Lots of talk about chocolates at city hall these days.
You’ve probably heard that NPA Coun. Elizabeth Ball wants to make it perfectly clear that staff and volunteers may accept “reasonable gifts of chocolate” regardless of whether the person is at an event or on paid time.
“We’re not talking an arms-length of chocolate here,” said Ball, who was scheduled to present a motion at this morning's council meeting, which coincidentally falls 10 days before Valentine’s Day. “Basically, it’s just a light-hearted ‘No, the city’s not the Grinch or Scrooge.’ Let’s just make it very clear to everybody before we have another holiday.”
Apparently, there’s been some confusion up at 12th and Cambie as to whether the sugary delights can be accepted as gifts.
That confusion was noted by Ball after reading a Courier story in December that revealed park board staff and volunteers had to return gifts such as chocolates given to them by community centre associations.
She’s concluded it was a misunderstanding and recalls talking chocolates way back in 2006 and ensuring they wouldn’t be included as a gift in the city’s Code of Conduct rules.
“I particularly remember it because I presented it and there was a great deal of upset over the fact that people really wanted to be able to give token gifts of chocolate to staff and volunteers and say, ‘Thank you.’”
Regardless of which staff member was responsible for the mix-up, it doesn’t appear to have come from the desk of city manager Penny Ballem.
According to five separate statement of disclosure forms filed at city hall between Dec. 11, 2013 and Jan. 10, 2014, Ballem accepted two bottles of wine, two boxes of chocolates and a “Saul Good holiday gift box” that included chocolates, cookies and nut mix.
Total value: $220.
The gift box (value of $55) was courtesy of Holborn Group, which is building the Little Mountain project and the Trump Tower.
Bottles of wine ($55 and $50) were accepted from “Boyden”, which I believe is an executive search firm, and from “Mr. Tony Astles and Bentall.”
KPMG and the Vancouver Convention Centre gave Ballem the chocolates, worth $25 and $35 respectively.
As I’ve reported over the years, the mayor and council are required to disclose any gifts worth $50 or more. In my next entry, I’ll bring you up to date on what’s in the latest council gift bag.
A teaser: I see no gifts of chocolates or wine but Polygon Homes did give Vision Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang “a large vanilla cookie with Smarties (maybe they are M&M’s).”
Circumstances under which the gift was given:
“Box of cookies left in office and I took one and ate it against the advice of my GP who tells me I suffer from type 1 diabetes.”
Final disposition of gift:
“What goes in, must come out, ‘nuff said.”
Look for more questionable comedy Friday from Jang and, hopefully, some straight-up stuff on this whole issue of politicians accepting freebies.
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