By David F. Rooney
Victim Services has itself become the victim of a contract dispute between the Victim Servcies Coordinator Paul Carter and the City of Revelstoke.
As of Saturday, October 1, the service, which helps victims of accidents, crimes and other traumatic events, will no longer be offered in Revelstoke — at least until a replacement has been found. This is a paid part-time position and Carter has, until now, been assisted by volunteers.
“All I can tell you is that this (Friday, September 30) is my last day,” Carter told The Current. “I really can’t tell you anything more than that.”
This state of affairs has apparently been brewing for some time.
Staff Sgt. Jacquie Olson said that this is a contract dispute between Carter and the municipal government.
The City has apparently issued a Request for Profiles for the future provision of the service and has received two responses from other individuals, Olson said.
Carter himself did not respond to the City’s request for an RFP in part because the amount offered through the RFP was not enough. In the past, the Victim Services Coordinator position has cost the City about $15,000, of which $11 000 is in kind for office and supplies, and $36,000 from the Ministry of Public Safety. Earlier this year Finance Director Graham Inglis sent out feelers to other organizations, such as Interior Health, to see if they could help increase financing for the position. He was turned down because Victim Services was not something that fell within their jurisdiction.
This issue has not yet been openly discussed by City Council and senior municipal government staff. Nor has it been discussed by the City’s Healthcare Advisory Committee.
