A look into concerns with the City of White Rock’s vehicle-purchasing and disposal practices has found nothing untoward, the city’s director of financial services told council last week.
Sandra Kurylo shared the details in a report to council Nov. 26, which was requested following an Oct. 29 delegation by White Rock resident Ron Eves.
Eves, with dozens of pages of information in hand, had cited concerns including the scrapping – as opposed to sale – of certain city vehicles in recent years.
There is no record that the vehicles in question were independently inspected prior to their disposal, he said.
As well, paperwork collected through Freedom of Information requests and other sources appeared to indicate that, in previous years, the city’s fire chief had received both a staff vehicle as well as salary-in-lieu of such a vehicle, Eves said.
But Kurylo reported that a staff review of Eves’ concerns and comments confirmed almost everything happened as it should have.
“The findings were that staff pretty well followed due process… with the procurement of these vehicles and disposal of them,” Kurylo said.
Kurylo said the only thing that could not be confirmed is whether staff followed a policy that requires the approval of the city’s chief administrative officer or director of financial services when city vehicles are being scrapped.
But when Coun. Helen Fathers questioned if $33,000 in one-time funding recommended in the city’s draft financial plan for “temporary assistance with purchasing processes” would “cover the glitch,” city manager Dan Bottrill cautioned against assuming the move acknowledges a mistake was made.
“The fact we were not able to find that (confirmation of approval) doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” he said.
The funds noted are so the city has an opportunity to ensure purchase orders are reviewed, but the recommendation was not a result of Eves’ concerns, Bottrill said.
Eves didn’t attend last week’s meeting, but he called Peace Arch News the next day describing the $33,000 as “a good start.”
