Editor:
Mayor White is correct where he reports that the Town of Gibsons governance requires change.
The direction and supervision of public affairs requires robust policies and procedures and collaborative administrative support to avoid council being a “cog in the machine” as opposed to the operator of that machine. I have no doubt that council gets overwhelmed.
The removal of public input from the agenda of council meetings limits public engagement to forums and letters. “Round table” forums are appreciated however where residents input is not correctly recorded in minutes (other than to state that a meeting was held) leaves little for council to reflect on. Letters received are not tallied for a yes or no summary and therefore are lost in “Correspondence.” How many letters are required to constitutes a consensus.
Open dedicated forums require advanced notice, forethought, and preparation which include, all data, costs associated and the pros and cons of the viable options. Prior to Christmas, Urban Systems presented proposed changes to develop a multi-use path adjacent to Dougall Park on Gower Point Road however the contractor did not know the dimension of the road allowance nor were estimates of costs for each proposed option available. Gibsons CAO Mr. Machado’s resulting staff report made at the Special Committee-of-the-Whole November 29, 2022 made a recommendation to pave Blain Lane. I do not recall that was presented or discussed during that meeting nor is it contained in the recommendation by Urban Systems.
The responsibility and supervision of public affairs requires accurate information. Correctly recorded input from residents and correct, un-biased staff reports.
I am not convinced that the machinery of government will roll smoother by conducting forums where the resulting discussions are not correctly recorded in minutes and removing a standard agenda which in turn removes the opportunity for public input at regular council meetings.
Mark Evans
Gibsons
