In a rare occurrence at a municipal council meeting, Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor opted to reconsider an approved motion from the May 1 regular council meeting.
Windsor, as mayor, has the option under the B.C. Community Charter to bring back a motion within a calendar month for an immediate revote.
The original motion put forward by Councillor Alicia Holman asked District staff to explore an application for a grant being offered through the Active Communities Grants for local governments in the Vancouver Island and Interior Health Regions. The grants are for local governments within Island Health and other regional partners, working towards having a measurable impact on physical activity. They range up to $30,000 or more for combined grants. Part of the funding available would be to the benefit of a social connectedness project.
“Briefly the reason I’m putting this on the floor for reconsideration is it’s still unclear to me what the objective of the grant funding we would seek would be,” Windsor stated. “It’s not specified in the motion and my concern is that we have a number of items on our strategic priorities chart … I’m concerned we will expend both council and staff time on something that may or may not, and as it appears to me right now, does not fit with the strategic priorities.”
“I think that there’s nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Holman replied, “and I’m happy to do a little bit of the leg work if there’s a time crunch, which I believe there is.”
Despite this, and supportive input from Coun. Zeb King, the reconsidered motion was defeated with three councillors and the mayor in opposition.