Re: Blancher column “Much Ado about Poop”
Mr. Blancher likes to create it as much as Council likes to discuss it.
He is faulting the current council that has only been in power for six months for lacking a Vision and Plan for the Community while praising the previous Council. Shouldn’t the previous Council have set a long term Plan, at least five years, that would have guided a new council and the community for a year or two?
Just what was the Vision of the last Council? Green Energy projects began prior to that Council taking office and yet they developed no policy or position on solar or wind. Why fault this Council for being stuck having to decide each case on an individual basis? The debate should have occurred before the proponents came knocking on the door so they wouldn’t be wasting their time.
Why should this Council be blamed for an employee looking to move on, i.e. the ED officer and, why fault Council that the CAO feels he can’t work with the new Council. Perhaps he was too tied to the previous Council that seemed to follow whatever staff told them. At least this council is asking questions and came to their own conclusion regarding the EDO position. Can Mr. Blancher explain to me just what economic initiatives administration was addressing during the last term that would lead to more jobs and increased assessment for the community? Perhaps he recalls reports to Council on the achievements of the administration and EDO in this area.
It seems the last Council did have one vision, to save the old high school and create a new town hall, medical clinic and…at a cost initially estimated at between 1.5 million and 2.5 million dollars. Latest word is that the cost is about to surpass the 5 Million dollar mark. At that price, a true visionary would have pictured a new more energy efficient and ergonomically superior building without all the wasted hall space. It is emotionally appealing to the citizens (me included) that the old school was saved but do the costs justify the project? We should ask our children since they will be saddled with the ongoing costs for years to come.
Perhaps this Council is too busy cleaning up the messes and lack of Vision of the last Council and that is why they appear to be spinning their wheels and must delay any long term vision planning of their own. Time will tell if they and the community can develop a long term plan.
Respectfully yours,
Linda Nowicki
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