Jess McDiarmid
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 25, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - During committee discussion on adopting two reports about solid waste, councillors stressed they won't stop salvaging at the dump until an alternate system is in place.

No one objected to adopting the Waste Audit or Landfill Fire Plan Report, which recommends limiting public access to the dump, but Coun. Bob Brooks asked for administration's assurance that council would be consulted if there was consideration of stopping salvaging before an alternate system was in place.

The city is looking at ways to make salvaging more controlled and safer for citizens, including a three-cell salvage system that would separate the public from working machinery at the dump. A public forum is tentatively scheduled for this March.

Director of public works Greg Kehoe told council it would be their decision.

"The notion is to have that (alternate system) in place before you stop the uncontrolled salvaging," said Kehoe.

Meetings, meetings and more meetings

Yellowknife city council will likely meet with Ndilo council in the coming weeks, following a meeting between Mayor Gord Van Tighem and Chief Fred Sangris. Each party will put forward an agenda and work out what they'll talk about. Van Tighem met with another group this week: a Grade 2 class that came for a tour of city hall.

"It's interesting," he said. "I became mayor before they were born."

Terse exchange over advisory committees

A discussion on adopting terms of reference for the Smart Growth Development Plan Committee, which will advise the city on long-term growth and development, led to a bit of a spat after Coun. David Wind suggested council seemed to be creating a lot of advisory committees.

"We also have a council elected by citizens to represent them on these issues," said Wind. "It really is a role of council to get that done."

Coun. Bob Brooks shot back that he was "very surprised" to hear Wind, who frequently champions transparency in government, questioning the formation of a committee. "In reality, we very much need those committees to get the public input we require," said Brooks.

Wind said his suggestion wasn't meant to lessen exchange with the public but that it could be done more directly at times and agreed public input was "absolutely important."