Among the cavalcade of important facts and figures consumed by mayor and council at their annual retreat on Dec. 12 and 13 at The Brew Creek Centre were some other, less important nuggets of wisdom.
"We had what I refer to as 'brain breaks,' which was sort of random information from left field, presented by one of us, where we learned about the history of cod fishing in Newfoundland, (or) we got tips on how to deal with uncomfortable situations," Crompton said at the Dec. 18 council meeting.
Knowing the intricacies of the perfect curry sauce is perhaps not entirely relevant to building the 2019 budget, but it did serve Whistler's new council well as a team-building exercise over the intensive two-day affair.
"I was very pleased with the time that we invested together. I think we met our objectives, and we created a good foundation for the next four years," Crompton said. "We still have a lot of work to do, and ultimately the retreat is the beginning of a larger process toward the ultimate development of the corporate plan and budget for 2019."
More info will be shared in the new year as the RMOW works through the planning process, Crompton added.
Other topics discussed included work already underway, factors affecting the 2019 budget and the new council's portfolio assignments.
On the last point, two portfolios have been given new names: Councillor Cathy Jewett's Arts, Culture and Heritage file is now Arts, Natural History, Traditions and Heritage, while Coun. Ralph Forsyth's Infrastructure and Community Investment portfolio has been given a broadened purview and renamed Finance and Audit.
"We want to look at return on investments, we want to pay attention to long-term financial planning, we want to be attentive to maintaining the assets that we have, and doing so with the best information we can collect," Crompton said of the file.
The retreat isn't a new experience for Forsyth, a former two-term councillor, but it was a great opportunity to get to know his new colleagues better.
"I had really high expectations for this council and the group, and I've got to say, so far they're more than met and exceeded," he said. "They're a first-class bunch."
Having such high-quality colleagues forces you to "step up your game," Forsyth added.
It never hurts to be starting from a place of experience.
"The beauty of this (council) is, with the exception of (Coun.) Arthur (De Jong), who's super smart and understands already, it's not like you have to bring anybody up to speed to say 'Well this is how councils work and this is what you do and what you don't do,'" Forsyth said.
"Everybody knew that stuff already."
De Jong also saw the retreat as a great opportunity for team building, as it offered less structure and opportunity for more creative discussions.
"To have that time was very valuable," he said. "We had a chance to be a little more free flowing on the housing challenge, and how complex it is, and so I really enjoyed the informal time, and to me that's team building."
De Jong also appreciated the chance to present his vision for his own Environment portfolio, and the feedback he got from staff.
"For me, that was very practical, because it's a reality check," he said.
"And it gets me to a place very quickly where I get a sense of what's doable, and what needs more work."
