FALL RIVER: Forty four days.
That’s how many days from Sept. 17 until Councillor Barry Dalrymple can remove the councillor part from in front of his name and return to just being a resident and community volunteer.
In his second to last month sit down with The Laker to discuss issues and topics from the month in the riding, Dalrymple was asked what he is feeling with his tenure as councillor winding down.
“I am tremendously excited about finishing, and going back to a normal life, a volunteer life,” said Dalrymple. “I still intend to do many volunteer activities and boards in the community.”
He said he hasn’t had the time to sit down and think about life after Oct. 15 when he will no longer be known as the Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley representative on HRM regional council.
“I am feeling the pressure of the days dwindling,” said Dalrymple. “I have thousands of emails and many phone calls from months back that I haven’t been able to get returned.
“I’m realizing I will finish and not likely being able to return many of those calls. That bothers me, but at the same time there’s only so many hours in the day.”
Dalrymple said he’s very frustrated with some HRM departments who know of projects he wished to see come before regional council before his time is done—most notably the disbursement of sidewalk funds from Fall River to three community projects. That has been in the works for the past two years, and Dalrymple feels should have been to council already.
“They have not got reports to council, the water down the Fall River Road, the seniors housing, commuter rial, the sidewalk funds, transit into the area, all of them that have big implications are sitting waiting,” he said. “I’m very frustrated about those.
“I’m just sick and tired of the red tape, which is ultimately the reason I’m retiring.”
He said he’s excited to get back into “community life.”
