Voting rank determines seating arrangements

OK, I know you’re all waiting anxiously to hear about the seating plan. Just back from City Hall, I can breathlessly report.

Picture yourself sitting in the Council Chambers public gallery, facing council. On your left, closest to you, is Jim Harker. Beside him is Nancy Bepple, then Tina Lange, then Pat Wallace, then Mayor Peter Milobar.

Continuing down the other side, beside Milobar is John O’Fee, then Marg Spina, Denis Walsh and John DeCicco.

If you haven’t figured out the trend yet, let me tell you. Milobar has kept the system of the last few councils and seated them all according to how they fared at the polls. O’Fee was tops, so he sits beside the mayor on the left. Then Wallace, who gets the seat on his right. Then switch back to the other side, and third place, Spina, sits by O’Fee. And so on.

You can believe not everyone likes that arrangement. But, such is life in the fishbowl.

Monday night’s inaugural council meeting was a low key but very pleasant do. Guests included the likes of MLA Claude Richmond, former mayor Cliff Branchflower, City lawyer Brian Ross, school trustee Ken Christian, Deb McClelland of the chamber, Peter Mutrie from the North Shore BIA, Chief Shane Gottfriedson, and many friends and family.

One guest was attending her first inaugural City council meeting. In fact, her first Canadian City council meeting — Maiko Nishimura, a student from Uji, our sister city in Japan. She’s studying at TRU; her host family — the Harkers. She’s also the host sister of our son Jacob, who stayed with her family when he was in Japan for studies earlier this year. Small world.

It was an enjoyable event, and I certainly appreciated receiving an invitation.