North Cowichan activist Sandra McPherson objected so strongly about the reduction in meeting time allocated the environmental advisory committee that she was able to convince councillors to go back to monthly sessions, at least for her group.
She stepped up to the mic at the Jan. 20 council meeting and said that a plan to hold quarterly meetings might be efficient but would adversely affect the work the group does.
“A meeting every three months? It feels like a one-off task,” she said, pointing out that it was hard to keep up-to-date on important subjects with such a long time delay between sessions.
Later, Coun. Kate Marsh said she agreed with McPherson’s concerns.
“Committees really benefit from frequent meetings,” she said, adding that she understood the municipal staff were trying to manage their time but “people are volunteering, giving their time. It’s important we acknowledge that.”
Councillors decided that, although other committees would change to a quarterly schedule, the EAC would continue meeting monthly.