TBL’S mayor re-election to the slaughterhouse?

Needless to repeat the arguments and questions about the controversial pig slaughterhouse project on Mill Road well publicized in the last weeks. Many steps must be done before all approvals are obtained. The mayor and council, in good faith I am sure, decided to fast track the bureaucratic road by supporting immediately the promoter’s project to the CPTAQ considering the time it takes for a decision. We would all like to see the content of that support letter to the CPTAQ and see if proper considerations and conditions were set along with this support. More transparency on this letter would be welcome. Waiting for public consultation to finally reject the project is a waste of time, efforts, and money both for the town and the promoter himself. Attendance at the West Brome council meeting of September 5 was quite conclusive on the overwhelming opposition to the project.

As with other past projects ending up being rejected, the Burcombe administration failed again in getting political and social acceptability before going ahead.

The only questionable advantage of that project is getting more taxes, but at what cost? Attracting more taxes has always been the easy way out of responsibilities to be taken. We have seen it in the past with the lake accessibility issue when Bondville beach was offered twice to the town at accessible prices. Last year it was Foster Park beside Douglass Beach despite the fact that the town’s strategic plan urges for lake accessibility (goal 3 action 10). More taxes and no responsibilities, which is the perfect combination for more money coming in with no cost for extra responsibilities avoided. So much for vision of our future.

As an honest person Mayor Burcombe candidly admitted this slaughterhouse project was political suicide for him in view of the upcoming election. Obviously, council members have painted themselves in the corner and now need to walk over the paint. Hoping they decide to immediately back out of this unacceptable slaughterhouse project and avoid polluting the next election with it so we can all address the real issues that TBL is confronted with.

Bondville knew all the time.

Burcombe was upset when he told the public that on the July 4 meeting it was on the agenda to send request to the CPTAQ but that no one was at the meeting. It’s easy for him to send an important email to everyone about water or road conditions, however a 35 million dollar project was not important enough for him to advise the public beforehand. So as a cover-up and terrible planning he blames the citizens for his group’s errors.

Mr. Arel told me when I asked him questions via email that they would probably all be answered at the council meeting; not one was answered, looks like birds of a feather flock together.

Furthermore Mr. Burcombe and Mr. Arel, had you done a little searching before sending your request to CPTAQ you would quickly have noticed that this was not the business for Knowlton, you are entirely to blame for this fiasco, not the citizens.

The citizens have suffered enough of this type of management — four years of it. Most of your projects have turned sour — examples: Paul Holland Knowlton House, Nuhab, pool, and now the pig slaughterhouse. Good thing the citizens got involved or where would we be now? What exactly do think your group is going to accomplish if it cannot consult and discuss before going gung-ho on any brought forth project. Once again your