English is expected to be the primary language spoken at the next Wellington Court council meeting later this month, according to the strata’s property management firm.
While the news is a welcome sign for resident Andreas Kargut, who filed a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal complaint against his Chinese-only strata council in December, a new problem has emerged for the beleaguered townhouse complex.
Property manager Aaron Leung, of AA Property Management, told the News he expects English to be the primary language used to conduct business at the next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 23.
Leung said his firm would act as a translator for members of council who communicate in Mandarin. Otherwise, all official proceedings will be conducted in English, he noted.
“If someone is speaking in Mandarin, it will be translated into English. Council agreed in principal the meetings will be in English,” said Leung.
The News contacted strata president Ed Mao, who declined to comment but referred questions to Leung.
Kargut said he wants an official interpreter for the meetings, but Leung said the company would try translating the meeting first.
Last summer, Kargut’s strata council decided to conduct council meetings in Mandarin, after a controversial ousting of non-Mandarin speaking council members. Kargut claimed the new council was upset the old council spent too much money on repairs.
Meanwhile, Kargut said, Wellington Court has been beset by other problems. The latest, according to Kargut, is an illegal fruit and vegetable distribution operation, allegedly taking place in one council member’s garage.
Last month, Kargut documented the council member unloading pallets of mangoes from a delivery truck on a Monday afternoon.
“I see this moving truck. And I think, what an odd time to move. And I see a guy carting off a skid of fruit boxes into the garage,” he said.
Kargut saw the garage had several full pallets of mangoes.
“Our Block Watch captain is doing nothing about it. So I went to the city and they found the allegations quite serious and they showed up with the bylaw officer and health officer.”
The city told me she (the member) admitted to running a fruit-distribution company out of her garage,” he said.
Richmond spokesperson Ted Townsend confirmed the city spoke to the alleged, illegal food distributor and officers ordered an end to the operation.
Kargut said this latest problem is another indication that the existing council is not respecting the rights of all strata members.
“They’re using common properties with complete inconsideration for anyone else,” said Kargut.
