Grand Forks City Council held a Regular Meeting Monday before the new council steps in, seemingly still itching to get the job done. Councillor Colleen Ross gave her council report, largely speaking to the issue of miscommunication with the Province during flood recovery.
Ross says a Policy Liaison was officially discussed at a recent meeting with the Regional District. “We’ve ticked all the boxes and they just keep making more boxes, we jump through the hoops, keep offering information, but we’re not hearing back. So it was decided that we need to send a delegation to Victoria.”
The Liaison would bridge the gap, setting up meetings and communicating with government officials on the forefront as opposed to via email.
Colleen Ross says when it comes to disaster relief, one size doesn’t fit all. “We need a disaster response strategy that will work around the Province and I think on some levels that might be the issue there, it’s just so overwhelming, and it appears that they might be even working in silos.”
She adds that Premiere John Horgan has been made aware that Grand Forks plans to visit, and that meetings could take place as early as the end of the month. Ross also spoke to a discussion around emergency preparedness in our region, seeking solutions to staff loss during emergency situations.