Editor:
Not all of us shaking our heads in frustration after leaving the May 12 Gibsons council meeting were doing so for the reasons Art Olson assumes we were. Some of us were appalled by Mayor Rowe’s lecturing of dissenting councillors. What Mr. Olson sees as “leadership,” some of us see as bullying. What Mr. Olson calls “micro-managing” is, in fact, the democratic process in action.
What is not made clear, either in Mr. Olson’s letter or in press coverage of the meeting, is that the engineer who gave the positive report at the meeting is from the proponent’s engineering firm. There was no engineer from Levelton, the firm which did the peer report for the Town, present at the meeting to answer questions about their report. This peer report has raised serious concerns about the project’s possible impact on the aquifer. (The Levelton report can be read on the Town’s website.)
I understand that Coun. Valeriote is, himself, an engineer. It is this report from Levelton that has raised concerns for him and the other dissenting councillors.
Mr. Olson accuses these councilors of not understanding their “proper role on council.” I believe their proper role is to represent the interests of their constituents, not those of the developer.
Anne Miles, Gibsons
