wee

“Intrepid
~oemment
agent team
ready to ~
guide you

“If you get a form in the mail
and don’t understand it,-you can
phone us and we'll find out. what
goes in that square for you,”’
B.C. ‘government. agent’ Randy

. Trombley says. The staff at 4506

Lakelse will also help you with
information on local - business
conditions, consumer credit,
rural property and motive fuel
taxes, voting, and tourism; assist
with registering sales tax
numbers and mobile homes;
answer. questions about the
Medical Services Plan, Domestic
Animal Protection Act. claims,
official birthday greetings, com-
pany name searches ... over 50
types of services, forms, applica-

 tions,. licenses, certificates and

billings are handled.

Last year, 2,800 property tax
payments-and 1,300 MSP pay-
ments were made, and 2,000

maps and 16,000 fishing and

hunting licenses were sold

through the auspices of the gov- |

‘ernment agent. - |
Trombley’s focus in the next

while includes. the expansion of
the role of his office. Regional
Development Minister Elwood

’ Veitch. announced. last’ month
. that government agents across

the province ‘‘will play an en-
hanced role in the regionaliza-
tion process.’’ This includes the
plan to have agents represent the
Minister of State at meetings,
participate in regional task

. groups, as well as increasing the

number of services offered to
the public.

‘Randy Trombley is also in-
terested in raising the profile of

‘the office in our community so

that it will be the first place,

rather than the last place, that

people go to look for informa-

tion. ‘‘It happens often that peo-

‘bureaucracy. You can see the

ple will finally stop here after
going to five different places,
completely frustrated with the

#

:

Anne Mayer (center), with Randy Trombley and Lea Holding, have a policy of never saying “that’s not my depart:
“ment” at the government agent office in Terrace.

change an their faces when we.
say, “*¥es, we can help you.
We'll. find. out’,’”’

He:says the office has a policy
of never saying no, never saying, :

‘that’s not my department’.

“The government, any gov-
ernment, is a huge machine and
it’s complex. There’s five or six
levels. of government: federal,
provincial, municipal, and
regional district, school -board,
board of health...’ Even
though the office is a provincial
government service, staff will
help people with questions about

other levels of government or.

even local non-profit. societies,
usually by helping them find the
right person, the one with the
answers to their questions.

Trombley is keen on finding

"out from Terrace residents what
other services the office should

‘ “offer, such as expanding. their
capability to handle questions
‘that fall under the responsibility
. of the federal government.

“-Trombley loves his job, seeing

it as a helping profession. He

says it's very satisfying to be

able to find the right person or

answer, to help people save

money by giving them the infor-
mation they need on government
programs, to make life a little
easier by offering the use of the
telephone, facsimile machine, or
computer-searches for” govern-
ment-related information. —

His background in govern-
ment starts with a clerk-typist II
position in Quesnel in 1971, with

the clerk numbers increasing un-

til -he reached a government

agent position in a Vancouver

Island office. He's been in Ter-
‘race since 1978. Although
Trombley worked his way up the

civil service ladder, postings | for
government agents positions are
open to the general public. A re-

cent posting listed the pay as up

to $1,550.72 biweekly, and asks
for qualifications including
“‘so0d judgement and tact;
knowledge of local conditions
and community concerns/

_interests an asset; demonstrated

community involvement re-
quired; experience in govern-
ment agents branch and
knowledge of statutes and
regulations also an asset.”

When you’re dealing with

INSTT OF INUTPLE FORMS
AND DDL BIS OF PAPER, |

—— >

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aspects of such important issues
in life like birth, marriage and
health (not to mention death and
taxes), a calm, friendly, and
helpful office staff is vital.

“1 think of myself.as a guide,
knowing where to start to lead
people through government, ”
Trombley says. One could al-

“most picture him in an Indiana

Jones hat, cutting through red
tape with a machete, guiding
confused Terracites clutching
forms, bills and notices through
the jungle. of bureaucracy. -.

If you are
‘getting married...

This basket -holds
information and
gifts especially
. helpful for you.

Call your

Welcome Wagon

hostess today.

Phone 638-1204

mt

Om 1630