EDUCATION: UNBC tries innovative scheduling program A3 Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Getting women to fly ... literally A9
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Skakun denied city financial info request Councillor files notice of motion seeking details on close to $1 million in expenditures The mayor’s office has little to say about Coun. Brian Skakun’s notice of motion seeking detailed financial information on a handful expenditures. “The notice of motion provided will be received on Monday evening and Prince George city council will discuss the issue at our January 21 meeting,” said Mayor Shari Green in a statement issued through her executive assistant Beverley Smith Friday. The notice was received Monday night without discussion. Skakun filed the notice of motion at the suggestion of city administration, which would not provide him with the details he was requesting. “I have asked the city administration to clarify the reasons why we have spent city funds with a number of businesses,” he says in the notice of motion. “The response for my information request was that this extensive amount of work requested is not work required by city council ... and (to) bring it to council for support if I feel this is information the team needs for decision making. I do not feel that it is fair that as an elected official I need to provide a notice of motion at a city council meeting any time I want this type of information. I am also asking council to streamline the process so any councillor can access this type of information that in part has already been made public.” Acting city manager Kathleen Soltis said the statement of financial information, where Skakun found the expenditures he is querying, is readily available on the city’s website. However, details about those expenditures are not. “The information is not directly available, but what you can find is information concerning vendors the city has used where the vendor was paid more than $25,000 in the year,” she said. “There is a 22-page report by myself, signed off by the mayor and I. Starting on page 15 it has individual suppliers. The report gives the gross
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INSPIRATION
Ph o to Sub mitte d
Workshops are one way for creative people to get inspired in new directions. Local watercolour artist Wendy Framst took a workshop in Victoria and last summer took a sightseeing trip to Italy led by the same instructor. Her latest painting of colourful glass bottles uses techniques learned in the classroom and on her travels. amount paid to the vendors over the year. “The information he’s asking for is what makes up each amount.” In his notice of motion, Skakun is asking: • Why Prince George has authorized the expenditures of $29,960.00 to Cressman Sakamoto Agency;
• $32,979.40 to Picketts Consulting; • $33,341.00 to GAKJRW Inc. and disclose who the principals of the company are; • $43,883.90 to Anthem Kimco Shopping Center; • $631,980.31 to L&M Engineering; • $88,988.58 to BWP Consulting; • $85,322.33 to Number 188 Holdings
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and disclose who the principals of the company are. • That administration provide information to individual city councillors if requested by them to clarify why the city has spent funds from businesses listed in the annual City of Prince George Financial Information Statement of Individual Suppliers.
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($13 Value • Expires January 31st, 2013)