Category Archives: MUNICIPAL/PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS

At last an Open In-Camera Meeting!

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Ron Bolin: May 20, 2015 I was privileged yesterday afternoon and evening, along with a number of other citizens, to witness the assertion of the right of our representatives on Council to refuse to go in-camera on matters relating to section 90(1) of the Community Charter, relating to matters on which Council MAY go in-camera. […]

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FYI re: FOI on RDN WtoE Notice

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Ron Bolin: Feb. 1, 2014 On July 23, 2013, the Board of the Regional District of Nanaimo voted unanimously to to send to the Metro Vancouver Regional Board  the following motion with reference to their search for a location for an incinerator/Waste-to-Energy facility : “That the Board Direct staff to advise Metro Vancouver that the […]

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Lobbying Council

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Gord Fuller: August 20, 2011 So, many of us have always thought developers have had an upper hand when it comes to lobbying council to get their agendas met.  In my opinion there is nothing wrong with this, if the opportunity is there then use it.  The reality is Neighbourhood Groups and individual Citizens also […]

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Four Year Terms for Council?

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Ron Bolin —  September 24, 2010 Letter to the Editor: Tom Fletcher’s piece, “Municipal politicians to vote on four-year elected terms”  (Bulletin, Sept. 23, 2010) raises an important question: When was the public asked for their approval to give four year terms to municipal politicians?  Does the public have any say in this matter or […]

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Train Station Restoration Underway

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Phase one of the restoration of the E&N Train Station on Selby Street has begun. This is a $2.3 million project the first phase of which will lift the existing building to place it on a proper foundation and complete the framing and excavation work. There is a commercial tenant in place with plans for […]

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Uploading or Downloading: You, Me and the HST

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I spent some time this morning trying to sort out the question of prepaid death expenses with someone in the Ministry of Finance in Victoria. It was both humorous and at the same time frustrating conversation. My concern is with when it would be necessary to pay the HST on such services, May 1, as […]

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From the Daily News this morning: “Ex City Manager collects salary, severance”

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Here’s a link to the Daily News story reporting this morning former City Manager Jerry Berry’s work in Port Alberni for which he’s being paid by the provincial government while he continues to be paid the balance of his two year severance from the City of Nanaimo.

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Letter to Mayor Ruttan from reader C.J. Adams

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Please note that the 6.1% figure referred to by Mr Adams in the third paragraph came from the initial staff report Mayor John Ruttan City Hall – Nanaimo 8 April 2010 Dear Mayor Ruttan. I am attaching to this letter a copy of a letter prepared In late September 2006, which was addressed primarily to […]

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Think City link: local campaign financing reform

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Send Election Reform Action Email by April 15 Please take a minute to urge Premier Gordon Campbell’s Local Government Elections Task Force to take big money influence out of BC’s civic elections. Over the past few weeks, Think City has surveyed thousands of British Columbians about improving local elections. The number one reform that over […]

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Cost of Natural Gas in B.C.

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Have you ever thought about how your monthly bill for natural gas compares to other locations in B.C.? Well,here are the rates,effective April 1,2010,with the total monthly bill based on a household consumption of 8 GigaJoules for comparison purposes.(A GigaJoule is equal to 1 Billion Joules. 6 GigaJoules is about the amount of chemical energy […]

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