Dear Editor, Rocky View County’s Jan. 22 council meeting hit an all-time low when councillors attempted to make motions about the County Plan before hearing administration’s report. In all the time we have been attending council meetings, we have never heard of administration not giving its report. The report provides context and clarity about the issue to be debated. Reeve Greg Boehlke led the charge, supported by Deputy Reeve Al Schule and Coun. Kim McKylor, who went so far as to ask if there was anything new in the report beyond what was in council’s agenda package. Proving precisely why one should listen to the report. Thanks to Couns. Samanntha Wright and Crystal Kissel’s insistence to hear administration’s report, it was presented. In our opinion, this failed manoeuvre was incredibly disrespectful of staff and the work they were directed to do by council itself. If this wasn’t bad enough, it quickly became apparent the majority of those attempting to rush through the process had no understanding of what it was they were actually trying to do. Staff provided three alternatives – a targeted review that would identify “quick fixes,” a comprehensive review that would re-open the entire County Plan, or a combination of a targeted review followed by a comprehensive review. Staff indicated the Terms of Reference included “quick fix” items based on input they had already received from council. They emphasized, if council wanted to add other items to the targeted review, they needed to make amendments to its Terms of Reference. Not all that complicated. The motives of Couns. Mark Kamachi, Schule and McKylor quickly became clear – they wanted new growth areas added to the County Plan. Both Kamachi and McKylor insisted development along Highway 8 should be included as soon as possible, while Schule’s focus lay mainly with Langdon. Administration kept repeating the inclusion of new growth areas would unquestionably trigger review by the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board and, because of that, should be part of a comprehensive review. In response, Kamachi, McKylor and Schule kept coming up with new ways to ask the same question, hoping for a different answer. Had it not been so farcical, it would have been embarrassing. In reality, it is inappropriate for councillors to jockey so extensively for what they want in the County Plan. A comprehensive review is just that – it looks at everything and requires extensive public input. It was extremely troubling to see these few councillors trying to control and manipulate the content of a revised County Plan. They clearly demonstrated their biases and their apparent willingness to stop at nothing to achieve their ends. From residents’ perspectives, forewarned is forearmed. Janet Ballantyne For Rocky View Forward
