Re: “Councillors failing to attend meetings” (Nov. 12). Better get this straight, Helmut Manzl. Why not post your stats? There are committees that councillors may or may not attend – Affordable Housing, for example; one of my fellow members chairs that one and another co-chairs it. The minutes to these meetings are put on the council agenda and I add my thoughts on these issues at that time.
With the video systems the way they are, I watch many committees meetings live or if I do not have time, I watch them in review.
I have missed only two council meetings and was away in China doing research and getting to understand our future potential industrial taxpayers, the ones the district will be having a relationship with for the next 30 or so years. I feel it is very important to know with whom we are dealing.
After four years on this job, there are many things I may not attend, but that does not mean I am not working on the district’s behalf. Council becomes a big part of your life. For me, it is almost full-time. Even on vacation, my studying of other towns and cities become my pastime – looking at their transportation, housing, public works, homelessness, food security and governing as a whole takes a lot of my time.
I am in Hawaii for the next 10 days and plan on looking into the green incentives, food security, transportation, farmers’ markets, homelessness, visit the planning department and take in a council meeting.
Lately I find Manzl’s column has not been hitting the mark. Maybe he is too set in his ways or he does not have the passion for his job any more, but let’s put the real news against this kind of misleading information. So when writing, please back up comments with the facts.
Councillor Ted Prior
Squamish
