An important public consultation tonight between the park board and the city’s community centre associations was cancelled because of anticipated snowfall.
Planned to be held over two days, the meeting will now begin on the second day at 6 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Wosk Centre (580 West Hastings St.). An additional day of consultation will be held if necessary.
Special meeting on new Joint Operating Agreement CANCELLED tonight due to winter storm warning. Meeting postponed to Feb 9, 6 pm at Wosk Ctr pic.twitter.com/QM0ZTbsc0c
— Vancouver Park Board (@ParkBoard) February 8, 2017
A number of associations, known as CCAs, made a public statement yesterday on the negotiations with the park board, saying they need more time before finalizing the JOA, or joint operating agreement.
“We have come a long way and are much closer than we were even six months ago,” said Kate Perkins, the president of Trout Lake Community Centre Association, “but let me be clear --- we’re not there yet. Our legal counsel has advised us that, because of the language used in the current draft of the JOA, the document undermines our rights to act as independent entities. This will limit our ability to make decisions in the best interests of our communities, which is what we were elected to do and why we exist.
“We are close, but not close enough to consider signing. A majority of CCAs from across the city have provided commissioners with the changes we need to see in order for us to endorse this agreement. It is now in the commissioners’ hands, and our communities are watching closely.”
