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Council team takes centre stage

Mayor Wilhelm-Morden calls special meeting to bring free parking to Lots 4 and 5
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down to business Whistler Council, sworn in on Dec. 6, hits the ground running with a special meeting called on Wednesday to address the pay parking issue. Photo BY brad kasselman www.coastphoto.com

The new captain of council, Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, says she's got a dream team to back her up this term.

"When I look at this line-up, it's absolutely awesome," said the lifelong hockey fan, pointing to her team in her inaugural mayor's address.

The new council was planning to score a hat trick at a special meeting Wednesday, Dec. 7 that could see free parking back in some of the village day lots by Christmas. Also on the agenda was a $10,000 reduction in the mayor's salary and addressing the seemingly elusive illegal space within buildings bylaws.

"I'm hoping that we can knock three of those things (on her top ten campaign list) off within 24 hours of being sworn in," said the new mayor after the official swearing in ceremony on Tuesday.

That could mean free parking in some of the day lots before Christmas, but it will be up to the team to decide together.

"I can't promise that my top ten items are necessarily going to be shared by all of my colleagues," she said to the crowd, packed in to Millennium Place with standing room only. "That said, I know that I can speak for all of council when I say that we will be getting the message out that Whistler is open for business again."

That was met with stirring applause, a sign, much like the election results that saw Wilhelm-Morden sweep into office in a landslide, that the community is hungry for change.

Familiar faces like Whistler Blackcomb execs, the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Whistler, the fire chief, and other interested community members, were on hand to witness the ceremony, presided over by B.C. Provincial Court Judge David St. Pierre (Port Coquitlam) and watched over by two RCMP officers in Red Serge.

"It's an awesome responsibility that you have as elected representatives," said St. Pierre to the new mayor as she stood before him.  "It's a privilege to be here and congratulations to you."

Wilhelm-Morden was the first to swear her oath of office, her outfit punctuated by bright red high heels that she reserves for "special occasions."

"My hands are shaking," she said, as she put pen to paper after repeating her oath to the judge, promising to faithfully perform the duties of the office.

"There. It's official," said St. Pierre, adding his signature to the paper.

The new mayor took her place behind her chair in the middle of the council table, staring back at the crowd with her family front and centre in the audience.

That's when it really began to sink in. That unreal feeling she's had since she was elected on Nov. 19 was no longer a vague promise of things to come — she was now mayor of Whistler. And unlike Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who had to click her red heels to get back to Kansas, Wilhelm-Morden's red heels were right at home, planted firmly on the ground. 

She watched from the centre of the council table as each new councillor was sworn in, offering her hand and a hug when they joined her.

And then she stepped to the podium to deliver her address.

She told the audience that she sees Jack Crompton as her "Syd the Kid"; Jayson Faulkner her Bobby Orr; and Duane Jackson and Roger McCarthy, who campaigned for office together, as her Sedin twins "except that they're from New Zealand."

"When you listen to the experience and the qualifications and the skills that they bring," she said, "we've got Whistler covered. So ladies and gentlemen — this is your new team."

That again was met with loud applause.

When asked afterwards how it felt to be called Syd the Kid by the new mayor, Crompton laughed off the honour.

"I think it had more to do with my age than anything else," said the youngest member of the team.

He couldn't wipe the smile from his face: "I'm just so looking forward to working with this group of people."

Wilhelm-Morden said Faulkner was the Bobby Orr of the group because she feels as though he has her back.

"For those of us that know Bobby Orr, that's really flattering," said Faulkner of one of the best defensemen in National Hockey League history.

The new mayor didn't talk only of her team. She talked about the past council team, highlighting specifically Mayor Ken Melamed's 15 years as an elected official.

"He dedicated many years to public service and he has left an imprint in this town and it's to his credit that he's done so," she said.

She highlighted the countless hours of the past team and in particular the work they did around the 2010 Olympic Games.

"They made us all proud to be Whistlerites."

With the reality of finally becoming mayor of Whistler — Wilhelm-Morden narrowly lost when she ran 20 years ago for mayor — she's feeling very excited.

She said she's had to compromise on bringing free parking to the day lots.

"I really want (lots) 2-5 free but it's a lot to knock off very quickly without a thorough examination of the budget," she said after the meeting. "I feel confident we can do it. I think there would have been some difficulties with some of the other councillors to go that far, that quickly. It's also important to me that these three resolutions right out of the gate be passed with a solid majority, if not unanimity."

If the resolution is passed to make lots 4 and 5 free again, the 2012 budget will be amended to reduce revenues by $300,000.

"I'm not going to call $300,000 chump change in a $77 million budget but we'll be able to find it — I'm confident," said Whistler's new mayor.

Go to www.piquenewsmagazine to read council's decision on pay parking, which will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 7.