PRRD removes four specialty committees to reduce staff workload

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The regional district is trimming several specialist committees from its roster to support staff in managing their workload. 

During the August 14th meeting of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD), the board of directors decided to dissolve four committees to lighten the administrative load on staff. 

The PRRD has discontinued the regional parks, emergency executive, broadband internet and mobility and health care scholarship committees, shifting responsibility for any future proposals, requests, information and presentations to the electoral area directors committee and the regional board. 

Some questions were raised from directors about whether this would lead to more content-heavy board meetings and actually create more of a burden on staff. 

Shawn Dahlen, the PRRD’s chief administrative officer, told the board that staff saw this decision as a “reprieve,” due to the number of agendas and amount of work for each committee meeting. 

“We don’t even get one meeting out of the way while we’re building the agenda for the other at this point,” Dahlen explained. 

“We have taken into consideration the fact that there will be potentially longer board meetings, depending on the content of what comes forward.” 

Dahlen noted all committee recommendations come to the board for final approval regardless, and the directors have the opportunity to debate them before voting.