In a continuing trend of wasted time and village resources, another council meeting collapsed on Thursday morning in Harrison Hot Springs.
Mayor Ed Wood declared the meeting “collapsed” after approximately 17 minutes. He claimed the meeting was illegal because no notice was reportedly posted at the bulletin board near Memorial Hall.
Thursday morning’s meeting took place at the village hall rather than the usual Memorial Hall, and members of council attested to seeing the notice posted either physically at the village hall at 495 Esplanade Avenue or online. The website was updated with the meeting’s particulars and agenda at least 48 hours ahead of time.
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Village corporate officer Amanda Graham said the bulletin board at Memorial Hall, where council usually meets in recent months, is very new, and notice was only posted there when meetings were held at Memorial Hall. She confirmed the board was only put in place about two months ago.
“When the meeting is not held at Memorial Hall, we don’t typically post notice at that notice board,” Graham told the mayor. “It’s only for meetings that are held at the hall.”
Wood began the meeting by asking Graham to read sections of the mayor’s oath of office, the Community Charter and the Council Procedural Bylaw with regards to public meetings and time. Citing these documents, the mayor asserted that the meeting goes against the charter and village bylaw, claiming there was not enough notice to himself or the public.
There are provisions to call a special meeting in emergency events or via a unanimous vote from council. Wood moved to waive notice.
Coun. John Allen said while he agreed to a special meeting to pass the 2024-2028 budget and to discuss the tax rate, he was disappointed to find two other items on the agenda – a verbal report concerning the village’s 75th anniversary celebration and a resolution consenting to the Fraser Valley Regional District’s sub-regional transit service area amendment bylaw.
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“I don’t think that’s in order,” Allen said. “When I asked you if you approved those, you said no, and, again, I object to the fact that this agenda was prepared and circulated without your specific approval.”
Coun. Michie Vidal asked the mayor to point out in the Procedural Bylaw where it states the mayor must approve the agenda. Wood did not answer the question, saying that was a motion on the table.
As he has many times before, Coun. Allan Jackson pleaded with the mayor to proceed with the meeting.
“If we continue to listen to Coun. Allen, nothing will get done,” Jackson added. “We have a choice here: either approve it or don’t. You can vote against everything. That’s your right, but I’m not going to sit here council meeting after council meeting for you to tell me what we’re not doing right.”
Wood doubled down, saying that the notice should have been posted at Memorial Hall, despite the meeting taking place at the village hall.
“Anybody that did not know about this meeting today would have more than likely shown up at Memorial Hall,” Wood said.
The fact that the meeting was taking place at the village hall was written at the top of the agenda in bold text. Likewise, it is virtually always plainly written in physical notices of meeting and online notices.
At about 10:17 a.m., Wood declared the meeting “collapsed.”
Council approved neither the agenda nor any of the items up for discussion, as the meeting was over before even that could be discussed.
Coun. Leo Facio was the only member not physically present, but he later confirmed he was attending online via Zoom.
The next regular Harrison Hot Springs Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 6, at 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall (290 Esplanade Avenue). The meeting venue is subject to change.
Online attendance is also available via Zoom; those interested can register through harrisonhotsprings.ca. Video recordings of the meetings will be archived on the village’s YouTube page.