Council Briefs: Shauna Morgan is Yellowknife's latest Deputy Mayor

Shauna Morgan was appointed as the Deputy Mayor of Yellowknife during city council's first formal council meeting Tuesday evening.

The second-term councillor, who received the most votes in the past council election will hold the position until January 2020 when the council will review the appointment.

Second term councillor Shauna Morgan will serve as Deputy Mayor until January 2020

The Deputy Mayor is responsible for filling in during meetings and public events that the mayor cannot attend, they are also the signing authority should the mayor not be present when necessary.

"Councillor Morgan put her hand up to be deputy mayor and council was supportive of that so she will be deputy mayor now between now and January 2020," said Rebecca Alty, Mayor of Yellowknife. "If I'm not available to attend an event, the Deputy Mayor steps in and the other thing the deputy mayor is, is the signing authority. So again, if I'm not here then she's the one signing the cheques."

All 8 city councillors were assigned to be the council representatives on different special committees through the same memorandum that appointed the Deputy Mayor. The following councillors will now assume the following roles until January 2020 after the memorandum passed unanimously.

Niels Konge: Board of Revision
Shauna Morgan: Community Energy Plan Committee
Julian Morse: The Heritage Committee, University/Post-Secondary Advisory Committee.
Cynthia Mufandaedza: Audit Committee
Steve Payne: The Grant Review Committee
Stacie Smith: The Community Advisory Board of Homelessness, Yellowknife Combative Sports Commission
Rommel Silverio: Development Appeal Board
Robin Williams: Grant Review Committee, Board of Revision (alternate), Development Appeal Board (alternate)

In a separate memorandum Lydia Bardak, an advocate for the city's homeless population, was appointed to sit on the Grant Review Committee for the next two years.

City presents Fire Merit Awards

City council presented the 2018 Fire Safety Merit Award to two of Yellownife's finest earlier this week.

Christian Bitrolff, left and John Fredericks receive their 2018 Fire Service Merit Awards from Rebecca Alty, Mayor of Yellowknife. Dylan Short/NNSL photo

Fire Chief John Fredericks and Christian Bittrolff, Union president of the local firefighters union, received this year's award for their work in improving the health and wellness of local firefighters. The award each year is given to individual firefighters or community fire departments that have contributed to community fire protection, according to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs website.

SA国际影视传媒淭he common purpose considered in this nomination is the joint effort by the fire chief and the firefighters representative to advance the health and wellness of all members of Yellowknife fire division.SA国际影视传媒� said Rebecca Alty, Mayor of Yellowknife. SA国际影视传媒淭his important work cannot be ignored as personal health and fitness not only improves the firefighters oppurtunity to enjoy a better quality of life but it also improves a firefighters capacity to perform a difficult and demanding job.SA国际影视传媒�

Alty did not specifically say what the exact initiatives being honoured were, but both Fredricks and Bittrolff lobbied the City of Yellowknife to hire additional firefighters during 2018 budget deliberations after a 2016 report stated that the Yellowknife Fire Hall was SA国际影视传媒渦nderstaffed and overworked. The city eventually budgeted to add an additional four firefighter positions.

The awards were presented during a City Council meeting Tuesday evening.