No means no in Summerland

No means no, just ask the folks in Summerland.

This week, Mayor Peter Waterman introduced a seldom-used clause in the Community Charter which gives the mayor the power to bring a motion back before council. At issue is a proposed composting facility at the community’s landfill which would be used by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. First the background. On Oct. 23, Coun. Richard Barkwill made a motion to direct staff to inform the RDOS that Summerland was not interested. That motion passed by a resounding 6-1 with Waterman the lone descending vote.

Public opinion was overwhelmingly negative and council’s reaction mirrored the mood in the community.

Waterman, who praised the abilities of his council, believes more discussion and “an understanding of the topic” was needed.

Prior to Oct. 23, there was a presentation made by the RDOS to council, open houses, detailed information on the RDOS website, plus council toured a compost treatment site in the Lower Mainland.

What new information was there? What did council not understand?

So on Tuesday night, a motion introduced by Coun. Toni Boot to obtain more information from the RDOS was defeated by a 4-2 vote.

A follow-up vote on the original Oct. 23 motion resulted in the same outcome, 5-1 in favour (Waterman opposed, Barkwill absent.)

Waterman’s motion was, unintentionally, a kick in the pants to his council. It gives the impression that they’re wrong and Peter knows best. Summerland council members are intelligent, well educated, actively involved in the community, and include a former Ontario mayor among their members.

In municipal politics, you win some, you lose some. He’s been around long enough to know that.

Waterman correctly states that jobs would be created but what guarantee is there those filling the positions would reside in Summerland? What economic benefits from the employees would the municipality reap other than added traffic at the Timmy’s drive-thru in the early morning hours? His points were valid on extending the life of the landfill and the possibility of having the roads upgraded, most which are in bad need of repair.

There lies the major issue most Summerlanders have with the project. They don’t want trucks tearing past residential areas and school zones on a regular basis.

The mayor appears to have greater loyalties to the RDOS and its staff than his own district.

Waterman, elected in 2014 on a platform of being pro-agriculture and cautious towards development, has lately been confusing even his most ardent supporters. —James Miller

Valley Editor