Pitt Meadow city council is calling on the province to investigate the Pitt Meadows Community Foundation (PMCF).
Based on an investigation done by a special city committee, city council unanimously voted in favour of asking the provincial government to investigate and intervene with the foundation.
The city released a statement Tuesday, Oct. 18. It is posted on the city website.
“Since the board was elected, in council’s view, the failure of the PMCF to meet its mandate has been a significant source of concern for the community,” the statement said.
The committee request stems from a leadership change that occurred back in 2017.
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The committee was comprised of Mayor Bill Dingwall, Councillor Bob Meachen, and CAO Mark Roberts.
A new board came in on May 16, 2017, including Terry Becker, wife of then-mayor John Becker, as the president. Other new directors included Bruce Bell, Mike Stark, and David Murray, whom were all councillors at the time, Wayne Elkerton, husband of former councillor Janis Elkerton, Norma Murray, a friend of the current council at the time, and then-mayor Becker.
The News reached out to the foundation for comment on the special committee’s request. The foundation board issued a statement late Friday, Oct. 21, refuting much of what the special committee said.
“We are saddened as to why the city is not being helpful and supporting the foundation, as past city councils have done,” the foundation statement said.
The foundation’s full statement is on its website.
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The PMCF appears to have run a handful of community programs since 2017, including the Pitt Meadows citizen of the year contest, which had previously been run annually, but has only happened once (2019) since the change in leadership.
The foundation started in 1983 as a non-profit to benefit the community. Its website says it has student bursaries and community grants, but no additional information is available on the site about who receives them nor how to apply.
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