Sooke council has ensured the municipality has full participation at next year’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
Council approved $9,900 for accommodation costs at next year’s convention. Councillors also approved $1,500 for the district’s chief administration officer to attend.
“The UBCM convention is an opportunity to consult with and learn from other communities,” Mayor Maja Tait said.
“We don’t operate in isolation and we can learn from each other on a wide range of issues that affect all of us. That’s why it’s important to have council there and for our CAO to be a part of the convention as well.”
Next year’s convention is hosted in Victoria, as opposed to this year’s Vancouver venue, but the proximity to Sooke doesn’t mean that accommodation costs aren’t required.
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Tait, who was named as UBCM president at this year’s convention, said the nature of the convention requires that participants attend both early morning study sessions and late evening presentations and events.
“It just makes sense for participants to have the option of staying near the convention,” she said.
This year’s convention saw councillors attend a wide range of sessions, including discussions on the engagement of women in local politics, food security, and emergency service planning.
Sooke’s cost statement for this year’s conference, which wrapped up on Sept. 27, shows $19,195 was spent by Tait and councillors at the week-long convention. That amount included mileage costs (including ferries); expenditures that are not expected for the 2020 convention.
The costs for the convention also included individual convention registration costs of approximately $800 per delegate.
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