The future of the Sosua Sister City Initiative could be in jeopardy after council moved Tuesday to “support and encourage” the creation of a stand-alone committee that could oversee project work, says initiative founder Glen Lehay.
Council, however, stepped back from the initial recommendation that suggested it “not take a direct role or responsibility for” the initiative. Rather it chose to refer the issue to the committee of the whole to clarify the City’s role.
Lehay, president of Kids Explore International and founder of the initiative, said, “Without the City it would not be sustainable. It’s as simple as that. It costs the City next to nothing.”
The initiative was started by Lehay three and a half years ago. The council of the day was on board, Lehay says, and agreed to set up a committee that would help the initiative run. He says it didn’t happen during that council’s time and hasn’t occurred in this mandate.
Council’s involvement has included storage of items and in-kind assistance in packing items the community has collected to send to the city in the Dominican Republic, and City representatives did travel to Sosua during the previous council’s term.
Lehay had envisaged that the City might also be involved in providing expertise for water and sewer infrastructure, for example, but he stressed the City would not be responsible for funding the trips. Rather they would be funded by the individuals or by some sponsorship.
“If councillors were to go down it would be on their own money,” he says. “We would help out a bit.
“We made sure not to take any financial draw away from taxpayers in town here. They are already donating supplies, time and advice and it just wasn’t needed. It was set up to not involve a financial end of it from the City.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Kerry Cook noted that the issues of storage and in-kind work contributions for this project remain outstanding.
“We need to clarify our specific role,” Cook said. “I don’t want to have any financial commitment but the details here we need to work out.”
Councillors appeared willing to support the initiative on non-financial terms.
“We’re getting so much advertisement and recognition for Williams Lake. I would like to see a continuation of the program,” said Coun. Surinderpal Rathor, adding he wasn’t in favour of direct funding but in-kind support.
Coun. Sue Zacharias agreed saying, “I think we can support this but not support it financially.”
Coun. Geoff Bourdon noted that in-kind support is a cost to the City even though it’s not directly reflected in the budget.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of not wanting to do humanitarian efforts,” Bourdon said. “There is no economic benefit to this sister city. It’s strictly humanitarian and we need to be realistic.”
Lehay recently produced a documentary on the Sosua Sister City Initiative called Hand Delivered.
