Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran has missed several Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board meetings over the course of 2021 so far, but he denies his regular volunteering has anything to do with those absences.
For the past year, Basran has spent most Thursday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. volunteering at Kelowna General Hospital香蕉视频直播檚 (KGH) coffee shop 香蕉视频直播� a gig that earned the 43-year-old politician an early COVID-19 vaccination. The RDCO board of directors, of which Basran is a member, also meets on some Thursday mornings at 8:30 a.m.
RDCO board members have met on six Thursdays in 2021 for board meetings, government and service committee meetings, or both. According to meeting minutes, Basran has missed five of those. Three other meetings have fallen on Mondays and Basran has attended each one.
香蕉视频直播楶ersonal appointments香蕉视频直播�
Basran claims he香蕉视频直播檚 not skipping RDCO meetings to volunteer but has been attending immovable 香蕉视频直播減ersonal appointments香蕉视频直播� on Thursday mornings over the past two months. He did not divulge the nature of those appointments, only calling the matter 香蕉视频直播減rivate.香蕉视频直播�
Those appointments were at 10 a.m. on Thursday mornings, with the final one having occurred on April 8. On the days there was a board meeting that conflicted with that appointment, Basran chose to pull short shifts at the coffee shop rather than attending the meeting due to the fact he would香蕉视频直播檝e had to leave early.
Before the appointments began earlier this year, Basran said he attended Thursday RDCO meetings instead of working at the coffee shop, pointing to his attendance at 2020 meetings as proof. Meeting minutes show he missed just two of 20 meeting days in 2020.
For all but one of the meetings he missed in 2021, Kelowna councillor Mohini Singh appeared in his stead in her role as alternate director. Singh fills in when any of the seven Kelowna city council members who serve on the RDCO board can香蕉视频直播檛 attend. She says she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know why Basran has been unable to attend.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 none of my business,香蕉视频直播� said Singh. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 ask anybody why I香蕉视频直播檓 going and they香蕉视频直播檙e not; I just go.香蕉视频直播�
Singh is remunerated for her time on a per-meeting basis, but Basran confirmed he also gets paid for meetings he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 attend. from 2019 show board members earned $18,552 that year, regardless of attendance.
Basran said he still does the work, studying the items on the agenda, contributing his opinions in advance of the meetings. He likened his absences to taking paid personal time for appointments at any ordinary job.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 see why, just because I香蕉视频直播檓 an elected official, I should be treated any differently,香蕉视频直播� Basran said.
Board chair Gail Given said Basran informed her he would be missing certain meetings and he has not breached the Local Government Act, which states board members are disqualified from service after four consecutive absences at regularly scheduled board meetings. Due to the Monday meetings Basran participated in, he did not miss four in a row.
Now that the appointments have ended, Basran said he香蕉视频直播檒l be able to attend meetings from now on, barring an illness or other personal circumstance.
Early vaccination
Basran also rejected social media accusations that he only began volunteering at KGH to get an early vaccination.
Given he香蕉视频直播檚 43 years old, Basran shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be eligible for inoculation under B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 vaccination rollout plan for a few months. But along with hundreds of other healthcare volunteers in the Interior Health region, Basran received his first dose due to his proximity to health-care workers and hospital patients.
Basran said he reached out to the KGH Foundation looking for volunteer opportunities as soon as the pandemic began. As soon as it was safe to do so, the foundation let Basran work at the coffee shop.
香蕉视频直播淚 understand peoples香蕉视频直播� frustration, but I didn香蕉视频直播檛 make the rules in terms of volunteers being allowed to get their vaccine. It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 created for me,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淭he only reason I香蕉视频直播檓 being scrutinized is because of my position, but I香蕉视频直播檓 a volunteer just like anyone else.香蕉视频直播�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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