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that these Regulations were shortly to be submitted to the Governor in Council but that you were not in a position to give an exact date when they will become law. I then asked a supplementary question as to why, if this Council is invested with the control of the car park, do matters relating to the car park have to await incorporation in some general regulations concerning a number of other matters which are no concern of us as a Council and to this supplementary question you replied that it was up to the Legal Department, they had only a limited staff and a multitude of different regulations would result in delay in implementation.
Apart from these questions in public meeting, it is my recollection that in Select Committee some members of this Council have also expressed concern at the delay which has occurred. As far as I am aware the new rates and arrangements in respect to season tickets have still not been introduced.
It seems to me, Mr. Chairman, that these facts do indicate that the Council is being imposed upon by Government in this matter. Either we are given the control of the running of the car park, which must include all questions of policy in respect to rates charged, even if they are subject to what I shall call "formal approval by a higher Council" or else we should decline to accept any responsibility in this matter at all. The second car park has still not been made available for the purpose for which it was built and appears at present to be utilized as a sort of temporary Town Hall premises. I may be wrong, but my own feeling is that one of the reasons why this second car park is not in use is because public demand for the existing car park has been somewhat disappointing.
I feel that it is not fair on the Council and particularly not fair on Mr. Lee's Select Committee, for the Select Committee recommendations accepted by the Council to be allowed to lie around without any decision being taken upon them by Government for over nine months.
I frankly cannot see myself why dealing with these recommendations on their own merits will make for more work in the Legal Department, but I would add that if the Legal Department is understaffed then it should be expanded. I have expressed the view in this Council before that we have so much work which requires assistance from the Attorney General's Department that we should have a Crown Counsel permanently attached to us doing nothing but our own work and I think I am right in saying that
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certain Departments of Government are in a similar position. In this case however, I repeat that it would appear to me to be a matter of five minutes work for our recommendations to be placed in the appropriate form before the Governor in Council.
DR. R. H. S. LEE seconded.
He said: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Bernacchi has every reason to feel disturbed over the long delay that has taken place in adopting the new rates for the multi-storey car park. It is more than eight months since these were revised by the Multi-Storey Car Park Select Committee. I realize that the principal delay is due to the fact that revision of other fees is not completed and that it is the intention to consolidate them together as one bill for legislative action. But I contend that if it was anticipated that they were to take a year before legislation could be enacted I feel that in this particular case it would have been far better if it was allowed to be enacted alone and this long delay would not have occurred. It is important, Mr. Chairman, because the car park charges have been the subject of adverse public comments whereas the other fees under consideration have not. As a public body this Council should listen and react promptly to public criticism and suggestion.
Mr. Chairman, to many office workers and businessmen in the Central District a car park is almost as essential as a car. There are about 290 people using the multi-storey car park each day. When the new City Hall is to be erected some time early next year this number is bound to go up by at least another 500 because the 532 designated parking spaces in the Central Reclamation would have to be given up. It could mean a possible saving of $20 each month under the new scale. Especially does this apply to season ticket holders who would be allowed under the revised scheme. Although this may not seem a lot to some people it does represent quite a sum to an average wage earner.
In view of the greater demand for the use of the multi-storey car park following the closure of the Central Reclamation, I feel there is a new and added sense of urgency to the whole question which must be implemented without delay. For this reason, I have much pleasure in seconding Mr. Bernacchi's motion to-day.
CHAIRMAN :-I think I should confirm that the legal provisions dealing with the Central Car Park, and any further multi-storey car parks which may be erected, form part of much wider provisions covering parking and waiting generally.
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