Some of you have memories as short as your fuses.
Specifically when it comes to the Official Community Plan on which council decisions have to be based.
If you have lived here since 2016 and are complaining about the OCP, you should be looking in the mirror or at least over your fence ‘cause you and your neighbours helped produce it — or chose not to.
Creating the document involved 24 months of continuous public engagement.
If you bothered to go to any of the dozens of public open houses, “visionings,” and the like, you helped shape the document that now “provides direction for change and development in the community over time.”
In addition to the multiple opportunities to contribute to the forming of the OCP, after it passed first and second reading, there were public hearings on the final draft document held on March 12 and 13, 2018. Folks had a chance to see what that draft looked like and recommend changes.
There was more than enough time for residents to show up and be heard, in other words.
We don’t say this as biased supporters of the District or council, but as journalists who were frankly sick of covering round after round of consultations over literally years.
For the more than 4,000 of you who did show up, if what you wanted didn’t happen, that gives you a right to complain.
But it is also democracy. Your vote was one of many.
Does this mean the OCP document — or this council — is perfect?
Heck no.
But some of you are barking up the wrong tree on this one.
“Once adopted, all bylaws enacted by council must be consistent with the OCP.” That is written into the legislation.
So, not happy with council? Sure, vote them all out next year when it is muni election time again.
But you still will have this OCP, which was — by the way — produced under the previous council.
Some of those currently drumming up anger over council decisions, it should be noted, ran for council previously or seem to have their eye on a seat in chamber next election.
Fair enough.
Then, of course, there’s Squamish Voices, an anonymous entity spending thousands ( more than $6,000 on Facebook alone so far) to stir up next-level hate toward individuals at muni hall.
[Wonder what the agenda is of those behind that page? That must be clear by who they are, or they wouldn’t be anonymous, would they?]
The OCP is reviewed every five years, or should be, and the public will be invited to participate in that process, whoever is in power then.
So, the lesson for those who are unhappy with what is happening now in town is to be involved — to engage in the process and be heard.
Think you can do better? Great! Run for council next year, but make sure you have a thick skin because many in this town seem to have memories as short as their fuses.
