George Le Masurier photo
The Week: A little hypocrisy from Comox at the Sewage Commission
CCAN YOU SPELL HYPOCRISY? — At last month’s Sewage Commission meeting, Comox Director Ken Grant took a swing at former Area B Director Rod Nichol.
Grant tried to persuade the Courtenay-Comox Sewage Commission to not allow the Area B rep to sit on the commission, and he used two arguments.
First, he said, the Local Government Act doesn’t allow representatives from non-participating electoral areas to sit on committees or commissions. He cited a couple of sections.
Second, he said when the commission allowed the previous Area B rep (Nichol) to sit at the table in a non-voting capacity during debate about a pump station in Croteau Beach, he (Nichol) made a lot of statements that weren’t true. Grant implied this created confusion and made it hard to make good decisions.
(We can agree that the previous sewage commission made many bad decisions about putting a pump station in Croteau Beach. It’s an idea the CVRD staff eventually, and wisely, abandoned.)
So fast forward to this month’s commission meeting where we learned that Grant himself had mislead his fellow directors with a statement that wasn’t true.
There is nothing in the Local Government Act that prohibits the regional district from including representatives of non-participating electoral areas to sit on any commission in either a non-voting or voting capacity.
And, of course, Nichol denies ever making false statements at any sewage commission meeting.
It’s interesting when an elected official states a belief to which his own behavior does not conform. And is unrepentant.
WHERE ARE THE BIKE RACKS? — That’s what some Decafnation readers asked this week after they noticed a couple bike racks had been removed from the Courtenay downtown area. A city that promotes cycling should provide ample facilities for parking the bicycles, don’t you think?
SCRAP THE STOPLIGHT! — When will the Town of Comox remove the unnecessary and traffic congesting stoplight at Rodello Street and Comox Avenue?
The stoplight originally provided safe passage across Comox Avenue for students walking to Comox Elementary, located behind the Port August Motel. That school has been closed for years.
When pedestrians press the ‘walk’ button now, cars sit and pile up on Comox Avenue for what feels like hours (slight exaggeration) after the pedestrian has crossed. Idling cars waste fossil fuels and pollute the atmosphere.
Why not replace the stoplight with the flashing light system used up the road at the Berwick pedestrian crossing? It works fine there.
CUMBERLAND COUNCIL IN THE LEAD — After spending a sunny spring Saturday at the Cumberland Wetlands Conference last weekend, Decafnation learned about two more ways that the Village Council is leading Comox Valley municipalities.
First, the Cumberland Council has made it a strategic priority to develop a village-wide ecological asset strategy. They are the first in the Valley to initiate such project on a broad scale. The village is currently looking for funding for the project.
Second, While all jurisdictions require Environmental Development Permits in specific areas — for example, steep slopes in the regional district, or around streams in the City of Courtenay — Cumberland requires them broadly, the most comprehensive in the Valley.
But Cumberland also goes a step further. In all municipalities, a developer can build closer to streams or wetlands by hiring a biologist to verify that by doing so would pose no danger to fish or rare birds, etc. Municipalities usually accept that finding, even though these biologists are hired and paid by the developer.
In Cumberland, however, the village hires their own biologist(s) to review the work submitted by the developer’s biologist. This peer-review keeps everyone honest and gives the Village Council greater certainty in its decision-making.
All Comox Valley jurisdictions should adopt this approach.
FINALLY, SOME FINE JOURNALISM — The National Post newspaper wrote an in-depth report about the release of the transcript of a conversation between two US Navy pilots flying with the Blue Angels, an American equivalent of our Snowbirds. The Navy pilots had drawn male genitalia in the sky.
You can read the report for yourself.
Just guessing here, but we probably won’t be seeing this from the Snowbirds above the Comox Peninsula.
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The Week: Give us full transparency when paid ‘volunteers’ work with CV students
Faith-based volunteers can contribute positively to the educational experience in our public schools but everyone must be perfectly clear about who they are, what they can and cannot do and school administrators must monitor their activity closely and consistently
What’s dire: the lack of Comox subdivisions or climate change and gradual deforestation?
A Comox Valley developer is suing the Town of Comox because his permits to cut down trees and build more single-family homes haven’t been issued as fast as he’s wanted and because the town wants a wider walking trail through the property
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THE WEEK: Let the people have a larger voice at Comox Valley council meetings
Making it easier for citizens to speak directly to municipal councils might increase public interest in local government, which in turn might encourage more registered voters to actually cast a ballot
The Week: Comox, Cumberland appointments pass, but no word on Courtenay … yet
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THE WEEK: Water supplies are good, fireworks are bad and where Daniel Arbour lives
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Let’s put one of the craziest Comox Valley elections into the history book, and then close it
It was weird. But when the sun rose on Oct. 16, Comox Valley voters had made it clear they liked the direction charted by our local governments. In the municipalities, they elected all but two incumbents. In most races, the vote was a definite pat on the back for a job well done.
A few random items as the 2022 election comes to a close
Long-time public official Bronco Moncrief dies, Manno Theos hangs out in Greece, and Daniel Arbour reacts to lies about his campaign finances
The pilots deserve the credit for such artistry!
Yes, it is high time for a flashing light on Comox avenue!
And certainly overdue for independent biologists at all levels of government, especially when our fish runs and habitat are in such a precarious state! This week there was a smolt kill on Brooklyn Creek, probably from herbicides or pesticides entering up stream.
Great photo!
Thanks, Bob. I took this one in the States, around an area called Wollochet Bay.