Family, friends and members of the public looked on as the newest Mayor and Oak Bay Council were sworn into office on December 5, 2011. The atmosphere was positive and everyone seemed enthusiastic about the challenging work ahead.
Mayor Nils Jensen opened with an inaugural address that stressed the importance of community building as a “thoughtful process.” He expressed his hopes for addressing community engagement and the review of the Official Community Plan, “a community road map” that embodies community vision and values. Mayor Jensen hopes that Oak Bay will be a “green leader” in its practices, programs and services and he talked about establishing in the New Year two new citizen advisory committees dedicated to the environment/climate change and active transportation.
Mayor Jensen went on to mention the importance of policing, stating that “public safety transcends municipal boundaries” and indicating that he will be meeting with Mayors from across the CRD and inviting them to Oak Bay to talk about the future of policing. He also reminded us about “fiscal management in challenging times,” stressing the importance of affordability and accountability. He spoke about the significant contributions of Oak Bay volunteers and their commitment to making Oak Bay the supportive, helpful and vibrant community it is today.
Finally, each Councilor was assigned various Committees and areas of responsibility after consultation with the Mayor. I have been asked to take on the following local and regional duties and it is an honour to do so:
- Oak Bay Heritage and Culture
- Capital Region District Arts Committee
- Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association
- Oak Bay Community Archives
- Oak Bay Heritage Commission
- Oak Bay Heritage Foundation
- Royal and McPherson Theatres Society
- Uplands Building Permits Subcommittee with Councilors Copley and Herbert
In addition, Councilor Murdoch and myself have been asked to Co-Chair a Citizens’ Engagement initiative and I am looking forward to this work, bringing new ideas to greater involve our residents in local government decision-making that includes improved information-sharing.
For a complete list of Committee, Commission and sub-committee assignments for all Council members, please visit the District website located on this blog.