Yes, for more than an hour, a pregnant woman was standing against the wall, next to the coffee setup, watching and listening. The mayor of Gibsons was also standing against the wall. Some seniors sat down on the floor, until their hind quarters no doubt couldn’t take it and then they were also back to standing against the wall.
Welcome to the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s Sept. 3 infrastructure services committee meeting, where directors finally met to make a decision on how to grapple with the recent water management crisis.
The crisis affected virtually everyone south of Pender Harbour and people wanted to see the board’s response in person, but it wasn’t easy. We counted 29 lucky souls in chairs and 28 with no chairs, standing against all the available wall space, or making an effort to sit on the little available floor space. Another eight or so were in the adjoining meeting room watching it on TV.
The SCRD boardroom setting is inhospitable to large gatherings. No wonder some people believe it’s designed to keep out “infestations of taxpayers.” Undoubtedly it worked to that end, because if the board had been meeting in a proper venue, the number of those attending would likely have been double, triple or quadruple the 65 who came out for the meeting.
The SCRD needs to take a page out of the Town of Gibsons playbook. When there’s a meeting that involves a big decision or major report on, say, the George, or the water supply, the Town books the Legion or the Public Market. Sure enough, the event will routinely attract 300 or 400 people.
In the case of last week’s meeting, Roberts Creek Hall would have been a central location, or the SCRD could have used one of its recreational facilities in the municipalities.
Maybe an occasional change in venue would also change the way the SCRD listens to the public. Directors pontificated last week about how water meters are an essential parallel first step in addressing the region’s water management problems, but many of their constituents feel differently. They would like to see the $1.7 million spent on more urgent supply-side issues and the matching government funds repurposed accordingly.
It’s an argument, and the taxpaying citizen should have a proper venue to make that argument, not be lectured to like school children who are not allowed to speak back.
The SCRD has some real work to do on public engagement.
