Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read returned to work, then she didn’t.
She was absent from council for five weeks following a threat against her that RCMP are investigating. She returned to work last week, then missed a meeting Tuesday. She is still not comfortable chairing a meeting in council chambers and said the city is developing a safety and security plan.
Coun. Corisa Bell, absent from council since November, is planning to return to work in June.
Meanwhile, Coun. Tyler Shymkiw acts as mayor at meetings.
Shymkiw initially announced he would run for mayor in 2014, then bowed out when Read entered the race and decided to just run for council.
Then he was deputy mayor to Read until the rest of council decided to cancel that position last July.
As acting mayor the other week, Shymkiw vowed to “move heaven and earth” to shut down the homeless camp at the end of 223rd Street, by the Haney Bypass.
It’s still there.
The city was seeking an injunction, but that could be in jeopardy as a judge denied one by the City of Vancouver for a camp there, supported by the same group.
Now that Bob D’Eith has officially been elected MLA in Maple Ridge-Mission, he plans, along with NDP counterpart in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Lisa Beare, to meet with council as soon as possible to discuss the issue of homelessness.
He also plans to take into account the recommendations of a Liberal-appointed citizen’s committee on a location for a supportive housing and homeless shelter facility.
But how will that fit with our current council?
Read previously sparred with the former Liberal MLAs over a location for the proposed $15 million facility.
With the mayor away, council sought an injunction to remove the current homeless camp.
Read is concerned what would happen if Maple Ridge’s injunction is also defeated.
Would the camp then have a legal right to stay, with the temporary shelter about to close?
It’s not known when Read will return to meetings.
Shymkiw leads in her absence, but said Read is still actively the spokesperson for council.
Confused?
Read was present at the local NDP campaign office on election night, along with Couns. Craig Speirs and Kiersten Duncan.
Couns. Gordy Robson and Bob Masse, meanwhile, stood beside each other and greeted Liberal leader Christy Clark at the Ridge Meadows Home Show two days before the election.
Also, Shymkiw walked out of a meeting when Read forced a vote to spend $195,000 to hire two social planners to deal with homelessness, when Masse was absent on vacation.
Then council sought the injunction while she was away.
What we have is a divided council, minus at least one member, making decisions, left and right, depending on who’s present.
In the end, nothing regarding homelessness is getting done.
– Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News