Pitt Meadows council is going to be handing out its own citizen of the year and other awards under a new community service and civic recognition policy.
There will be a community-led process, facilitated by city staff, to celebrate citizens for their community service.
The awards include Against the Odds Achievement, Business of the Year, Community Service, Community Service Youth (under 19), Good Neighbour Award and Pitt Meadows Citizen of the Year.
There will also be a civic recognition program, through a council-led process that will allow council to recognize individuals, including a Civic Merit Award, Celebrate Pitt Meadows and letters of recognition.
Council approved this past week a one-time startup cost of $500 for the start of the new community service recognition program, and approve an annual budget of up to $6,730 for the implementation of Community Service Recognition and Awards Program.
“This is important for the city to recognize people,” said Mayor Bill Dingwall, adding that recipients and their families appreciate the recognition. “On a $30-something million dollar budget, to spend $6,000 to recognized our people is really, I think, small.”
This initiative started with the last council.
A staff report noted that Maple Ridge used to coordinate and recognize volunteers when the two cities were partnered in the Joint Parks and Leisure Services Agreement, but that ended in 2016.
In February 2017, council asked staff to re-establish a recognition program.
It also noted that Citizen of the Year recognition had been handled independently through the Pitt Meadows Community Foundation, but there was no award for the past two years.
Staff recommended a community barbecue to recognize volunteers, and offer informal thanks to those being recognized.
No date has been established for the new awards.
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