City Council scoresheet March 9, 2009

The Wednesday, March 11 edition of the Daily News featured their regular scorecard on city council issues, this one featuring the deliberations and votes from selected items of the March 9 session.

This weeks feature appeared on page two of the Wednesday edition.

Question One: That Council approve the scheduling of an additional Special Council Meeting to be held on June 8, 2006

How council voted

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Yes
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Two: That Council appoint Councillor Nelson Kinney to attend as an observer at the Northern Medical Program Trust AGM on May 7, 2009.

How council voted

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Yes
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Three: That Council approves the province's request to restructure the Small Community Grant and Traffic Fine Revenue Grant process, meaning the grants will come in two installments - 75 percent in 2009 and 25 percent in 2010.

How council voted
.
Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Yes
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Four: That the City of Prince Rupert contact its member of Parliament to request an E. I. review in response to a letter the city received from the town of Mackenzie in February asking that the E. I. area be made smaller.

How council voted
.
Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Yes
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Five: That the Quality of Life-Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3276, 2009 be adopted to allow the area where the CNR/Via station is located be changed from Business Industrial to Business Commercial.

How council voted
.
Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Yes
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

City council Briefs:

In his regular report on outstanding council initiatives to council at the regular council meeting held March 9, City Manager Gordon Howie said requests for proposals for the Tsimshian Access Project went out on February 27 and are expected to close on March 25. From there the City will sit down with the steering committee to go over the proposals and the winning bid will be awarded on April 3.

After hearing complaints about the increase in train whistling from local residents, the Prince Rupert Rail and the Community Advisory Board Panel held its first meeting in February.

Concerning Medivacs, Howie reported that the Engineering Manager "has met with CN and the First Responders to ensure that the protocols ain place for Medivacs to the Prince Rupert Airport are properly understood by all concerned. Other track blockage issues will be addressed as well."

Councillor Kathy Bedard announced that the City's 2010 Centennial Committee is still looking for people and groups to come forward with information about plans for celebrating the city's birthday next year. Anyone with information is asked to contact Rebecca Parks at Tourism Prince Rupert or Michael Curnes at the Prince Rupert Recreation Department. A centennial logo contest will be launched. in the near future.

Councillors Sheila Gordon Payne, Nelson Kinney and Kathdy Bedard met with members of the Prince Rupert Port Authority board and key staff recently for an informal session. "As a community and organization we are trying to work with each other so the community and port are stronger," said Gordon-Payne.