,570 good questions. And I'll look forward to us 618 01:42:13,070 --> 01:42:17,050 coming to a 619 01:42:17,550 --> 01:42:19,490 conclusion at our next board meeting. Thanks,