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Hoping for four years of improved public process

To the Editor, At the recent All-Candidates Meeting I heard lots of support for the environment, seniors, families, and needed infrastructure for Bowen Island – values I think most of us share.

To the Editor,

At the recent All-Candidates Meeting I heard lots of support for the environment, seniors, families, and needed infrastructure for Bowen Island – values I think most of us share. In order to move forward with these projects, we need a public process that works for ALL Bowen Islanders. So I was especially keen to hear what the incumbent candidates, Tim Rhodes and Alison Morse, had to say about their track record on council regarding public process. While the talk at Saturday’s meeting seemed like all candidates supported an involved and active public process – the record by the current council does not support this. I can give three poignant examples of how the past three years have not encouraged respect for public process:
1) Moving all council meetings to the daytime – substantially limiting the ability of working people and folks with young
families to attend meetings
2) the lack of reaction by all council members and their collective failure to respond immediately at a meeting when a member of the public was treated disrespectfully
3) the failure of Council to discuss and debate an issue in response to public comments about a bylaw, e.g.at the meeting on the proposed dock bylaw, some 39 Islanders spoke in opposition to the bylaw while one spoke in favour; despite this overwhelming feedback, the council voted to pass this bylaw without any debate or explanation.
These are just three examples where the current council did not listen and act based on a solid public process.
I will be considering the record of the current incumbents when I go to the ballot box on November 15th and urge you to think about whose actions have spoken louder than words.

DG Blair