Big bucks to be spent
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 24/01) - City council will have spent over $35,000 for travel by June of this year.
At Monday night's council meeting four trips were approved by a council that barely met quorum.
Councillors Dave McCann, Alan Woytuik, Robert Hawkins and Kevin O'Reilly attended the meeting and tangled over how many representatives should go on each trip.
Council has $45,000 set aside for travel in the budget. The money was at the centre of debate during the budget process but eventually passed without changes.
At Monday night's meeting Coun. Kevin O'Reilly and Coun. Alan Woytuik disagreed on the number of councillors who should attend outside conferences.
The two displayed their distance of opinion over the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference held in Banff, Alberta from May 24-29. O'Reilly said he had no problems with sending more than the suggested four councillors.
"I've been to four of five different events and this is the single most important," said O'Reilly who attended the conference last year.
"It's professional development and educational," he said, "I have no problem if all councillors went."
Woytuik said council would benefit just the same if it sent one delegate who would then report back the experience.
"I see no reason why we couldn't send just one councillor who would then report back," said Woytuik.
Council approved the trip with Woytuik being the lone vote against. Council split over how many to send to the Prospectors and Developers Association Annual International Convention and Trade Show in Toronto, Ont from March 10-15. O'Reilly and Woytuik voted to send three delegates to the conference but Councillors Dave McCann and Robert Hawkins voted against the motion.
Mayor Gord Van Tighem cast the tie-breaking vote in favour of sending three delegates. McCann attended the convention last year and said the city should send more than three people.
"I see the advantage in sending four people," said McCann who manned the city's booth at the convention last year. He said more people would allow flexibility for networking. The four councillors agreed on the two other trips.
Six councillors are being sent to the Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities annual general meeting in Norman Wells held from June 13-17.
One councillor and the mayor are attending the Meet the North Share the Vision conference held in Edmonton.
