For the second time in three months, District of Squamish council has decided to not make a decision.
Council again used deferral to not grant the development permit application to FortisBC to conduct geotechnical testing in the estuary.
Newly elected Councillor Karen Elliott put forth the motion (seconded by Councillor Peter Kent), claiming she didn’t have enough information to make a decision.
Interestingly enough, a Chief file photo from the first time council deferred back on Nov. 5 shows Elliott sitting in the front row of the audience. This makes one question her lack of information claim.
For any councillor to say they don’t have enough information on a given topic makes me pretty uneasy. Staff gives out detailed reports prior to every council meeting and the excuse that someone is new shouldn’t fly.
These seven people were elected to make decisions, not delay the process. Whether councillors are for or against a project, it’s best to put their opinions out there and not use deferral to wait until things cool down and district hall isn’t as packed to make up their minds.
It’s funny that former mayor Rob Kirkham and former councillor Bryan Raiser were chided by many in the community for failing to give a definitive yes or no answer on liquefied natural gas (LNG) – something that was never a council decision – but current councillors seem to be allowed to do the same with very little pushback from the public.
It all comes down to a certain degree of apprehension for almost every person on our council. Some of them were elected on strongly anti-LNG stances and they now have an opportunity to declare their stance but seem a little gun-shy to do so.
It’s a lot easier to be strongly against a project from the comfort of your own home, but when everything is laid out before you, I guess it’s more difficult to take a stand.
Let’s hope everyone gets enough information to make a decision for the next regular council meeting on Jan. 20. You can only put off decisions for so long, and the clock is ticking for this council on the Fortis issue.
