So... here we are, five months into my freshman term as a councillor. The courses, the conferences and presentations attended to bring us up to speed as councillors have been very informative and interesting. We learned a lot about governance, meeting protocols, conflict of interest guidelines, communication and working as a team. We have met with the district staff department heads and toured all district facilities including Brennan Park Recreation Centre, the sewage treatment plant, water supply infrastructure, dikes, fire stations, and our two crown corporations - the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation and the Squamish Sustainability Corporation. This process has been a great help in my performance of my council duties of budget prioritizing, financial planning and governing.I would like to take this opportunity to note that our district staff is a very talented group of individuals who want Squamish to thrive and are diligently working toward that goal every day.One of the difficulties I have encountered is having enough council time to debate active district business. Does staff offer enough information to enable all council members to knowledgeably discuss and make good decisions? This has raised several important issues such as: how does the Chief Administrative Officer and the councillors as a core working group interact; how does good debate on the issues proceed as driven by the mayor's chairing of the meetings, and are council decisions and directions presented to district staff in a clear manner?Is council given enough information and time to intelligently discuss the issues and make the important decisions? Are we sharing information in city hall? On this note, we are getting there, but still have a way to go. Are we getting the message out to the community? This will improve.This brings me to my key point - communication. Good communication is the key to success. We have a diverse council that wants to make Squamish better. Studies have shown that the more communication on a board, the better success the corporation will have. Communication is high on my list of things to improve - working as team, sharing thoughts, gathering opinions, bringing council and groups together for a better understanding of the district's problems and opportunities.So... has my first five months as councillor been rewarding? Yes, it has. Am I fully up to speed? Not yet. Are we a good team? We are getting there. Are we going to change things for the better in Squamish? Yes, we are.So... ask the questions, get informed, stay positive, and celebrate the successes.
