We know there is a learning curve with any new role, but the current Rocky View County councillors have been in their positions for nearly a year now and it’s time they started stepping up. The near repeat of a blundered application Sept. 25 is not only embarrassing for council and to the residents it represents, it is also a huge red flag that this council doesn’t seem to be getting what is going on. In this latest display of procedural blindness, council requested further information on an application and then attempted to proceed with second reading, once again putting itself in a situation where it would be unable to access any of that requested information without rescinding second reading and advertising for a new public hearing. The same thing happened at the regular meeting immediately prior to this one. That gaffe could prove costly, as it appears to have stalled a potentially profitable medical marijuana facility in the Balzac area. Is this council really so forgetful it repeats the same procedural slip back-to-back, or are councillors just not taking their roles seriously? It is a councillor’s responsibility to learn what is required of them, and to ask questions if they are unsure. With all the training our current council went though immediately following last year's election, and the multiple meetings now under their belts, it's time for them to step up and start representing their divisions in a more effective, efficient way. Learning curves are one thing, but this council’s becoming a bad punch line.
