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blowup

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Sparks Fly At Council !!

Councilor threatens to leave meeting !

Mayor accused of lacking control - abusing power !

By now (feb 22) you might have heard the rumours.

What really happened at City Council on monday evening? See for yourself below.

For some background:

Gord Nichols of the Rotary Club presents the Sign idea to council at Sept 6, 2011 meeting
Sept 6, 2011

The city was approached back in September 2011 by the Rotary club with a proposal for a new greeting sign for the west end of the valley.
Councillor Wyers report on this and the subsequent motion at Jan 23 meeting
Jan 23
  • In her report of Jan 23, Councilor Wyers "advised that Council is in receipt of a final Rotary Entrance Sign for the west end of Grand Forks"
  • She put forth a motion that the city endorse the Rotary club's sign proposal (caps from agenda file) - "SUBJECT TO THEIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL TO INVESTIGATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD TWO SIGNS; ONE FOR THE EAST END OF THE CITY AND ONE FOR THE WEST END OF THE CITY, AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS FROM THE NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL WITH REGARDS TO THE DESIGN AND LOCATION".
    It was passed.
Councilor Smith at the Feb 20 meeting

Feb 20

Councilor Smith mentions a BEDC meeting where discussions over the design of the greeting sign happened.
Pertinent data:
  • A number of councilors were present
  • Council had already voted on a design
  • The Mayor mentions that this will result in a redesign coming back in front of council
Councilor Wirischagin

Councilor Wirischagin complains (at time 69:54) that:

  • this had already been dealt with and decided upon by council
  • councilors should not be representing council in changes done outside of council
  • he does not 'fault councilors Smith and Kendell for their actions, for they are new to this'
  • he does fault the mayor 'for not nipping this in the bud before it started'
  • the mayor is 'abusing his power' by allowing this to make its way back to the table after a final decision was made much as he did with the mutil-use playing field for city park last year.
  • the mayor does not have the power to bring this back because a month has elapsed (since the decision) and 6 months have not elapsed.
  • this sends a message that decisions of council will not be respected or abided by.
  • he has lost faith in this council
  • After this some discussion happens and after Councilor Wyers says her piece Councillor Wirischagin decides to remain seated at council but not to participate.
  • The Mayor and various councilors try to explain what has led to this.
Question - where does the dispute on the sign stem from?

At the end of the meeting Karl Yue, from the Gazette, asks for background on this dispute. For his article on this, click on the logo

.

For the Boundary Sentinel's take on this click on the logo below

 

Where will it go from here?
Stay tuned ...

(-full meeting may be viewed below-)

meeting

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Feb 20, 2012 - Meeting of the Grand Forks City Council


disclaimer

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NOTE: The words, actions and behaviours contained within this video are the responsibilities of those who made them. Misty Creek will not be held not responsible for them. No one you see on screen (with the exception of Les Johnson) is in any way employed by Misty Creek Productions Inc. All efforts are made to present you with the meeting verbatim (as it happened). The only editing is for clarity - nothing that happens between the start and end of the meeting is removed unless we feel it will present us with a liability in some way.
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