In spite of a sustained negative presence from a pair of Area E representatives and loud displeasure expressed by some members of the gallery, the West Howe Sound, Elphinstone, and Town of Gibsons Restructure Committee has voted to ask Ida Chong the Minister of Community Services for a referendum.The recommendation marked the close of a long process that saw committee members at odds with each other more than once.The May 24 meeting began with a resolution by committee member, Joan Beck that letters from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and the Town of Gibsons not influence the committee's neutrality. The motion was in answer to an SCRD recommendation that each area being considered for restructuring have its own vote and that the three areas would all have to pass the referendum by majority for restructuring to proceed. And as became a trend as the evening wore on, the motion was passed by all but Chuck Weatherall and Anna Vrkic, two of the Area E representatives. Following that decision, chair Dave Hargreaves tackled the contentious issue of what form the committee's vote would take to be binding. Hargreaves suggested a 50 per cent plus one would be sufficient to proceed on. Again all but Weatherall and Vrkic agreed.Several loud members of the gallery applauded Weatherall's position throughout. Next the committee went through the province's formal offer of restructuring assistance.The municipal restructure assistance grant of $1.6 million is larger than expected by the committee. Chong's letter said this is "warranted by the comprehensive approach that is being taken to the questions of municipal structure for the area and its significance in the regional contest." The final amount offered would be based on the actual population at the time restructure is implemented.Police service costs were the next item up for consideration. Currently municipalities under 5,000 do not pay policing costs but that is scheduled to change in 2007. Should the communities agree to restructure the population would be well above 5,000 which would make it responsible for 70 per cent of policing. However Chong's offer states the new municipality would not be required to pay up until after April 1, 2012 but it would be responsible for the costs determined by the 2007 initiative.The most contentious item of the letter proved to be the Ministry of Transportation's (MOT) offer of assistance. The offer provides money to complete two current major projects and defines those roads that will be designated arterial highways. MOT has turned down the designation of the Port Mellon Highway as an arterial highway, a move Weatherall and several audience members felt would prove costly to the proposed new municipality. Hargreaves said he travels the road almost daily and the condition is up to par.Finally Hargreaves said, "The budget for transportation on the Sunshine Coast is very low - not a priority in this area - most money goes to Whistler and the Lower Mainland. A municipality has more control over roads than rural areas."A lot of discussion centred around the form the new municipality's governance would take. In the end committee member Tucker Forsyth moved a partial ward system with one councillor each from Area E, F and the Town of Gibsons as well three councillors at large for the remaining term after the municipality is created and for one term after. All but Weatherall and Vrkic agreed.The committee disagreed with the motion from the SCRD board and decided with the exception of the two dissenters that the vote to carry the referendum should be a simple majority plus one of the entire voting block rather than requiring a majority from each area.In making the motion, Beck said separating the vote into areas would cause acrimony by pitting the communities against each other.The committee recommended the name of the new municipality be included as part of the referendum vote.When the question to recommend a restructure referendum to the minister came to the floor several committee members said it was time the people of the areas had their say."The issue to go to vote in the community comes up often but has never gone to vote. If there's no vote held it's not going to go away. If we have the referendum, the issue will go away," said committee member, Ron Neilson.Weatherall disagreed."The offer is not worthy of consideration. It's a very poor offer. I think the people are going to feel they're being railroaded," he said.Hargreaves opined, "There is no compelling reason why we as a committee should deny people the right to vote. Democracy is giving people the opportunity to vote." The vote was overwhelmingly, 10 to two, in favour of referring the question of restructuring to the people in areas E and F and the Town of Gibsons.Although the minister will consider the committee's recommendation, her decision on whether or not to proceed to referendum will be final and should be expected sometime this summer.
