Elections are time to get a mandate

Dear Editor: I’ll never understand why reporters spend so much time in the afternoon sessions of Kelowna city council, but avoid the morning sessions like they are mundane public hearings. The fact is, morning meetings are often more interesting than afternoon ones.

The only exception being, perhaps, last week’s afternoon meeting where an upset member of the public vigorously emptied the contents of his backpack all over the chamber floor before depositing drugs on a nearby seat.

But, 90 percent of time, the most interesting policy discussions belong to the a.m. and not the p.m..

Last week, the topic up for discussion was 2040 Official Communithy Plan Growth Scenario No. 3. A major component of this growth scenario is to completely scrub sprawling neighbourhood developments from the city’s future growth plans in recognition that the long-term costs of these developments are astronomical, not covered by DCCs, and are largely remitted to the taxpayers themselves.

This puts many long-time planned area structure plans like Thompson Flats on the chopping block.

Immediately following the staff presentation, the mayor, under visible distress of what he had just heard, felt the most pressing point was to acknowledge that he could, maybe, support axing those projects but felt the timing was “just terrible.”

His reference was, of course, to the proximity of the fall municipal elections and how upset UDI and the development community might be over such a decision. He argued, with back up from his council, that the time to discuss such major policy swings is not during the election. As I listened to this, I was vibrating. In my naïve corner of the universe where I come from, I think the exact time to discuss the most pressing issues facing Kelowna is, in fact, during an election.

That way, when you win, you can have that as a mandate going forward. And the timing couldn’t be better because it’s no secret that incumbents who wish to stay on council will be able to with almost 100 percent certainty because no one cares enough to step up and challenge the seats.

What an opportunity to be bold and stick up for your values. You just have to try and remember them from four years earlier.

Kelly Hutchinson

Kelowna