North Cowichan Coun. Tek Manhas will replace Coun. Chris Istace as a regional director for the municipality at the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s board table.
Council unanimously made that decision as a compromise at its meeting on June 4 after Manhas put forward a motion that both he and Coun. Bruce Findlay replace Istace and Coun. Christopher Justice as municipal directors at the CVRD.
Manhas said his reason for making the motion to replace Justice and Istace at the CVRD is because council’s strategic priorities are inevitably going to be changed, or modified, soon and council needs to take those priorities as a unified group to the CVRD.
“Our last strategic planning was done in 2018 and times have changed and I think we’re going to have different priorities, or modifications to the priorities, to take to the CVRD,” he said.
Mayor Rob Douglas suggested that council hold off on consideration of the motion until after North Cowichan holds a number of planning workshops and sessions over the summer.
“We have a couple of big workshops coming up in early July after which we’re going to have a better sense of what our strategic priorities are going to be over the next year and a bit,” he said.
But a motion to postpone consideration of Manhas’s motion was defeated in a 4-3 vote, and Istace offered an alternative for council to consider.
He said he would be willing to give up his seat at the CVRD table if council agreed that Justice retain his because it’s important that Justice be there to help deal with the watershed issues in the region.
“The number-one strategic priority of the CVRD is watershed protection and security, and I don’t think anybody here can challenge the environmental knowledge and the passion, especially when it comes to watersheds, that Coun. Justice provides at the CVRD board,” Istace said.
“For that, I’m more than happy to step aside and it would be great to have you [Manhas] bring back that balance to the [CVRD board table] you say you’re looking for in changing priorities. So we can make one change now and see how it works out, and consider more changes at a later date.”
Manhas said that, as Justice was one of council candidates who received the most votes in the last municipal election, he should sit at the CVRD’s board table.
“I like him, we get along great,” he said of Justice. “I find him very thoughtful and he has some great ideas, so I’m OK with this amendment to my motion and we’ll take another look at it later.”
Council also appointed Findlay as Alternate Director #1 at the CVRD, Istace was appointed as Alternate Director #2, and newly elected Coun. Becky Hogg as Alternate Director #3.
