The Inaugural Statutory Meeting of City Council was held in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 200 Craig Street, Duncan, BC at 7:30 p.m., December 1, 2003. Present: Mayor Michael Coleman; Councillors Mike Caljouw, Jenny Farkas, Sharon Jackson, Phil Kent, Geoff Maxwell and Ken Newcomb. Also Present: Paul Douville, City Administrator and approximately 85 invited guests.
Prayer	His Worship Mayor Michael Coleman called the Inaugural meeting of City Council to order and called upon Archdeacon Gordon Payne of St. Peter's Anglican Church to open the meeting with a prayer.
Oaths of Office and Allegiance – Fire Department Lieutenants	At the request of Mayor Coleman, Mr. Edward Furs, Barrister & Solicitor and President of the Cowichan Bar Association, came forward to administer the Oaths of Office and Allegiance to two new Lieutenants of the Duncan Volunteer Fire Department.
	Mr. Furs invited Firefighters Ron McLaren and Art Sanderson to the front of the Chamber and administered the Oaths of Office and Allegiance for their new ranks as Lieutenants.
Awarding of the City of Duncan Perpetual Trophy for Sportsmanship and Excellence for 2003 (Matt Ellison)	Councillor Ken Newcomb presented the Perpetual Trophy for Sportsmanship and Excellence to Matt Ellison for 2003. Matt Ellison is a 19-year old Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey product who recently started his first professional hockey season with the Norfolk Admirals, a Farm Team for the Chicago Blackhawks. He has already been called on to play one game with the Chicago Blackhawks and scored a goal.
	Matt has kept his Cowichan Valley roots firmly in place despite the quickened pace his hockey career has taken. His parents Terry and Nina remain involved in Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey and are both strong supporters of Matt's alumni, the Cowichan Valley Capitals organization. They received the award on behalf of their son Matt.
	Terry and Nina Ellison thanked the Mayor and Council for this wonderful award.
Awarding of the Cowichan News Leader Arts Trophy for 2003 (Lynda Faulks)	Councillor Phil Kent presented the Cowichan News Leader Arts Trophy to Lynda Faulks for 2003. Linda Faulks is a long-time Art Teacher at the Cowichan Secondary School, who has consistently impressed upon her students that Fine Arts must extend beyond the classroom and into the community. Her work with students contributes to a respect for and appreciation of diverse cultural heritages and values. The works of her students are publicly displayed in the Art Alley in downtown Duncan and in the Dinosaur exhibition in the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. Her students have also been asked to do a second series of murals for the upcoming exhibition at the Royal BC Museum entitled "Eternal Egypt" opening July 2004. More detailed information is available in the City files. Mrs. Faulks was presented with a piece of art (pit fired pottery) as the Arts Award keeper trophy, which was donated by Joan Tuff.
	Mrs. Faulks thanked the Mayor and Council for this wonderful award and expressed public appreciation for the dedicated hard work and commitment of her students over the years.
Business Session	Mayor Coleman then directed the business session of the meeting.
Dates of Regular Council Meetings	Movd. Councillor K. Newcomb Secd. Councillor P. Kent THAT the meetings of the City Council for the year 2003, after the Inaugural Meeting of December 1, 2003, be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at the hour of 7:30 p.m. unless such Monday shall be a Public Holiday in which case the City Council shall meet at the same hour the next day which is not a Civic or Public Holiday; AND THAT Council meetings not be held on the fourth Mondays of July, August and December. Carried.
Cheque Signing Authority	Movd. Councillor M. Caljouw Secd. Councillor G. Maxwell THAT the signing authority of the City of Duncan be as follows: (a) all cheques drawn on the City Treasury shall be signed by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor AND by the City Treasurer or Deputy City Treasurer; (b) all cheques drawn on the City Payroll Account shall be signed by the City Treasurer or the Deputy City Treasurer; (c) all transfer of funds into the Payroll Account and between all other City Funds shall be signed by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor AND by the City Treasurer or Deputy City Treasurer; (d) all Promissory Notes for temporary bank loans shall be signed by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor, the Chairman of the Finance Committee AND by the City Treasurer or Deputy City Treasurer; AND THAT signatures referred to in Clauses (a), (b), and (c) above may be reproduced by mechanical reproduction, except for cheques and transfers in excess of $10,000.00 each of which must bear two manual signatures; AND THAT the City Administrator be authorized to vote for the Board of Directors of Island Savings Credit Union. Carried.
