Nanaimo’s new city councillors will take their seat at the table for the first time tonight.
The City of Nanaimo, at a meeting Monday, Nov. 5, at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, will hold a swearing-in ceremony for new Mayor Leonard Krog and councillors Erin Hemmens, Sheryl Armstrong, Ben Geselbracht, Tyler Brown, Jim Turley, Don Bonner, Ian Thorpe and Zeni Maartman. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the conference centre’s ballroom, not the Shaw Auditorium, which is typically council chambers.
A staff report previews that Monday’s agenda will include blessings from Snuneymuxw First Nations elder Lolly Good and Rev. Clara Plamondon, a poem from city poet laureate Tina Biello, gifts to outgoing councillors, a swearing-in ceremony and an inaugural address from Krog.
A city press release noted that Nanaimo’s historical Bastion trade post would be lit up in blue to welcome the new council.
“The inaugural ceremony on Monday is our opportunity to welcome in the new mayor and council that will be guiding our city for the next four-year term, as well as an opportunity to say thank you to our former mayor and council,” said Sheila Gurrie, city clerk, in the press release.
Monday’s inaugural meeting is also set to include Regional District of Nanaimo director appointments. A staff report noted that the city’s policy is that RDN director appointments “be considered on a combination of experience and voter confidence.” Based on vote count in the recent municipal election, staff is suggesting Krog, Hemmens, Armstrong, Geselbracht, Brown, Turley, Bonner and Thorpe as RDN directors and Maartman as an alternate.
For more on Monday’s inaugural council meeting, visit www.nanaimobulletin.com tomorrow or pick up the next issue of the News Bulletin.
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