Public Not Welcome at Development Workshops

By Debbie McBride - I’ve noticed lately that Delta Council’s Monday night meetings are getting not just shorter but also lacking discussion at the table. Bylaws and policies are no longer being discussed at length as they were in the past. Yes, those discussions could be boring but they afforded the electorate an insight into what their representatives are thinking and how they were reaching their decisions. That is no longer happening.

The aha moment for me was during the public hearing called to deal with changes made to the original Tsawwassen golf course redevelopment. At a previous council meeting that dealt with 1st and 2nd reading of the proposed changes, a comment from Councilor King was made about how nice it would be to have a public outdoor ice skating rink that would be available during the winter.

Since there was no previous mention of a skating rink in the information given to the public about this, I was not alone in my confusion as to what she was talking about. It seems the comment came as a result of a previous discussion that had been held between the proponents, Delta council and staff at a work session. A work session which, Ron Toigo told us quite rightly, members of the public could have attended. However, it’s difficult for the public to attend work sessions they don’t know are taking place.

So just what is a “work session” you may ask. These are meetings that take place between various parties, especially developers, Delta staff and Delta council. They usually take place in the afternoon before regular council meetings but can be held at anytime. Discussion is held between the parties about a proposed development or bylaw. They are open to the public and are not an abnormal part of municipal business and are used by councils everywhere.

Minutes or notes are not taken at the meetings because it’s not a formal session that deals with motions, etc. It’s here that I feel Delta is abusing the system in a manner that is precluding the general public from the proper process that will allow them to know the details of these projects. Details are being kept from the public simply because not everyone can attend these afternoon work sessions and if they could the public would be hard pressed to find out just exactly when, where and subject matter of these sessions. Could this be just want Delta mayor and council want?

What’s really disturbing about the way Delta is using these work sessions is the fact that while developments – both large and small – are being discussed in great detail at these work sessions, public notification is poor and no minutes are taken. That leaves the public without a valid record to review what is being discussed unless they were actually in attendance.
It seems these afternoon work sessions have become defacto council meetings without the benefit of true public scrutiny or record. And they are happening more and more frequently.

On July 26, council held a work session with Earth King Industries. On Delta’s website there is only a memo from planner Tom Leatham saying the work session had been requested by Earth King and it was taking place to discuss what kind of development was allowable on the agricultural land owned by Earth King at 64 Ave, bordering Burns Bog. This, despite Delta declaring a moratorium on any development applications for land identified as being in the green zone in the Metro Livable Region plan. Delta had only recently returned a development application to Earth King for this same piece of property along with Century Industries’ Southlands application. So what gives? Could the fact that Earth King was a very major contributor to Mayor Jackson’s, Councilors McDonald, Hamilton, Campbell’s last campaign give cause for special consideration? I’m just asking the question. You decide.

No minutes or notes were taken, so there is no record of what was actually discussed. However, I was told by a Delta staffer that the meeting had been held at the request of Earth King and despite council’s “policy” of not accepting development applications on agricultural land until the Metro plan is finished, a development proposal was indeed discussed and discussion will continue in another work session on August 30.

Since so much information is being received at these daytime meetings and so much weight seems to be given to what’s discussed there needs to be a way the public can be observers and judge for themselves what is being discussed. At the very least, the public needs to be aware such meetings are taking place. As it stands now, in order to find out about work sessions, one needs to go personally down to Municipal Hall and check at the desk. Why on earth these meetings, which are usually scheduled 2 to 3 weeks in advance, are not placed on a prominent and easily accessible place on Delta’s website defies explanation.

Why can’t Delta set up a camera in those meetings and record them for broadcast on the web? Indeed, why shouldn’t all of Delta’s public meetings be recorded and broadcast on their website? It doesn’t need more than a static camera and a microphone in all the meeting rooms to make an acceptable audio/visual feed that would allow the public to observe what is going on. Excuses about the cost of setting up such a system are absurd and simply an attempt to deflect the subject at hand. That subject being, the public’s right to see what their elected officials are doing for the public.

Yes, these work sessions have a place in the business of running the municipality and yes, they’ve been happening for years. Here’s the difference between now and the past.

Delta council had effective councilors like Krista Engelland, Vicki Huntington and even at times the late George Hawksworth, who would bring the issues and minutia for discussion at the council table. Heck, even those I didn’t agree with caused discussion around the table that the public could hear and see. That’s how it should be.

Today’s council table consists of 2 very timid newbies who seem to be afraid to question anything and acquiesce all too easily the “elders” on council. It has become obvious that all we have representing us are a bunch of yes men and women who either are in over their heads and don’t understand what’s going on or have a set agenda that doesn’t involve public input.

Indeed, this was shown only too well when Councilor King decided not to vote on the changes to the Toigo project because she felt there would be a conflict of interest in her vote. How was this ethical move met by Delta Mayor and other councilors? A visit to the Delta lawyers, an admonishment and a slap on the hand instead of the back. That’s what happens with this Delta council when one of its members doesn’t march in lock step with their agenda.

The Tsawwassen Area Plan fiasco and the insistence on pushing garbage incinerators over public objections are only two items. Ladner residents are being ignored when their concerns with density and services are raised, Burns Bog is used as a bargaining chip and residents are of North Delta are left to blow in the wind when the Provincial government decides to destroy a neighbourhood so their buddy Gordon Campbell can push his precious highway through an historic neighbourhood. Let’s not forget who jumped on the Gordon Campbell bandwagon during the last provincial election.

We have a chance in the upcoming by-election to least open the door and elect someone who is on the resident’s side. Yes, we need to elect a new councilor who is willing to push back and not be afraid to question the powers that be at Delta Hall. Someone who won’t find it inconvenient to do the people’s business in front of the public. Frankly, that someone is Sylvia Bishop, the only one who is not beholden to big developers or afraid of standing up and taking a contrary view and won’t be bullied by those who would keep the goings on at City Hall way from the public’s eyes and ears.

After all, the public’s business should be exactly that. Public. Too bad our current mayor and councilors have forgotten that.