Metro Vancouver is stepping up its collaboration with the UBCM.
Some completely false allegations have been made about Vancouver Councillor Kerry Jang’s removal from the board of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). I want to clear up the misconceptions.
On September 10, 2009, the Intergovernmental Committee of Metro Vancouver heard a presentation by Robert Hobson, Chair of UBCM, on the activities of his organization and its relationship with Metro Vancouver. Of specific reference to this post, there was discussion about Metro Vancouver representation on the UBCM Board.
As a result of this presentation and the ensuing discussions, a resolution was drafted and passed:
“It was MOVED and SECONDED
That the Intergovernmental Committee request staff to report to the Intergovernmental Committee on recommendations for increased Metro Vancouver representation on the Union of British Columbia Municipalities
(UBCM) Board.Members agreed that overall representation of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Board be considered.”
This then prompted a report of recommendations from Donald Lidstone, Q.C., an expert in municipal law, to the Metro Vancouver board sometime in mid-October.
Now to clarify, because it was an in-camera document, I have never had my hands on it nor even seen it.
But CivicScene sources tell me that based on the premise that UBCM was wanting to have more input and involvement from Metro Vancouver, Lidstone recommended that not only should more Metro Vancouver representatives be sitting on the UBCM board, but also that the Vancouver rep should also be a member of the Metro Vancouver board.
Councillor Kerry Jang does not currently sit on the Metro Vancouver board, hence yesterday’s change to Councillor Tim Stevenson.
So there you go – this was not a measure of disciplinary action taken by the Mayor as some have alluded to.
For a Mayor that is accused of not being involved in regional affairs (this was a common theme at Saturday’s forum), it seems as though the Mayor’s office is fully engaged with the major regional bodies encompassing civic affairs.