Appointment of Standing Committees	Movd. Councillor P. Kent Secd. Councillor J. Farkas THAT the Report on the Standing Committees for the year 2004, as presented by His Worship the Mayor, be received. Carried.
Appointment of City Council Members on Various Committees	Movd. Councillor S. Jackson Secd. Councillor J. Farkas THAT the report on the Various Council Appointments for 2003, as presented by His Worship the Mayor, be received. Carried.
Appointment of Auditors	Movd. Councillor G. Maxwell Secd. Councillor K. Newcomb THAT Hayes Stewart Little & Co, Chartered Accountants, be appointed auditors for the year 2004. Carried.
Appointment of City Council Members on the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board	Movd. Councillor J. Farkas Secd. Councillor S. Jackson THAT Mayor M.G. Coleman be appointed as the City of Duncan’s Director on the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board and Councillor P. Kent as the Alternate Director. Carried.
Appointment of City Members on the Cowichan Community Centre Commission	Movd. Councillor M. Caljouw Secd. Councillor G. Maxwell THAT Councillors G. Maxwell and K. Newcomb be the City of Duncan Directors on the Cowichan Community Centre Commission. Carried.
Inaugural Address	Mayor Coleman then delivered his annual Inaugural Address. Among his remarks, Mayor Coleman welcomed Freeman Art Mann and the elected officials from the District of North Cowichan, the Town of Lake Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board of Directors. He expressed appreciation to Edward Furs, Archdeacon Gordon Payne, Inspector Linton Robinson and Constable Clint Jaworski for their participation in this ceremony.
	Mayor Coleman then highlighted the following items: City Council functioned well in 2003 and established a Strategic Planning Process. He said there was always civilized and intelligent debate on all issue. He referenced a number of changes in the Standing Committee Appointments and outlined the Chairs of all of these Committees. He referenced the recently agreed Joint Water Agreement between the City of Duncan and the District of North Cowichan, which is a win-win for both municipalities. He noted the ongoing good relations with the Cowichan Tribes and indicated that it bodes well for mutual planning and development. He extended commendations to the Duncan Volunteer Fire Department and all City Staff for their ongoing dedication and professionalism. He noted that after due process, Council has decided to discontinue commercial garbage collection service effective December 31, 2003. He said this reorganization and cooperation with private enterprise will benefit the operations of the City.
	In closing, Mayor Coleman said he always takes pride in the sense of community in Duncan and that Council will continue to respect the public trust given to them and deal with finances in a wise and fair manner. He paid tribute to Council members and indicated that Council will work together for common goals. He also extended appreciation to everyone present for their attention and attendance.
Charges to the Elected Officials	Mr. Edward Furs delivered charges to the Mayor and Council stressing the importance and responsibilities of their offices and their obligations to the taxpayers of the City of Duncan. He encouraged them to be fair, listen to all divergent views, avoid conflicts of interest, be patient and make decisions in the best interest of the community as a whole. He thanked the Mayor & Council for the leadership role that they provide in the community and wished them well in their endeavours in the coming year.
Presentation - Scroll of Honour Recipient for 2003 (Andy Bigg)	Councillors Mike Caljouw and Sharon Jackson announced that Andy Bigg will be the designee for the Scroll of Honour for 2003. A resume of Andy Bigg's contributions over many years for the benefit of the Cowichan Community is available in the City records. It was specifically noted that Mr. Bigg started the Pictorial, acquired the Cowichan Leader (both have grown dramatically over the years) and also commenced the Citizen Newspaper. Andy has given back to the community by donating many trophies and financial awards to the Cowichan Fall Fair, the Cowichan Bay Regatta and many local horse shows. He also donated thousands of dollars worth of advertising and promotional material for in-town events. Until only recently, Andy regularly contributed to the editorial content of our local newspapers. As Andy has been hospitalized due to severe ill health, his daughter Carole Gutrath received the award on his behalf. She thanked the Mayor & Council for this outstanding designation. The Honourable Graham Bruce, MLA – Cowichan Ladysmith, provided letters of congratulations to all three award recipients. The letters were read aloud and given to the recipients.
Adjournment	The Mayor declared the meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
	The Mayor invited all guests to a reception being held in the Duncan Fire Hall following this meeting.
	_ ___________________ Mayor Michael G. Coleman _ ___________________ Paul Douville, City Administrator