Rossland city council’s inaugural meeting was wrapped up soon after it started — about half an hour after the call to order.
“This is the way they always go,” quipped Mayor Kathy Moore at the end of the meeting, to the laughter of staff and council.
For a first meeting, there was little for the councillors to do. A variance to a development permit to allow a home setback closer to the road; a letter of support for a proposal to change the bus schedule to allow workers at Red Mountain to get to work on time; and the appointment of councillors to their various committees wrapped up the meeting.
Moore figuratively held the newbie councillors’ hands throughout the proceedings, advising them on procedure and the background for ongoing issues and council agenda items.
Councillors approved all items on the agenda. The only opposition came when councillor Scott Forsyth declined to support the busing proposal, suggesting instead that businesses should change their workers’ shift hours to meet the bus schedule. The motion to send a letter of support for the proposal passed despite his concerns.
There were no surprises in the appointments, where the mayor assigns councillors to various committees.
The only votes on the matter are for Rossland’s seat on the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and for the Kootenay-Boundary Regional Hospital District board.
The lone incumbent councillor, Andy Morel, will represent the city on the RDKB board; the mayor will be his alternate. For the hospital board, the situation is reversed, with the mayor as the primary, and Morel substituting for her.
Here are the other committee appointments:
Sustainability Commission
Councillor Lewis
Councillor Forsyth as alternate
Heritage Commission
Councillor Bowman
Administration and Personnel Committee
Mayor Moore
Councillor Bowman
Councillor Nightingale
Design Review Panel
Councillor Bowman
Tourism Rossland
Councillor Forsyth
Councillor Spooner as alternate
Rossland Historical Museum and Archives Association
Councillor Spooner
Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society (LCCDT) Liaison
Councillor Spooner
Rossland Public Library
Councillor Lewis
Lion’s Campground Committee
Councillor Lewis
Age Friendly/Seniors
Mayor Moore
Rossland Youth Action Network
Councillor Nightingale
Regional Recreation Committee
Mayor Moore
Councillor Morel
Councillor Nightingale
Midtown Transition Area Development Committee
Mayor Moore
Councillor Bowman
Highway 3 Mayors and Chairs Coalition
Mayor Moore