Following on the heels of the first concern raised about the agenda for the forthcoming Langford Council meeting comes this observation.  Council adopted Bylaw 1148 to borrow money for the Spencer Road Interchange project, which is odd given they haven’t adopted Bylaw 1156 which creates the project in the first place (that’s coming up in the next meeting).  What’s even more peculiar is that at the next meeting they plan to do it again, and there is no apparent reason for it.

   This is from the minutes of the last meeting:

BYLAW NO. 1148 (File No. 3900-1148)
“Spencer Road Interchange Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1148, 2008″
(ADOPTION)

MOVED BY: COUNCILLOR BLACKWELL
SECONDED: COUNCILLOR SIFERT
That Council adopt Bylaw No. 1148.
CARRIED.

   This is from the agenda for the next meeting: Read the rest of this entry »

   A disturbing thing has appeared in the minutes for the last Council meeting.

   A number of residents spoke to Council with their concerns about the financing for the Spencer Road Interchange, and each and every one who raised those concerns was said to have “addressed Council with respect to Agenda item 9(g) Spencer Road Interchange financing.” Whether those citizens were for, against, or neutral on the financing arrangement is not conveyed by the minutes.  I was among the people who spoke to Bylaw 1148, and I witnessed other citizens sharing their concerns with Council. Most people raised their concerns in a brief, concise, and clear manner, and for whatever reasons their concerns, or even the fact that they had concerns, were not recorded.

   A few people addressed Council in support of the interchange, some of them apparently invited guests. Three of the four people who spoke in favour of Council’s bylaw had their comments written up in the minutes as clearly supportive.

   Someone who did not attend the meeting and chose to take these minutes at face value might come away with the impression that the majority of submissions were neutral or positive on the financing arrangement, and I believe that does a disservice to the very citizens that Council was elected to represent. In fact, the only way to know for sure that the picture the Council meeting minutes paints isn’t accurate is to have been there.

   Here are the comments as written up in the minutes Read the rest of this entry »