Mayor Fred Haynes wants Saanich to join the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and Urban Development Institute (UDI). He also wants Saanich to give each council member a personal budget of $500 for professional development and networking.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 linked to the professional development of the council,B次元官网网址� said Haynes, of his proposals, which the rest of council will take up at its next meeting Jan. 7, 2019. B次元官网网址淏y becoming members, we have greater access to the professional development programs that these two groups put on,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his would better equip council with the knowledge and understanding of these sectors.B次元官网网址�
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The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce represents some 1,400 businesses and organizations of various kinds and sizes as the second largest chamber in British Columbia. The 750 members of the Urban Development Institute represent all aspects of the development industry and its related professions, from private developers to local governments and agencies.
B次元官网网址淏y becoming member, we have greater access to the professional development programs that these two groups put on,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his would better equip council with the knowledge [and] understanding of these sectors.B次元官网网址�
Haynes said joining the chamber is in part about exposing council to the local business community.
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B次元官网网址淩ight now, we are getting 78 per cent of our taxes from local residents,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e get 22 per cent from commerce and retail. We want to change that ratio. My campaign as mayor was about changing that ratio. Several of the councillors have talked about changing that ratio. We do that better from a position of knowledge.B次元官网网址�
Stated policy priorities of the UDI, meanwhile, include measures to improve the supply of housing (especially rental housing) through measures that include faster approval processes, higher density and community amenity contributions, with an eye towards concentrating development near public transit nodes.
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Haynes said Saanich said senior staff receive professional development as part of their contract and it is only reasonable that councillors B次元官网网址渃harged with very weighty decisionsB次元官网网址� receive the same opportunity for professional development.
B次元官网网址淲e understand that council members go to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), and the Association of Vancouver Island Municipalities and Coastal Communities (AVICC), and there is very important, rich and useful conversations there,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淸But] it is within the peer group, and the opportunity we get from the chamber and from the UDI is local and on-the-ground.B次元官网网址�
Haynes added joining these organizations is not expensive. SaanichB次元官网网址檚 annual membership for UDI would be $1,100, and just over $3,500 for the chamber of commerce.
Saanich plans to combine these membership by granting each councillor a budget of $500 for professional development.
Haynes said the current policy requiring councillors to ask for prior permission creates an obstacle.
B次元官网网址淚 think we should trust those councillors to make their decision on what kind of workshop they need to fill their information and education needs,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔or example, IB次元官网网址檇 have to ask the [chief administrative officer Paul Thorkelsson], B次元官网网址榗an I go to a luncheon at the chamber or UDI?B次元官网网址� Now I have my budget of $500, and I can use it as I wish. But IB次元官网网址檓 accountable at the end of the year. I think it is very positive thing, and IB次元官网网址檓 optimistic that council would approve it.B次元官网网址�
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