The topic of the ongoing state of rubble of the once Belmont Hotel is making for an energized discussion on Social media these last few days.
With the topic finding a range of opinions, some in sympathy to the City of Prince Rupert, others questioning why the debris has been a downtown eyesore for close to a year now.
The once legendary Prince Rupert nightspot, Beer and Wine Store and Rose's were all fully involved when firefighters arrive on the scene on May 1st of 2022.
The night one that saw a large volume of residents make their way downtown to watch at the Prince Rupert Fire Department worked another of the major fires that they have faces in recent years in the downtown core.
The Belmont Fire so significant from 2022 that it made for a key element of a recent Prince Rupert Fire Department report on Fire Damage in the community.
The tone of the current conversation on social media offers up themes of the need for extensive fines, to concerns that wonder why the debris has not yet be moved to the landfill site.
Others note of the Belmont rubble as a larger symbol of what they see as a growing issue of decay in the downtown area of the city and lack of civic pride at City Hall.
The discussion on social media can be explored further here.
The issue of debris from past fires has often been a theme for City Councillors to take on in public.
Previously the councillors were anxious to see each situation rectified as soon as possible.
However the Belmont location has not gained near as much comment, or input from the current council since the current collective took office in the fall of 2022, the Belmont seemingly somewhat off the radar compared to those incidents of the past.
The issue is also not one of much discussion on the individual social media pages hosts by those Council members who take part in those options.
You can find those social media pages from the bottom section of our Council Archive.
When it comes to taking the issue to City Council as is suggested in the current social media commentary, residents do have a few options available.
If the topic should appear on a City Council Agenda in the next few months, they can appear at that specific Council Session and ask to speak to the topic as part of Council's newly introduced public participation option.
They could also bring the topic up for review as part of the Committee of the Whole meetings that were once normally scheduled to take place at the end of each month.
Though as that process turns out, the decision to host such a session is at the discretion of the Mayor of Senior staff depending on if they have heard any interest from the public prior to the session.
Which explains why Committee of the Whole option for public comment in February did not take place this month.
Last week we asked Corporate Administrator Rosa Miller towards why the February session was skipped, her reply provided background towards the rules Council follows related to the Committee of the Whole Process.
"With the amendment to the Council Procedure Bylaw the COTW is a part of the Regular agenda, after the approval of the agenda.
However, if there is no business for the COTW and if no delegation has requested to present, under section 27 (13) myself, as Corporate Administrator, or the Mayor, may waive the meeting.
Towards the February Committee of the Whole Session, the reason for its elimination for this month was as follows
"As there is not delegation that has requested to present, we will not be adjourning to COTW and will simply proceed through the rest of the agenda."
So that would suggest in the future, that if residents do have concerns related to items not specific to a Council Agenda for the night, then they are required to request an opportunity to speak at the Committee of the Whole Session, otherwise one won't take place.
The advice moving forward for residents we imagine is that they book their topic of concern well enough ahead to ensure that your comments will be heard in a public forum.
Of course residents could also forward their thoughts on issues of concern by email to the Mayor and City Council.
You can find their email addresses here should you wish to take up any notes of interest with them for action, hopefully in a public forum session.
More notes related to City Council Discussion themes can be reviewed here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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