The new Village of Clinton council was sworn in at the inaugural meeting on Nov. 9.
Chief Administrative Officer Murray Daly presented outgoing mayor Susan Swan and outgoing councillors Kim McIlravey and Christine Rivett with glass sculptures, and expressed thanks to them for their work over the last four years.
Swan spoke of the way in which the members of council had come together as a team, noting that when they were sworn in in 2018 they had no idea of what was coming their way, from the closure of the Chasm Mill to the pandemic, wildfires, road closures, and changes in senior staff.
“We weathered them all, and I want to thank each member of this council for their contribution to making this community better,” she said.
She added that in spite of the challenges, council had accomplished a lot, and held up a long list of the highlights. They included purchase of a new fire rescue truck; the completion of phases one and two of the trail network; construction of a new EV fast charging station; completion of a five-year economic development plan and a housing needs assessment; the hiring of a joint Bylaw Enforcement Officer in partnership with Ashcroft and Cache Creek; paving on several streets; completion of the new public works building, and demolition of the old one to create more parking at the Memorial Hall, which had air conditioning installed; improvement of the walking paths through Reg Conn Park; continued advocacy for improved safety measures on Highway 97 in and around town; and several successful grant applications for a wide variety of projects.
“For what one of our residents termed a ‘lame duck’ mayor and council, I think we accomplished a lot,” she said. “Just imagine what we could have accomplished without the challenges.
“But we didn’t do it alone; we couldn’t do it without the dedication of our amazing village staff. We worked together, formed a strong team, and I know we’re leaving the community in a good position for the incoming mayor and council.”
McIlravey said she was very proud to have been a part of the team, and that she had learned a lot from everyone. Returning councillor Sandi Burrage also cited the strong team they had built, and said she was looking forward to building a new team for the next four years.
Rivett said that it had been an honour to serve for the last four years, and that she had thoroughly enjoyed it. “Council’s been great, staff has been fantastic.” She also had a word for the new members of council: “There are no stupid questions.” Returning councillor David Park thanked each member of council and staff, adding that it was exciting and “kind of scary” to be sitting down with a new council.
After a brief recess, the new council was sworn in, with returning mayor Roland Stanke, returning councillors Burrage and Park, and new councillors Nicholas Kosovic and Darrell Schapansky taking the oath of office.
Stanke, who previously served as Clinton’s mayor for three terms from 2002 to 2011, thanked the outgoing council for their hard work and commitment over the last four years. He also said that he was looking forward to forming a solid team for the next four years.
“We have a good mix of council members who bring different backgrounds to the table. The next four years will be challenging, with the uncertainty all around us.”
Stanke was appointed to the board of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, while Burrage was appointed deputy mayor. Council also voted that a MasterCard with a spending limit of $5,000 be issued to Stanke “for purchases related to mayoral and village business.”
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