People voted for change, and they got it Monday at Maple Ridge’s council’s first meeting of the year.
Coun. Craig Speirs was in Mayor Nicole Read’s chair, while she sat at the side of the table, and Coun. Gordy Robson participated via Skype, appearing on a big wall screen in the Blaney Room from a location in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Couns. Corisa Bell and Bob Masse were absent, victims of snow squalls and stalls and new year’s weekend weather woes that delayed their arrival back in Maple Ridge.
Airline problems had delayed Masse’s return from the U.S., while Bell was trying to return from Whistler, after heavy snow wreaked havoc on the Sea to Sky Highway on the long weekend.
When viewing the meeting on Skype, Robson asked Speirs about the whereabouts of Mayor Read, asking if he had already overthrown her.
But Read had asked Speirs to chair the meeting because she was expecting a call to deal with a family medical emergency.
After approving the work plan for January, council got down to business and kickstarted two projects and got the new council underway.
Council approved the formation of the Mayors’ Homelessness Solutions Task Force, with the mayor and Couns. Robson and Masse as the three council liaisons.
“This is the first step towards the establishment of 14 members and setting the terms of the agenda,” Read said.
Addressing homelessness was one of the key parts of Read’s campaign in November and led to her victory over incumbents Ernie Daykin and Michael Morden.
Council also approved the formation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Open Government, with the mayor and Couns. Tyler Shymkiw and Corisa Bell participating.
With the task force in place, terms of reference can be established and other task force members appointed.
Read said the public wants government to be transparent and accountable.
The task force will “support council’s desire to enhance our function as an open government with the greatest possible access by citizens to information and opportunity for engagement in decision making processes,” said a staff report.
Couns. Bell and Masse made it back to Maple Ridge for Monday afternoon’s committee meeting.