It’s spring cleaning time and the tradition applies not only to cleaning the cobwebs from the corners at home, but at Municipal Hall where district staff is dusting off outstanding resolutions of council.
It appears the move is a good idea.
The last cleaning took place in September 2017 when council received a report from staff with a list of outstanding resolutions dating back to 2015.
The council of the day dealt with those resolutions, but it appears these items tend to accumulate like dust bunnies.
District councillors recently requested that another list of old business be compiled, and staff found a dozen outstanding resolutions dating back to 2017.
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The list was varied and ranged from a resolution to attend a meeting regarding ball diamond improvements (that never took place) to a proposal to develop a bylaw amendment to prohibit ocean-based salmon farming (an issue covered under provincial regulations).
A few of the resolutions, like the one regarding the development of a bylaw to prohibit single-use plastic bags, may have been forgotten for a time but were not rescinded, but rather referred back to the administration for action.
Similarly, the resolution regarding the search for a suitable location for a dog park stayed on council’s radar, but the resolution was rescinded since the issue has already moved beyond where it was when the resolution was made in 2017.
That scenario was repeated a few times when it was discovered that the resolutions had become moot since subsequent council actions had already dealt with the issues.
Other resolutions were taken off the books since they would be dealt with by the new official community plan.
“Like most municipalities, Sooke council deals with an enormous range of issues and it’s not unusual for some resolutions to fall by the wayside for any number of reasons,” said Mayor Maja Tait
“Every so often we have to go back and review outstanding matters that may no longer be relevant. Think of it as spring cleaning.”
mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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