The new Parksville city council held their inaugural meeting Monday, taking the oath of office and voting on a number of committee and commission appointments.
“It is an exciting time for all of us involved in local government,” Chris Burger began his inaugural address after finally being sworn in as mayor after almost a year as acting mayor.
“For those of us returning to office, it is an opportunity to reflect on the journey and to celebrate the confidence the community has shown in our abilities as their elected representatives,” he said with a nod to new councillors Bill Neufeld and Peter Morrison.
“The next three years will bring challenges and together we will deal with them,” he said. “This includes our need to secure a long-term stable water supply... For Parksville to prosper, we must ensure access to this vital resource is protected and also utilized responsibly and efficiently.”
Burger touched on other priorities like the completion of the Official Community Plan and reviewing the 20-year capital plan.
“Our residents expect and deserve proper health care,” he said of a long delayed health care facility and said that while it is a provincial issue, the city has a key roll in lobbying on behalf of residents.
The inauguration was attended by a full audience including former mayors Ed Mayne, who opened the job for Burger when he left at the start of the year, and Paul Reitsma who returned to politics after 13 years to run against Burger.
Council also set the schedule for acting mayor, with each councillor covering half a year starting with Powell, followed by Lefebvre, Greir, Powell-Davidson and the new councilors at the end of the three year term.
Details about the new council, including 2012 meeting dates, are on the city’s website at www.parksville.ca.
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