Like most great plans involving lots of people, all of whom have different responsibilities at different times — getting together for a meeting was like herding cats.
But once under way, over an hour late, the tour recently of municipal facilities by council and a few members of the press quickly settled down to all business.
Municipal staff and a representative of BC Transit were peppered with questions during the tour around what has come to be known as "garage mahal."
Top of mind for the councillors on the tour — which was nearly all of them — was how the facility, built to last 40 years, was going to be sustainable after the contract to run the hydrogen bus pilot project ends in 2014. There were also pointed questions about the paving of a wetland area to build the hydrogen facility at the province's direction, and relief when it was learned that an agreement is in its final stages with BC Hydro to manage the lands behind the transit facility so it can't be developed any further.
A councillor suggested, supported by our mayor, that BC Transit look again at allowing residents to carry a reasonable amount of garbage on the bus — and maybe even their dogs.
A pilot project perhaps? It's a tricky issue as some residents might abuse it leaving bus drivers or cleaners to deal with messy refuse or perhaps even spills on the bus during regular hours, said a transit representative.
And what about light pollution from the facility, an oft-mentioned concern for residents, asked the mayor? No change there she learned.
Questions hard and soft were lobbed. But throughout it all there was a feeling that both sides were there to learn. Councillors weren't on the offensive, though they were more than casually curious, and municipal staff was clearly proud of their works yards, machinery, the rows of parts and inventory carefully stored, the compactor sites, even the new fish by-pass channel at Spruce Grove.
Who would have thought building a fish-bypass channel would be plagued by politics — but plagued it was — from the provincial end.
The channel was built as part of the rehabilitation work that must be done as compensation required by the provincial government for the gravel clearing done in Fitzsimmons Creek, which in turn is tied to the flood protection of the village.
One didn't get the feeling that staff and council were on opposite sides of the table on the tour, though it's clear that last year leading up to the municipal election that staff was on edge.
The Whistler grapevine also tells us that staff is still on edge as a review continues.
Last week we learned that the general manager of policy and program development's position had been eliminated. Workers inside that department are being re-positioned — many I am sure are wondering what now.
It is a difficult situation, as the community has been demanding accountability when it comes to staffing costs and value for money, but seeing the reality of the cuts is sobering.
This situation though, like the tour to some extent from the media's perspective, was a victim of the Hall's communication protocol.
I was reminded, in a very respectful way, when I began asking questions on the tour, that the media was there as an observer and only councillors were allowed to ask questions. We had been told this when invited to go on the tour initially and I had agreed, but it was harder than I thought not to ask the many questions of staff that I had when it is so difficult nowadays to reach them.
Readers may recall that under the Hall's communications policy only the mayor is allowed to comment on stories and staff may sometimes give background briefings, but nothing they say can be attributed.
In the case of the elimination of the general manager Pique was initially told he was "on leave," only to learn three days later that the position had been eliminated. When we asked to speak with Mike Furey, the Resort Municipality of Whistler's CAO, who is spearheading the review, we were told he was not available. The situation over the change being labelled as "on leave" versus "eliminated" was "odd" agreed RMOW communications staff.
Human Resources issues can be sensitive especially when it comes to dealing with issues of severance, benefits and so on, but by not being open it can lead to public speculation and that does no favours for the people involved.
At the end of last week a well-respected speaker came to Whistler, thanks to the Whistler Forum, to discuss citizen engagement.
There were RMOW staff members there — though no elected officials — but due to the communications protocol they were not allowed to comment about what they took away from the day of workshops and seminars.
Instead Pique might be able to get a comment from someone who didn't attend about what the people who did attend thought about it.
Really?
In today's world the media clearly understands the need for some organizations to "stay on the message," and that Whistler news has a way of spreading around the world in an almost viral way.
But it is also necessary for those who are being asked to share their information with the media to look at the requests on a case-by-case basis, so that there is growing citizenship engagement with local government.
A blanket policy isn't doing anyone any good.
