To the Editor,
Re: Council shows little backbone, Opinion, Nov. 17.
It would appear from reading the reports on the Colliery Dam Park lakes removal, that the only role city council had to play is the ‘rubber stamping’ of funds being approved.
The study in September recommended the dams to be removed, therefore that must be done without further study or input. The province, Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resources said that the decision on a course of action was needed by Nov. 30, so council members are off the hook by only approving the spending of taxpayers’ dollars.
Would they agree so quickly if it was their own money? Or would they want time to look at the other options?
The responsible thing to do would have been to study the options and advise the ministry that the decision on the course of action is as follows: have open decisions with interested parties for 45 days, closing Nov. 30; make a list of alternatives to the removal of the dams by Dec. 15; have staff cost out alternatives by Jan. 10 and make recommendations to council; discuss alternatives and vote on final plan no later than Feb. 28; and finalize a plan to be submitted to the province March 31, with work to start within 120 days.
The dam is more than 100 years old and taking an extra four months to do a thorough investigations in to all options is the only responsible thing to do.
Terry Wagstaff
Nanaimo