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Richmond council rejects suggested Oval board members

Coun. Carol Day suggested there be a public callout for Olympic Oval board members.
Richmond Olympic Oval
Richmond Olympic Oval

Richmond city council has rejected seven board members of the Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation, recommended to be appointed by Oval staff.

This includes the board chair Dennis Skulsky and other long-time board members.

At Monday’s city council meeting, the recommendation to vote in these board members, outlined in a report from the Oval Corporation, was rejected by the majority on city council in a 6-3 vote.

Coun. Carol Day suggested instead that the issue of board members be referred to city staff to look at a public process.

“I think we’re going to get a lot of interest (in a public callout),” Day told city council.

While the list of recommended directors includes “a lot of talent,” Day said she’d like to open up the opportunity to other people, including young people, to join the board.

Voting against the public process motion were Couns. Alexa Loo, Andy Hobbs and Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

The Oval Corporation is an arms-length entity owned by the City of Richmond.

The city is the sole shareholder and its annual general meeting, where board members are elected, is held by city council.

The Oval’s budget was expected to be about $1.8 million in the negative last year, but, in fact, the year ended with a $700,000 surplus.

Directors who were recommended by Oval staff, in a report from chief financial officer Rick Dusanj, but weren’t endorsed by city council are Skulsky, Moray Keith, Umendra Mital, Lisa Cowell, Chris Gear, Christine Nesbitt and Wayne Duzita.

Other directors, whose terms aren't up yet, are former Richmond CAO George Duncan as well as Peter German, Gary Collinge, Walter Soo and Gail Terry.