It’s a new year, but old issues linger in Harrison Hot Springs Council.
The council tackled a full agenda to start off 2024 during their meeting on Monday, Jan. 15.
Coun. Michie Vidal, who was absent the past two meetings, moved to have the four trees along Lillooet Avenue removed. During the Dec. 18 meeting, council was split 2-2 in allowing Coun. John Allen and his company to adopt the old oak trees in exchange for sponsorship signs at the base of each tree.
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After yet another tense exchange between Vidal and Mayor Ed Wood, the mayor ultimately ruled the motion out of order without further explanation despite multiple requests.
Wood recalled a motion to appoint Curtis Genest as the fire chief; this was previously voted down 2-2 (with Facio and Jackson opposed) during the Dec. 18 meeting. Genest is the current acting fire chief following Trevor Todd’s resignation last September. Council debated at length as to whether or not this motion should have been decided in an in-camera (or closed) meeting as it could be classified as a personnel issue. The discussion closed with a 3-2 vote, opposed by Facio and Vidal.
Council entered another lengthy debate when Vidal moved to appoint Facio to the Fraser Valley Regional District Board for the remainder of the 2023-2027 term. The same motion would see Jackson appointed to the Fraser Valley Regional Hospital Board.
Wood – and Allen – found the proposed appointment insulting to the mayor.
“I find it bordering harassment. I find it disrespectful,” Wood said. “When I meet with the other ministers and have no idea what’s happening at the FVRD and the hospital board, it makes this village look pretty dysfunctional. We are well-known for being dysfunctional; this creates more dysfunction.”
The discussion ended in another divided vote, 3-2, Allen and Wood opposed.
RELATED: Harrison officials accomplish nothing on lengthy agenda as mayor and council clash – again
In other council business:
- Council unanimously approved receiving an itemized expense statement from Lidstone and Company. The village hired the government law firm to prepare a cease and desist letter against a resident allegedly creating defamatory Facebook posts against council early last year.
- Council also unanimously approved applying for up to $50,000 in grant funding from the Active Communities Grant program. This money could go toward creating free physical recreation programs for residents using Memorial Hall and Spring Park.
- Council voted 4-1 (Allen opposed) in favour of paying $1.1 million through the Growing Communities Fund to repair the north and south bridges along McCombs Drive across Miami Creek. The bridge was heavily damaged and caused a sewer line to leak into the creek last year. A temporary fix has been in place since April.
- Council voted 3-2 (Facio, Vidal and Jackson opposed) against Allen’s proposal to install a weather station in Harrison Hot Springs.
- Council voted 3-2 (Facio, Vidal and Jackson opposed) against Allen’s proposal to initiate a geese management plan for the village.
- Council voted 3-2 (Facio, Vidal and Jackson opposed) against Allen’s proposal to implement a formal Zoom video meeting publication policy.
- Council voted 4-1 (Allen opposed) to apply for a $10,000 grant to go toward obtaining the village’s water master plan. The current plan was last updated in 2015, and the project would ultimately cost approximately $200,000.
- For the second year in a row, 831 Myng Crescent was name the winner of the village holiday lighting contest.
The next regular Harrison Hot Springs Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 5, 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.