Acting mayor Ted Milner quizzed the municipality’s administrator, Bill Barratt, Monday about why Bob Lorriman is being hired by the municipality to help organize the Federation of Canadian (FCM) conference, which will be in Whistler next summer.
“I think this position would normally be occupied by a councillor, and if it is a large amount of work then we would have staff,” said Milner.
“If it is important to bring in someone from outside… I think there should be a public process put in place.”
Barratt did not know the amount of money Lorriman would be paid for the contract.
He said he would be pleased to bring more information back to council.
Lorriman served on last term’s council and sat on the FCM Board of Directors. He has been involved in the organization of the FCM conference for about the last year.
Provincial money for the Valley Trail?
The municipality is hoping to get cash from the provincial government for three Valley Trail improvements: a pedestrian bridge over 19 Mile Creek, an extension to Function Junction, and a re-route through Bayshores.
The municipality is applying via the four-year LocalMotion program, started in 2006, where the province grants up to $1 million a year for community projects that reduce green house gases and get people mobile.
Last year, the municipally applied for two of these projects but they weren’t chosen by the government.
Temporary change of chief
Ted Milner got to sit in the mayor’s chair during Monday’s council meeting.
Mayor Ken Melamed was in Vancouver for last-minute hand surgery and could not make it up by 6:30 p.m. that night.
Since Milner is the appointed mayor for January and February, council thought he was the most appropriate person to lead the first council meeting of the new term.
