I was pleased to join Mayor and Council in welcoming our new Interim Chief Administrative Officer Gary Nason to Oak Bay. He started work on Monday, March 11th and is a welcome addition to the Municipality. As you know, former CAO Mark Brennan chose to leave the position in the middle of February.
Mr. Nason is a seasoned professional who comes to us with years of experience in other communities, most recently retired from the Municipality of Central Saanich. Mr. Nason has a breadth of skills, knowledge and credentials that will provide organizational and administrative leadership to Oak Bay and help prepare us to hire a permanent replacement within about six months’ time.
I had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Nason when I served on North Saanich Council and was involved in tri-municipal partnership that included Council members and senior staff from Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich municipalities.
On to Council business, as follows:
- I voted with Council to approve a road closure to support a road closure on Lulie to celebrate a grad event in May 2013.
- I voted with Council to approve an addition to the Peninsula Runners to include a 5 km addition to the Oak Bay half Marathon on May 26, 2013. The addition will not affect the current plan for road closures.
- I voted with Council to approve the Business Improvement Association’s request for a temporary road closure and sidewalk occupancy to support their first Oak Bay Village Eco Week, happening from April 29 to May 4, 2013. This will be a terrific local event that promotes sustainable and environmentally sensitive commercial activity on Oak Bay Avenue, with a series of exciting events planned.
- I voted with Council to approve the Business Improvement Association’s request for sidewalk occupancy for the Oak Bay Village Spring Sidewalk Sale on May 25, 2013.
- I voted with Council to approve a joint request from the Oak Bay Business Improvement Association and Remax Camosun to occupy public property for an Easter Event on March 30, 2013.
- I voted with Council to refer to budget estimates a variety of grants-in-aid requests, some of which require further information that will help to inform Council’s decisions on what organizatons should receive funding.
A resolution to establsh a Floor Area Review Committee was deferred. I made the motion to defer this resolution, given that I believe that this item requires further consideration related to structure and community consultation. Council agreed. Deferral will also give staff, including our new Interim CAO Gary Nason, time to review the purpose of the Committee and how it might best be utilized to address this complex topic.
Our next meeting is March 18th, at which time I will be chairing the Committee of the Whole as Acting Mayor, in the absence of Mayor Nils Jensen, who will be out of town.