Opinion New Sidney commitiees: A change for the better? The jury is still out on Sidney’s vaunted new committee structure. It has been in place for three weeks now, and we're still waiting to see if anything will be gained from the change. It’s bound to create some initial confusion for the public, especially for those who regularly attend council’s commit- tee meetings and those who want a say in an issue before a committee. In time, maybe the bugs will be worked out of the system. That hasn’t happened yet. Gone is the regular committee of the whole meeting, which was held the first and third Monday of every month. At it, the six aldermen and the mayor gathered around the council chamber and discussed issues in a loose, somewhat freewheeling fashion. They weren’t bound by strict and rigid rules, like those that govern a council meeting. The committee made a recommen- dation to a later council meeting, and aldermen, having time for sober second thought, could decide in council — on the second and fourth Monday — whether to ratify it or reject it. Committee of the whole meetings aren’t dead right now. But they will only be called when items deemed important enough to be discussed by all aldermen are referred to it. In its place are three standing committees — the operational services, community services and corporate services committees. Two aldermen and the mayor sit on each. : They meet simultaneously in the old committee of the whole time slot. Concurrent meetings are supposed to reduce the time it takes to conduct Town business. Most issues are to be debated by one of the three, with a consensus to emerge in a non-confrontational, non-political environment. George Cuff, the management consultant who conducted a review of Town Hall operations, said something had to be done with council’s standing committees. He recommended the new troika replace the old standing committees — not the committee of the whole. In the executive summary of his report, he suggests past standing committee meetings were called on an ad hoc basis. Cuff notes these committee discussions were often dupli- cated at council meetings. What is wrong with that? Council meetings are better attended by the public, indeed are beamed into homes courtesy of cable TV. Why shouldn’t debate be repeated at this forum? In addition, the new system hardly eliminates this perceived shortcoming. With only three council members on each new committee, it seems obvious that discussion of committee items will be repeated in council. And if they aren’t, they should be. There may be some fine-tuning that has to be done with council’s new standing committees, and Cuff rightly points out areas of weakness with the old format. However, the flaw in applying Cuff’s logic to the everyday workings of council is that Cuff actually says little about the committee of the whole format. He recommended a change in the standing committees, and that has been done. But the price paid has been a reduced, almost non-existent role, for the committee of the whole. The new system could function like the old. The new committees could bring recommendations forward to coun- cil, as they do now. They could meet during the week, or an evening, or after a more prominent and important committee of the whole meeting, where most items would still be debated at the committee level. This would not be a major change from the old, and would seem to be more in tune with what Cuff had envisioned. Volume 80 Issue No. 8 TheReview cor! CENTRAL SAANICH ie OFACIALLY GET ON THE a the Review Serving the Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 - First St. P.O. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C. V8L3C9 _ Sidney, B.C. V8L3S5 656-1151 Publisher: Rory McGrath Editor: Glenn Werkman Reporters: Valorie Lennox Advertising: Brian Wyatt Girard Hengen Corrie Morozoft Production Manager: Tamie Sargeant Office Manager: Lori Fitzpatrick Circulation Manager: Wendy Denison SS - AND YUKON A COMMUNITY Ene, NEWSPAPERS 4 ASSOCIATION C. Saanich should pay for recreation Editor: Peninsula Minor Hockey, and other ice rink user groups, have been pushing for years for an additional sheet of ice at Pano- rama. We have been told that any expansion of the facility is subject to Central Saanich’s participation in the funding. Our association has grown steadily and can now no longer provide sufficient, or reasonable, ice time for our members. Next year, we will be faced with having to turn away prospective new hoc- key players. In-an effort to force the issue, some of our members are considering drastic alterna- tives. The mandate of our association is to provide the best possible environment for children on the Peninsula to enjoy recreational and competitive hockey. We would like to see Central Saanich taxpayers join in develop- ment of an improved complex, one that will not only meet our needs, but provide substantial recrea- tional benefits to the residents of all three municipalities. Dave Green Vice-president Peninsula Minor Hockey Association Need more kids Editor: We have a problem and so do the teens of the Sidney area. (Help reduce crime by assisting Penin- sula youth,The Review). The on- going complaint is the lack of organized activities for teens. So, we ran two teen dances at the Knights of Pythias Hall to give the kids something to look forward to and as an alternative to “hang- ing around the streets.” Many parents gave their time to help supervise and many local merchants generously donated items for door prize draws. Our sincere thanks to all of these people, but we need more kids. Of ICE Foe ANOTHER ELEVEN MINUTES / Wednesday, February 19,1992 — A6 . the 65 kids that attended each dance, I doubt there was one who didn’t enjoy it immensely, but where were the rest? We have excellent support from the schools for advertising, etc., but I wonder if parents have some concems? This is good, clean fun for kids, mostly Grades 7 to 10, and well supervised. If parents have concerns or ideas they should call us at 656-7147 or, better yet, volunteer to help or just come by and see for yourselves. Four more dances are planned for the last Friday of February, March, April and May. To con- tinue to support this worthwhile activity for the kids, we need a few more parents and lots more kids to help correct the. financial disaster of the past. Fred and Roberta Williston North Saanich Unfair criticism Editor: In response to the letter of Jan. 29 by T.D. Thorson (Inadequate ambulance, The Review), let it be known the staff of Sidney Ambul- ance dedicate countless unpaid hours in performing the job to the best of their ability and training provided. Paramedics, some trained to the level of their daytime counterparts, frequently respond from the sta- tion at night. To criticize staffing and training levels at the expense of dedicated part-time paramedics is unjust. R.M. Simkin Sidney Ambulance Court coverage is sensationalist Editor: Re your comment in the “Crime and Punishment” section in the Feb, 12 Section B: “...those wish- ing to...avoid...personal embarrass- ment need not waste their time or ours by requesting an exclusion.” I’d like to ask what your pur- pose is in even having this section? My opinion is that reporting this EEG ASSES RESORT a type of “news” (i.e. court cover- age) merely lowers the quality of your publication. Surely the space could be put to a more meaningful use than this type of sensational- ism? Larry Bergerson Victoria Give credit to the Canucks Editor: Considering reporter Girard Hengen is the sports virtuoso on the Peninsula and seems to know all of the goings-on concerning theyg- Vancouver Canucks, perhaps he could explain to me how he can classify the Canucks as simply a good team. After all, they are close to tops in the league, with 19 or 20 teams lagging behind. If the Canucks are merely good, does that make the other 91 per cent of the league mediocre and down right bad? Throughout this hockey season, I have patiently, yet open- mindedly read Hengen’s column (Sports scribe), hoping for evi- dence to support his claims. The efforts to sway the public into believing your tales of a hockey team playing “over its head,” or so to speak, are unnecessary and unfair. Through shrewd acquisitions, (Example: Tom Fergus, bought fo $5,000 with 19 points in 16 games, as well as last year’s trade with St. Louis), have paid ample dividends for the team. After years of almost lethargic management, for example the Cam Neely giveaway, Pat Quinn and company have turned the team around. Don’t they deserve any credit? Wherever I turn these days, I see rave reviews of the management and effort put forth by the Can- ucks, Then I struggle through your pessimistic accounts of a team who, according to you, aren’t that great after all. : Maybe it is time you pulled yous Continued on Page A8 =