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Wednesday Wednesday, April 1,1 2015
MUNICIPALITY
Council OKs $750K for consultants City councillors ‘uneasy’; narrowly pass a hefty consulting price tag with a 4–3 vote for 2015 budget ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
A list of consultants in the 2015 municipal budget received a scrutinizing response from council Monday. Port Alberni’s elected representatives approved the $753,500 in consulting costs with a close 4-3 vote after some councilors expressed reservations about the expenditures. “I still feel uneasy about it, I won’t be supporting the motion,” said Coun. Jack McLeman, who voted against the consulting costs with councillors Denis Sauvé and Ron Paulson. A report by city manager Ken Watson explained that the municipality contracts consultants for professional services that can’t
MCLEMAN
be done by employees. In 2015 the city engaged $770,718 worth of consultants. “Retention of professional services is generally required to
access specialized expertise not able to be provided by city staff,” wrote Watson. “Retention of the specialized expertise provided by these companies is critical to moving forward and completing the identified projects.” Most of this year’s consulting expenses will be paid to two firms designing large-scale infrastructure upgrades. Koer’s and Associates Engineering is billing the city for $315,000 for design work on the new Bainbridge Lake Water Treatment Plant, Dry Creek flood mitigation and sewer line twinning, while Associated Engineering has $240,000 in expenses for the sewage treatment system. Coun. Denis Sauvé commented it might be more economical for
the city to permanently hire an engineer to perform the specialized design work, but Coun. Sharie Minions noted the sewage treatment work is being done by several specialists. “It’s not just one engineer, but a team of engineers,” she said. “I understand the need for that one, although in some cases I think it’s good to look at having some people on staff versus spending money on consultants.” A $25,000 structural engineering job for the Harbour Quay clock tower brought several questions from council, as the fixture’s repair is not included in this year’s financial plan. “I’m not really understanding the need for spending money on a consultant to give us a better
LABOUR
quote if we’re not in a position yet to do the work,” Minions said. Scott Kenny, the city’s director of parks, recreation and heritage, responded that the consulting work is needed to determine the extent of the clock tower repairs before the municipality seeks a company to fix the waterfront feature. “It’s been put off for a number of years,” he said.. Other budgeted items brought up by council include $5,000 to the Fire Underwriters Survey for a review the city’s fire engines and $10,000 set aside for Canscott Management Services to train municipal supervisors. See CONSULTANTS, Page 9
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Union workers protest health care cuts Lunney
leaves PC party in defence of beliefs
KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
A small group gathered outside West Coast General Hospital on Tuesday to rally against the federal government’s cuts to health care. Wendy Kerr, local chair of the Hospital Employees Union, said it is a critical time to examine changes to the health care system. “There is not enough staff or long term beds to take care of the aging population,” Kerr said. “The government has to put health care as a priority and we need to elect officials who see that.” She said the province will see huge cutbacks in health care in the next five to ten years when British Columbia will lose five billion dollars out of a national $36 billion loss. “People are not aware of what is happening and how it will be in the future,” Kerr said. “With the aging population we need the investment in health care and now is not a time to cut back. A lot of long-term care facilities are closing as the aging population grows.” MLA Scott Fraser said he hopes more people will make their voices heard. “People have to speak out loud and let both the provincial and federal governments know that public heath care is not negotiable,” Fraser said. Canada’s Health Accord ended March 31, 2014 and since the federal Conservatives did not sign a new one, Fraser said the first cuts to health care are happening now. “With the aging population, these cuts are a double blow,” he said. Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni NDP, added that the result will be a two-tiered system. “That is the aim of the government,” Johns said. “Every door we knocked on, people said health care is a priority. Seniors are feel-
SPENCER ANDERSON NANAIMO DAILY NEWS
HEU workers Maria Ransom, left, and Jill Zodichi, attended a rally outside the hospital on Tuesday in opposition of the government’s health care cuts. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]
ing betrayed. Not only are they struggling in their senior years, they can’t afford the added costs to health care.” Fraser said he is frustrated at the provincial level. “What irks me is that the province stayed silent while the cuts were happening,” he said. “We raised the issues of the devastating effects in the legislature and the Liberals did nothing but raise the MSP premiums yet again.” HEU workers were at yesterday’s rally in support of coworkers. Maria Ransom and Jill Zodichi said they see first-hand what is happening to patients and staff. “We are here because we want
to save public health care,” Ransom said. “We have seen the wait times getting longer and patient loads increase. “Staff moral is lower and there is more overtime and staff sick time,” Zodichi added. In an email from Health Canada, media relations advisor Julie-Anne Lemire noted that one of Minister Ambrose’s key priorities is to support innovation and research that improves the efficiency of the healthcare system and ensure that it is sustainable. She said to do so, Ambrose launched the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation to examine ways in which the Govern-
ment can use new innovations to improve patient care. The Government of Canada invests more than $1 billion each year in health research and supports nearly 13,000 researches nation-wide, Lemire stated. The rally at WCGH was one of 25 up and down Vancouver Island yesterday. KDobson@avtimes.net
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Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney announced on Tuesday he was resigning from the Conservative caucus and sitting as an independent, in defence of his religious beliefs and “the concerns of my faith community.” The move was voluntary, Lunney said. It comes after controversy last month, when Lunney posted comments on Twitter saying that evolution was not a fact. “(The) decision (to sit as an independent) is entirely my own,” Lunney said in a statement. “Given the circling trolls, I do not intend to entangle the most multi-racial, multicultural and multi-faith caucus in parliamentary history in my decision to defend my beliefs.” Lunney did not return requests for comment from the Daily News by press time, despite calls to his Ottawa and Nanaimo offices. His Ottawa office said Lunney would be “unavailable for the rest of the day,” and that Lunney would be speaking to the issue following question period in the House of Commons the next day (Wednesday). In his press release, Lunney alluded to his comments on Twitter. See LUNNEY, Page 3
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