Friday, July 12, 2013

Friday News Wrap - July 12th edition

In this week's news:

a) BC Supreme Court rejects lawsuit over secondary suite issue in Quesnel - read here.  Meanwhile - the City of Quesnel begins planning for secondary suites - read here

Meanwhile - Pat Morton from QuesnelNews.com laments on this decision by saying:

Leonard Street residents, Valerie King, Susan Maile and John Higgins were represented by Karen Surcess. City was represented by Chris Murdy.

Well, in spite of an excellent effort by the people's lawyer, I mean EXCELLENT... and in spite of Justice Terence A Schultes very clearly saying that he would be inclined to lean in favour of the petitioners (the people) based on several procedural errors by City staff (Tanya Turner); that he would like to rule in our favour due to the overwhelming opposition from the people; that he would wish to uphold the people’s petition based on Council’s siding with the developer in legalizing his illegal basement suite, the judge reluctantly ruled in favour of the City based on the fact that he could find no definite legal (perhaps moral and ethical) error on the City’s part. Finally, the judge said that it is not his mandate to overrule Council on what was purely a political (albeit unpopular) decision and that a remedy is really up to the voters at election time. The people have to pay the City's costs. C’est la vie! (editor's note: next project for me is recall legislation)
Personally - I wouldn't be opposed to current provincial recall legislation be applied to cover municipal politicians provided that sufficient safeguards are in place to prevent frivolous use of the legislation upon local elected officials (ie: use of recall 'immediately' after an general civic election)

b) What to do about GR Baker Hospital? - read here
c) Higgins Lake aerator, in the South Cariboo, will be fought for: MLA Barnett - read here
d) BC Debt Clock rolls through the Cariboo - read here

Editor's Note - I still remain nervous with the Cariboo RD/City of WL wishing to borrow up to $12 million to rejuvenate the local Recreation Complex with a new pool and various other options when we can just use tax money today to replace the pool and look at the other options in phases as new federal grant opportunities come along.  In addition - there is the possibility of borrowing money in a decade to begin work on the 2nd Floor renovation at Cariboo Memorial Hospital and other site improvements there plus the work required to be done at the GR Baker Hospital site in Quesnel.  I still remain hopeful that the CCRHD (local hospital district) will begin the process to save money today to have the dollars available in a decade (10 years) for both hospital projects in Quesnel/Williams Lake

e) Birth services must be available to pregnant rural women - read here

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