Letter to the Editor

The following is a second open letter to RDEK Electoral Area E Director Jane Walter and City of Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick.

On June 9, the Meadowbrook Community Association (MCA) Board and a Group of Concerned Meadowbrook Residents (GCMR) issued an open letter to Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Electoral Area E Director Jane Walter and the Mayor of Kimberley Don McCormick, who is also a member of the RDEK Board.

The letter expressed concern that these elected officials had once again disregarded the views of many residents on a land use issue in Meadowbrook by supporting changes to the Kimberley Rural Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Zoning Bylaw.

The letter noted that this was not the first occasion on which Director Walter ad Mayor McCormick had ignored the expressed wishes of large numbers of residents and the recommendation of the RDEK Planning Department. The letter also noted that these two elected officials had voted against this same application from Bernard Blackburn and Robin Campbell about 18 months earlier but had offered no explanation for their change of mind.

At the public hearing staff reported receiving 10 letters of support and 120 letters in opposition.  When asked what feedback they had personally received from the public prior to the hearing, Walter replied, “Very little” and McCormick replied “None.”

RDEK policy prohibits board members from discussing the matter after the close of the hearing, so Walter and McCormick chose to disregard the public response received that was overwhelmingly opposed.

The letter demanded that the Director and the Mayor be transparent and accountable by responding to these questions:

• Why did you support this application in 2023 when you had opposed the identical application in 2021?
• What was so compelling in the 2023 application that warranted the creation of a lot smaller than the two hectares limit, and why was this reason not compelling in 2021?
• How do you justify ignoring the voices of 120 residents?
• Prior to the May 12 RDEK Board meeting, in any way did you indicate or even suggest to the applicants or their agent that you would now support this application?

After seven weeks, neither Director Walter nor Mayor McCormick have responded. The MCA Board and the GCMR do not know, and will not attempt to speculate, why they remain silent.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Union of BC Municipalities, and the Local Government Managers Association have collaboratively developed Foundational Principles for Responsible Conduct for BC Local Governments.

This document states that “the foundational principles provide a basis for how local government elected officials fulfill their roles and responsibilities, including in their relationships with each other, with local government staff and with the public.”

 The document notes that, “Elected officials must recite an oath or affirmation where they make a commitment to uphold these principles before they can hold office.”

The Foundational Principles are Integrity, Respect, Leadership and Collaboration, and Accountability.  It is our contention that the actions of Director Walter and Mayor McCormick in dealing with land use issues in Meadowbrook and their failure to respond to our Open Letter of June 9, 2023 breach these principles.  Specifically, we have concerns about their compliance with the following behaviours listed in the principles.

Integrity

Conducting oneself honestly and ethically;

Be open and truthful in all local government dealings;

Act in the best interest of the public and the community.

Respect

Valuing the perspectives, wishes, and rights of others;

Create an environment of trust including displaying awareness and sensitivity around comments and language that may be perceived as offensive or derogatory.

Leadership and Collaboration

An ability to lead, listen to, and positively influence others; coming together to create or meet a common goal through collective efforts honestly and ethically;

Demonstrate behaviour that builds public trust and confidence in local government;

Create space for open discussion by others, take responsibility for one’s own actions and reactions, and accept the decisions of the majority;

Advocate for shared decision-making;

Foster positive working relationship between elected officials, staff, and the public.

Accountability

An obligation and willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions;

Be transparent about how elected officials carry out their duties and how council conducts business;

Listen to and consider the opinions and needs of the community in all decision-making and allow for public discourse and feedback.

We invite Director Walter and Mayor McCormick to respond to the questions we posed in our first open letter. We also welcome their comments or questions regarding our concerns with their compliance with the Foundational Principles as expressed in this open letter.

Meadowbrook Community Association (MCA) Board,

Group of Concerned Meadowbrook Residents (GCMR)

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