On Nov. 15, the region voted for change with the election of many fresh faces. Can these new directors help move the Capital Regional District past its disunity, smooth ruffled feathers and build regional consensus?
Progress is needed on issues of transportation, waste management and the environment.
With sewage treatment, it is not just a race to get something done before the deadline and collect provincial and federal funding. It is much more.
It is a balancing act of respecting the electorate’s desire to incorporate sustainability, environmental concerns, safety and community needs at a reasonable cost. A quick solution is not a solution at all, if it doesn’t address these important electorate needs.
For the last three years, the CRD establishment has refused to reconsider its approach to sewage treatment, stalling the extention of project deadlines and refusing to renegotiate funding agreements. Instead it has chosen to use these deadlines and funding restrictions as pressure points to attempt to force forward their secondary treatment plan.
But with new committee membership, isn’t it time to move away from these old habits, build consensus with the core communities, and make forward progess for the benefit of the region as a whole?
Hopefully over the next four years directors can come together to stimulate change.
Norma Brown, Esquimalt