North Battleford council has again given Director of Business Development Denis Lavertu the go-ahead to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers Conference.
But approval did not come without lengthy discussion and even opposition to the idea from some councillors.
The conference is to be held in Whistler, B.C. on Jan. 27-29 and has been touted as a way to network and develop relationships to attract businesses to North Battleford. It's also promoted as a way to establish a North Battleford presence at the event and promote the opportunities available in the city.
Attending the conference as well is TerraCap Investments Inc., owner of North Battleford's Frontier Mall.
Lavertu has attended a couple of prior conferences and council has approved his trips there in the past. However, his latest request for pre-budget approval of $2,890 to cover the expenses for registration, transportation and accommodations ran into unexpected trouble at the Dec. 10 council meeting.
Councillor Ryan Bater peppered Lavertu with questions about the proposed trip. He questioned the additional membership fee the City was paying to be involved in ICSC.
"Is the conference the only way to promote the city? We're paying $400 or $500 a year, plus $2,800 to go to the convention. Really, it's $3,300 a year to participate in the organization," said Bater.
Councillor Trent Houk was most concerned about Lavertu not being available at City Hall, as he asked how many days Lavertu would be out of the office. The answer was three business days.
Council did vote to give pre-budget approval of the $2,890 for the trip, but it was not unanimous as both Bater and Houk voted against.
