Recent History – 1999
Dec. 7, 1999
By Mark Nielsen, Daily News Staff
Call them the council for the new millennium.
The newly-elected council for the City of Dawson Creek was sworn in Monday, when an inaugural meeting was held at city hall.
Judge David Levis, who conducted the swearing-in ceremony, said that the event was extra-special because they will be the first council to sit a city hall as the second millennium begins.
Mayor Blair Lekstrom, re-elected to a second term, said that council members will have plenty of work to do, warning that they be on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But he also expressed confidence in them. “I can’t say enough about the talent that sits here before me,” he said.
Along with the ceremony, appointments to portfolios were made.
Lekstrom was named Dawson Creek’s representative on the Peace River Regional District board of directors, and Coun. Bud Powell was named the alternate.
Lekstrom will also represent Dawson Creek on the executives of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the North Central Municipal Association.
As one of its first acts, the new council adopted a provisional budget for 2000 which they will develop into a final budget this spring.
The ceremony, which packed the gallery with friends and relatives of the council members, started and ended with prayers from Reverend David Roch.
With the swearing in of council, Mayor Blair Lekstrom also assigned the work areas of special interest for councillors, called portfolios.
Incumbent councillor Bob Gibbs was named to the finance portfolio, which includes risk management and he will be council’s liaison on forestry issues.
Coun. Mike Caisley was named to the public works portfolio, which includes the equipment pool, personnel, and engineering, and he will be council’s liaison on agriculture issues.
Coun. Alvin Stedel was named to the regulatory services portfolio, which includes environment, policy development and bylaw enforcement, and he will be council’s liaison to the Dawson Creek Athletic Association.
Coun. Calvin Kruk was named to the parks and recreation portfolio, which includes the Mile Zero Rotary Park, and the Exhibition Grounds Association, and he will be liaison to arts and culture.
Coun. Bud Powell was named to the portfolios for the airport, health, tourism, and the Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce, and he will be council’s liaison on transportation issues.
Coun. Paul Gevatkoff was named to the portfolios for fire and police, civic properties, and library, and he will be the liaison to the Northern Lights Real Estate Board.
Gibbs, Caisley and Stedel were named to the court of revision, with Kruk, Powell, and Gevatkoff making up the alternate court of revision.
In addition, the firm of Sander, Woolf and Downie were appointed auditors until December, 2002, and CIBC was appointed the city’s banker until March 31, 2003.