Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran has missed several Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board meetings over the course of 2021 so far, but he denies his regular volunteering has anything to do with those absences.

For the past year, Basran has spent most Thursday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. volunteering at Kelowna General Hospitalsa国际传媒檚 (KGH) coffee shop sa国际传媒� a gig that earned the 43-year-old politician an early COVID-19 vaccination. The RDCO board of directors, of which Basran is a member, also meets on some Thursday mornings at 8:30 a.m.

RDCO board members have met on six Thursdays in 2021 for board meetings, government and service committee meetings, or both. According to meeting minutes, Basran has missed five of those. Three other meetings have fallen on Mondays and Basran has attended each one.

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Basran claims hesa国际传媒檚 not skipping RDCO meetings to volunteer but has been attending immovable sa国际传媒減ersonal appointmentssa国际传媒� on Thursday mornings over the past two months. He did not divulge the nature of those appointments, only calling the matter sa国际传媒減rivate.sa国际传媒�

Those appointments were at 10 a.m. on Thursday mornings, with the final one having occurred on April 8. On the days there was a board meeting that conflicted with that appointment, Basran chose to pull short shifts at the coffee shop rather than attending the meeting due to the fact he wouldsa国际传媒檝e had to leave early.

Before the appointments began earlier this year, Basran said he attended Thursday RDCO meetings instead of working at the coffee shop, pointing to his attendance at 2020 meetings as proof. Meeting minutes show he missed just two of 20 meeting days in 2020.

For all but one of the meetings he missed in 2021, Kelowna councillor Mohini Singh appeared in his stead in her role as alternate director. Singh fills in when any of the seven Kelowna city council members who serve on the RDCO board cansa国际传媒檛 attend. She says she doesnsa国际传媒檛 know why Basran has been unable to attend.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 none of my business,sa国际传媒� said Singh. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 ask anybody why Isa国际传媒檓 going and theysa国际传媒檙e not; I just go.sa国际传媒�

Singh is remunerated for her time on a per-meeting basis, but Basran confirmed he also gets paid for meetings he doesnsa国际传媒檛 attend. from 2019 show board members earned $18,552 that year, regardless of attendance.

Basran said he still does the work, studying the items on the agenda, contributing his opinions in advance of the meetings. He likened his absences to taking paid personal time for appointments at any ordinary job.

sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 see why, just because Isa国际传媒檓 an elected official, I should be treated any differently,sa国际传媒� Basran said.

Board chair Gail Given said Basran informed her he would be missing certain meetings and he has not breached the Local Government Act, which states board members are disqualified from service after four consecutive absences at regularly scheduled board meetings. Due to the Monday meetings Basran participated in, he did not miss four in a row.

Now that the appointments have ended, Basran said hesa国际传媒檒l be able to attend meetings from now on, barring an illness or other personal circumstance.

Early vaccination

Basran also rejected social media accusations that he only began volunteering at KGH to get an early vaccination.

Given hesa国际传媒檚 43 years old, Basran shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be eligible for inoculation under B.C.sa国际传媒檚 vaccination rollout plan for a few months. But along with hundreds of other healthcare volunteers in the Interior Health region, Basran received his first dose due to his proximity to health-care workers and hospital patients.

Basran said he reached out to the KGH Foundation looking for volunteer opportunities as soon as the pandemic began. As soon as it was safe to do so, the foundation let Basran work at the coffee shop.

sa国际传媒淚 understand peoplessa国际传媒� frustration, but I didnsa国际传媒檛 make the rules in terms of volunteers being allowed to get their vaccine. It wasnsa国际传媒檛 created for me,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淭he only reason Isa国际传媒檓 being scrutinized is because of my position, but Isa国际传媒檓 a volunteer just like anyone else.sa国际传媒�

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com

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