The Capital Regional District has approved up to $200,000 in additional compensation for the sewage treatment project board chair and vice-chair even though some directors complained they didn’t have enough information to justify the expense.
CRD directors approved a recommendation from the project board that chairwoman Jane Bird and vice-chairman Don Fairbairn each be paid $20,000 a month until March in lieu of negotiated per diem and meeting preparation fees. The payments are retroactive to October.
Bob Lapham, the CRD’s chief administrative officer, said it was simply an extension of existing funding policy.
The $20,000 monthly flat fee was considered warranted for additional time spent dealing with funding agreements with senior governments and land-use issues, Lapham said.
The CRD in May approved a $20,000-a-month flat rate for each of Bird, Fairbairn and board member Jim Burke. The monthly rate was in lieu of per diem and preparation fees and was approved for June through October.
But some CRD directors said they couldn’t approve the proposed compensation without further explanation.
Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell recommended the decision be postponed until the board had more information, including the amount of per diems and expenses paid to date.
“What I’m concerned about is the process that we’re using here,” Atwell said. “We’re relying on a fee structure, but the fee structure is either excessive or it’s inadequate and we’re essentially being recommended that we just simply cap it at a large amount.”
He noted that the $20,000 is in addition to the honoraria paid to board members.
Atwell suggested the decision be postponed until staff could report on compensation expenses to date and options to reduce daily billable amounts.
Saanich councillors Colin Plant and Vic Derman spoke in favour of Atwell’s suggestion, saying they wanted to make an informed decision.
“I have no way of saying that I’m getting value for the taxpayers, and I should be able to do that,” Derman said.
But Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said that rather than postponing, the board should approve the funding and get an update on details next month.
“Twenty thousand dollars a month for a few months to make sure that two hundred and something million in federal funding is secure — I think that’s a good expenditure and I’m happy to make that expenditure today,” Helps said.
Atwell called that argument “silly.”
“I don’t think that’s a good justification, that we’re being held under duress and these people aren’t going to work for us and aren’t going to get this funding for us if we don’t pay this amount,” Atwell said.
“This is about how we do business here. How we spend money and how we account for money.”
Stan Bartlett of the Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria group agreed.
“The question here is about process. You don’t do business that way,” Bartlett said. “You don’t do business that way with that amount of money involved. You have all the facts and figures and details in front of you, and you make a decision.”
The Core Area Waste Water Treatment Project Board was appointed by Community Minister Peter Fassbender last summer to oversee the CRD’s sewage treatment mega-project.
The project board chairperson receives a $30,000 annual retainer. Other members receive a $12,000 annual retainer; the vice-chairperson receives an additional $4,000. All members receive a $750 meeting per diem and a $750 meeting preparation fee. The compensation was approved by the CRD board.
Bird and Fairbairn did not vote on the compensation recommendation from the project board to the CRD board.
Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell: “What I’m concerned about is the process that we’re using here.”
