I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season and New Year’s, and that everyone is keeping warm during this cold snap!
One of the big highlights from the Jan. 10 council meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Williams Lake Central Business Improvement Area. Partnerships and working relationships are so important.
I’ve enjoyed working with the WLCBIA for the past three years, and I look forward to even more communication and opportunities now that we have this MOU in place, which outlines the many ways we will work together to enhance downtown.
All residents are invited to come watch council discuss the 2012 budget and five-year financial plan. The first meeting was Jan. 18, and the second is Jan. 31, both at 6 p.m. in council chambers.
Council will go through this year’s opportunities and challenges, the debt, and the operating and capital budgets. We are at the beginning of the process, and we will keep you informed as we walk through it.
At the Jan. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting, Council discussed the 12 recommendations that the Business Expansion and Attraction Task Force put forward. I want to thank the task force for all their work in early morning meetings, and I’m excited to have specific recommendations to focus on.
This report will be coming forward at the Jan. 24 council meeting. In the last week, council met with Minister Margaret MacDiarmid and MLA Donna Barnett and I met with MP Dick Harris. We are always interested in finding out about possible future funding opportunities for the city.
Council has been busy with orientation and is looking forward to going through the first budget cycle of this term.
Everyone is invited to the Cariboo Regional District – City of Williams Lake town hall meeting next Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in council chambers. See you there!
Kerry Cook is the mayor of Williams Lake.