The co-chair of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Task Group is stepping down this spring and the search is on to find a replacement.
Sandy Burpee, who has headed the committee for 11 years, said the plan is to fill his position by May. To make the job more attractive to a volunteer, the task group is considering hiring a co-ordinator, who could take on some of the responsibilities of the role.
“I have been retired over the entire period [I have been chair],” Burpee said. “I have had the time to put into it that many other people who might be interested wouldn’t have.”
If funding can be found for a co-ordinator, the person would work on a part-time contract basis for up to 50 hours a month.
“It would make it more feasible for someone who is interested but also has a full-time job,” he said. “We are proposing a task group co-ordinator that would essentially do the week-to-week work… so that the new chair or the co-chair could adopt a more conventional role.”
This is not the first time Burpee has tried to step away from the role.
In 2011, he notified the task group that he would be stepping down but ended up back in the job when a suitable replacement could not be found.
Since that time, Bill Briscall — who handles communications for Rain City Housing, which operates the homeless shelter at 3030 Gordon Ave. in Coquitlam — has acted as co-chair of the committee but he is also stepping down to concentrate more on efforts at the shelter.
Burpee said the task group is open to having one chair or continuing with two co-chairs.
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