Ron Bolin: Oct. 9, 2013 This morning at 8am in the SARK building (the new City Hall Annex) Board Room, Council began their new budgeting process with an examination of the “Arena” portion of the Parks, Recreation and Culture budget proposal for 2014. The City is experimenting with a new format for examining budgets which […]
Category Archives: FINANCE POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
A Light on City Hall is Going Dark
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: Nov. 25, 2012 Citizens unable to make 4:30pm meetings of City Council in their guise as COW (Committee of the Whole) have only two remaining meetings which they can attend at home via video unless Council redirects its current policy. While these last two COW meetings will be held in the Shaw Auditorium […]
I don’t understand City Hall –and apparently neither do its operators
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: Nov. 6,2012 At the Nov. 5 meeting of Council dressed up as COW (Committee of the Whole), the COW approved by a 6-3 vote, an expenditure estimated to be between $9,000 and $50,000 for a consultant to study governance in the City of Nanaimo. What is governance? Questioned on this, Staff responded: “Council […]
Democracy and Transparency are too Expensive
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: June18, 2012 I present below a delegation made to Council sitting as the Committee of the Whole this afternoon. It was the very first of these meetings which was captured on video and by the time you read this, it should be available on the City’s web site (Shaw apparently was not interested […]
How much is Democracy Worth?
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: June 15, 2012 At the June 18 meeting of the Committee of the Whole (Council meeting by another name and able to do most anything except pass bylaws) to be held at the Shaw Auditorium at 4:30pm, a report will be brought forth from Staff which recommends that: “That video recording equipment not […]
Some Notes on Nanaimo’s 2011 Annual Report to be presented Monday, June 18, 4:30pm at the Shaw Auditorium
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: June 14, 2012 This coming Monday, Nanaimo citizens who are able to make a meeting scheduled at 4:30 in the afternoon downtown in Nanaimo can bring their observations, concerns and kudos on one of the City’s most significant documents to their Council in open meeting. The document under discussion is one of the […]
Council has done its part: Now it’s up to us
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: April 23, 2012 In a motion at tonight’s FPCOW meeting (Finance and Policy meeting of the Whole, i.e. Council in the guise in which they can do anything they wish except pass bylaws), Council moved to have future FPCOW meetings recorded and placed for viewing on the City’s web site along those of […]
Observations on Departmental Budget Presentations: FPCOW Jan. 16 & 17
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: Jan. 18, 2012 Jan. 16 Item 1: The Port Theatre Society which manages the City owned Port Theatre on behalf of the City made a request for significant additional funding as they had their first, but substantial, deficit in their 2011 operations. Like almost all of our nonprofit groups the Society has been […]
Important Budget Presentations Today and Tomorrow
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: Jan. 16, 2012 Calling all Retirees, unemployed persons, night Shift workers, and other citizens who have their afternoons free: Join our City Council for a budget presentation at the City Hall boardroom at 3pm today, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. This session of the Finance and Policy Committee of the whole (Council as a […]
Some observations on our new Council and our new Financial Plan
posted by Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin: Dec. 14, 2011 It seems that our new and self-proclaimed transparent Council got off on a shaky footing when they met for their first meeting on Monday, Dec. 12. The old Council ended their term with an in-camera meeting to instigate an injunction against the Occupiers in Diana Krall Plaza. (Why such a […]
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