Select Committee “frustrated”

Sep 27, 2021 | 3:56 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A letter from the Committee on a Safety, Clean and Inclusive Community was pulled from the agenda during the last regular Council meeting. It laid out a series of concerns committee members have about decisions made without Committee involvement.

In particular, how $1.9 million of grant money from the Strengthening Communities fund was allocated and a decision to extend the mandate of the Committee to the end of the year.

“There are significant concerns,” says Todd Corrigall, CEO of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Committee member. “There are numerous emails that have gone unanswered. There are numerous frustrations and concerns with the process with Urban Matters several months ago that have yet to be discussed. And now we’ve learned that the committee or working group tasked with operating in the Community Safety Hub has been disbanded. So, all of the issues that are dramatically frustrating our community and our businesses are not being addressed right now.”

Also in that correspondence was a reply from Mayor Lyn Hall.

“My response was trying to lay out the process that we followed when it came to the grant, when it came to the expenditure of the grant, the tight timelines, and the connection that our staff made with other key organizations that would be part of providing the services that the grant was to cover. And those folks are part of the Select Committee as well.”

The Committee was hoping for an in-camera to address their grievances, but all that Council would commit to was a meeting sometime in October.