Bears caught Conservation, RCMP tranquilize animals downtown. Page 10 Studio tour Artists open doors during annual Thanksgiving event. Page 23 Blowout win V.I. Raiders heading into playoffs with decisive victory. Page 3
garden grows with interest Page 12
Celebrating
1988
2013
Years
www.nanaimobulletin.com
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2013
VOL. 25, NO. 56
www.countryclubcentre.com
Closed-door meeting details to be released
I
minutes from in camera decisions will be opened to public. By Tamara Cunningham ThE NEwS BULLETiN
GREG SAKAKI/ThE NEwS BullETIN
Think pink
Kate mcKeown, left, and margaret Brimacombe, of team Westjet, do some aerobics to get warmed up for the CiBC run for the Cure on sunday morning at Beban Park. the annual event raised more than $118,000 in nanaimo and $2.6 million in total from the eight other runs across the province.
City considers ending free over-80 passes By Tamara Cunningham ThE NEwS BULLETiN
Nanaimo city officials will consider nixing free recreation passes for seniors over 80. The Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission is recommending city council drop its free recreation program
for the over-80 crowd as part of changes stemming from a review into how recreation is subsidized. According to Nanaimo city staff members, residents automatically qualify for free access to civic facilities as soon as they turn 80, regardless of financial need. That could change in 2016, if city
council agrees to charge seniors half the regular recreation rate. Longtime advocate June Ross cautions against the move, saying it will hit the least-able-to-pay demographic and limit access to facilities that encourage mobility and independence. u See ‘CITY’ /4
Nanaimo city officials are set to release in camera documents, giving residents their first look into closed-door meetings. The City of Nanaimo is set to unveil the first wave of in camera information this month – the start of a new effort to be more open and transparent about decisions made behind closed doors. Agendas, reports, minutes and votes from in camera meetings will be backdated from 2010 to the present. Under the new policy, city councillors will also regularly discuss the timing of documents’ release and city staff members anticipate quarterly reviews with council to consider whether items still under the curtain of in camera meetings should be brought forward. Not all information is expected to be revealed right away, including land transaction issues and third-party involvements. City staff members also plan to black out parts of agendas and minutes they believe are subject to Freedom of Information requests. An estimated five per cent of the information will be redacted. Despite the limitations, city officials say the move is anticipated to reduce internal ‘leaks’ of confidential information and rebuild the public’s trust in the municipality. Mayor John Ruttan vows any information that no longer needs to be protected,
will be released. “I think what we will be doing [now] is releasing every bit of information that can be released, whereas in the past it sort of just mounted up on the shelves and never went anywhere,” he said. “Maybe we in council were negligent in not having a proper policy ... but there is one now.” Nanaimo city council decided last May to release in camera information and voting records on a regular basis in an effort to diffuse negative perceptions of city secrecy and meet citizen calls for greater government transparency. The policy is insurance to people that information will be released in a more timely manner, said Ruttan, adding the new initiative is “the right thing to do.” Nanaimo city council decided to backdate the information until 2010. People are curious about issues in the past and items discussed three years ago, like the Colliery dams, continue to be active today, Ruttan said. City watcher Ron Bolin said the plan has been a long time coming, however, he still has questions, including whether the city plans to list all in camera meetings online so citizens can monitor which information has yet to be released. He is also planning to watch for how much information the city redacts and the kind of documents it releases. “From what I’ve read it seems to be a worthwhile move and a necessary move for any transparent government,” he said. The 2010 material is expected to be on the city’s website within the next two weeks. news@nanaimobulletin.com
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!
8 $ 00 5
ANY $ 00 OIL CHANGE OFF
Mon. - Fri. 8am - 10am
OR
ANY OFF OTHER TIME
Va l i d a t b o t h l o c a t i o n s Coupon expires Oct. 31, 2013. Taxes & enviro fee extra.
Metral Drive 6470 Metral Drive, Nanaimo BC V9T 2L8 P 250-933-3555 F 250-933-4111
Country Club Centre 130-3200 N. Island Hwy, Nanaimo BC V9T 1W1 P 250-729-3666 F 250-729-3662