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The Legendary Platters and the Inkspots are at the Mary Winspear Centre for two shows, page 9
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
North Saanich consultant wants more Council to consider paying more for a report they voted to shelve Steven Heywood News staff
North Saanich council will consider paying a consultant nearly double the original price for work on their housing strategy and at the same time essentially shelved the consultant’s report until further notice. A majority of councillors voted Feb. 3 to ratify an earlier decision to consider paying Ed Grifone of CTQ Consltants Ltd. an estimated $68,595 for the District’s housing strategy implementation plan. That’s $29,595 more than an earlier agreed-upon price of $39,000 — and well above the original contract of only $19,000 set in late 2012. Council had agreed on the jump from $19,000 to $39,000 following Grifone’s first meeting in early 2013 with staff and council and the realization the project would be more involved than initially thought. Grifone, in a Dec. 13 letter to council, said the complexity of the assignment pushed his costs to more than $68,000. Council has decided to consider this increase as long as Grifone supplies an itemized and detailed account of additional services over and above the original terms of reference. Council Ed Grifone also voted to only do so if Grifone turns over his raw data from the housing plan. This was approved Feb. 3 in a 4-3 vote. Council has also asked Grifone to return to give a presentation to council on either Feb. 24 or April 14, and pay him an hourly rate of $170, plus expenses. The consultant had been to council to speak to his work in August, 2013 but that meeting was cut short when Councillors Dunstan Browne and Conny McBride walked out in protest of questions levelled at Grifone from Mayor Alice Finall, Coun. Elsie McMurphy and various citizens. “It was very unfortunate that your meeting of Aug. 19, 2013 ended so abruptly when I was prepared to address all matters related to the project,” Grifone stated in his Dec. 13 letter. Steven Heywood/News staff
PleaSe See: Residents blaming council, page 4
Two boats broke away from their moorings in Tsehum Harbour overnight on Wed., Feb. 5 and ended up stranded on the beach. Another three vessels - some in disrepair - sank. More on page three.
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