To: Constituents of Electoral Area D From: CRD Area D Director S. Forseth Date: May 10th, 2015 Subject: 2015 NCLGA Convention/AGM From Wednesday, May 6th to Friday, May 8th, 2015 CRD Chair Al Richmond along with CRD Directors Ted Armstrong, Jerry Bruce, John Massier, Byron Kemp, Joan Sorley, Margo Wagner, Roger William, Betty Anderson and I attended the 2015 Northern Central Local Government Association AGM/Convention. Directors Dylan Cash (Area I) and Brian Coakley (Area L) were unable to attend Williams Lake City Councillors Ivan Bonnell, Craig Smith, Jason Ryll, Scott Nelson and Laurie Walters attended on behalf of the City of Williams Lake Mayor Bob Simpson and Councillors Scott Elliot, Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Ron Paull and Sushil Thapar attended on behalf of the City of Quesnel Mayor Mitch Campsall and Councillor Spence Henderson attended on behalf of the District of 100 Mile House While Mayor Robin Sharpe and Councillors Mandy Kilsby and Lorraine Kozar attended on behalf of the District of Wells You can the full Convention Agenda here On Wednesday May 6th CRD Directors Forseth, Bruce, Sorley; Quesnel City Councillors Scott Elliot/Laurey-Anne Roodenburg took in the Bio Energy tour which included a tour of the District Energy System in the City of Prince George and the Energy System used at UNBC (University of Northern BC) which is powered by hog fuel (left over waste from sawmills) and wood pellets. We also had a tour of the Wood Innovation/Design Centre in Prince George. A very well designed building. If you get the chance, check it out! After the tour we had a lunch at UNBC. Some stayed for the annual Northern Medical Program Trust AGM. Later that evening we all participated in the Welcoming Reception at UNBC and a later one put on by the PG Fire Dispatchers Association On Thursday, May 7th the opening ceremonies took place, the AGM took place while Updates from UBCM President Sav Dhaliwal, Municipal Finance Authority Vice-Chair Al Richmond and Municipal Insurance Association rep (and MIA Board Director) Brian Frenkel.

Memo from Director Forseth re: 2015 NCLGA Convention Page 2 Janine North from NDIT gave an update to NCLGA Delegates about the Northern Development Initiative Trust and announced that there would be a change to the Community Hall Program were limits to the Program would be increased from the current ones to allow more investment into rural areas From 11am 12 noon Delegates debated the 2015 NCLGA Resolutions submitted (roughly 22). Read the full Resolutions book here. I voted against a Resolution from the City of Quesnel re: giving Chief Election Officers the power to post the name of candidates who have withdrawn after the statutory deadline to withdraw as I felt it potentially would have the opposite effect and I feel strongly that the Local Government Act needs to be replaced with a new Regional District Charter something that has been discussed for a while now Meanwhile two Standing Votes were required to decide on two Resolutions. One had to do with ICBC and financial assistance to drivers for rock chips (From City of Quesnel) . After a count it was deemed to be passed. I did vote for this, given the size of rocks on the highways in the winter. However the Resolution pertaining to maintaining door to door Canada Post service (City of Quesnel) was determined to be rejected after a Standing Vote. I voted against this as there was already a 2014 UBCM Resolution and this Resolution seemed redundant At lunch the Delegates heard from Coquitlam-Maillardville BC NDP MLA Selina Robinson about her take on local government/sport in the Province. Unfortunately I was unable to hear her speech as I had a previously scheduled meeting with CRD CAO Janis Bell over some matters that she and I needed to discuss In the afternoon Delegates resumed consideration of late resolutions (2) from the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District. One had to do with Reforestation of Agricultural Lands, which sees companies planting trees for carbon, offset purposes. The Resolution calls on the BC Government to disallow the practice. The CRD Board at our meeting on Thursday, May 14th will consider this item In the evening Delegates attended a NCLGA Banquet Dinner. I sat with WL Council attendees at the dinner as it was a good neighbor to neighbor exercise, given what transpired last term. It was announced at the dinner that WL City Councillor Laurie Walters was elected a NCLGA Director-At-Large for the 2015-16 term. Congrats, Laurie!!

On Friday, May 8th I attended business sessions on Economic Development, Return on Investment put on by Heather Oland of Initiatives PG and Janine North of NDIT. Later on in the morning, a session put on by Northern Health on Health/Wellness in the North; update on Workplace Law put on by lawyer Adriana Wills of Harris and Company From 11am to 12 noon I attended a session on the Moose Hide Campaign which was hosted by CRD Area F Director Joan Sorley During lunch the Delegates received updates from Provincial Ministers Shirley Bond (Labour/Tourism/Jobs) and Coralee Oakes (Community, Sport and Cultural Development) I also had the opportunity to network with many elected officials including RDFFG Chair Art Kaehn, RDFFG Area C Director Lara Beckett and PG City Councillor Brian Skakun Im looking forward now to attending the 2015 UBCM Convention in Vancouver from Sept 21-215 Costs to attend: Mileage from Williams Lake to Prince George and return -- $342.00 NCLGA Attendance Fees (2 Days) - $240.00 Grand Total - $582.00 Hotel room costs are unavailable at this time as I booked my hotel room through CRD Staff as part of the Cariboo RD Room Block at the Coast Inn of the North for the Electoral Area Directors (10) that attended the 2015 NCLGA Convention/AGM and I believe that is still a far better deal than booking on my own ~SF