Who is the deputy mayor in Harrison Hot Springs next year?
During their Nov. 20 meeting, a motion to make Coun. John Allen the deputy mayor for 2024 failed when Couns. Michie Vidal, Leo Facio and Allan Jackson voted against it.
The deputy mayor position is in place in the event that the mayor cannot preside over a meeting or act as the mayor’s representative.
RELATED: Harrison Hot Springs council adopts remuneration bylaw
During an in-camera session in April, councillors decided Vidal would act as deputy mayor for the rest of 2023, and she has been deputy mayor since October and will end that position in December. Council also decided Vidal would be deputy mayor in 2025 while Facio would act as deputy mayor in 2024 and in 2026. However, Mayor Ed Wood ruled this motion out of order.
Then-councillor John Buckley and Coun. Jackson formally requested to be removed from the deputy mayor rotation but did not offer reasons why during the public session.
Allen said the traditional system of rotating deputy mayor duties by three-month quarters worked quite well up until now.
“I think in the current circumstances, we should be honest about what the relationships are within council,” he said.
RELATED: Details remain foggy on alleged ‘illegal’ council meeting in Harrison
In other council business:
- Council unanimously approved ordering staff to move forward with fuel treatment along Spirit Trail, a 2.2 kilometre loop trail on the East Sector Lands. The Fraser Valley Regional District did not have plans to manage fuel on the trail but were supportive of local initiatives to mitigate wildfire risks. Council opted to pass on developing a community wildfire resiliency plan first in order to expedite the fuel management efforts.
- Council unanimously approved the submission of a grant application from the village to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Community to Community Grant program for up to $10,000 to support hosting the Lets’emot Community to Community (C2C) forum in the village.
- Facio estimated about 5,000 people attended the opening night of Lights by the Lake on Saturday, Nov. 18.
- Council voted to appoint Anthony Siedschlag as the new fire chief of the Harrison Hot Springs Fire Department.
- Council unanimously approved the 2024 council meeting schedule.
- Monday’s meeting marked the first regular council meeting in a month that went through to completion.
The next regular Harrison Hot Springs Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at the village office (495 Hot Springs Road). 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.