Editor:
Since their initial appointment in July 2015, a hand-picked, select group of ‘special people’ – some of whom reside outside of White Rock, and most of whom have either ties to the development and real-estate industry or connections to the openly pro-developer members of council – have been meeting in private to determine the future of the new official community plan.
Why would our council abdicate this critical role to industry and political insiders? How is it that the citizens of White Rock are excluded from this process? Why is it that real-estate people will determine what our community will look like?
There is a reason that the OCP working group meetings are closed to the public and secret. Could it be that they are acting in the best interests of the development industry? Could it be that this council would be embarrassed and ashamed if the citizens of White Rock knew what is really going on behind closed doors?
Are you starting to get a whiff of what these unelected representatives of the developer and real-estate industry are up to as they secretly work away in the dark behind closed doors to shape the future of our precious little 1.98 square miles?
The city claims it has yet another “legal opinion” supporting the fact that this city-funded working group has a special status that allows them to close their meetings to citizens. Yet, in response to freedom-of-information requests, the city has failed to provide the legal opinion.
It is way past time to shut down the secret meetings and open the OCP planning process to the citizens of White Rock.
This kind of disrespect by members of council and staff is one of the reasons so many are asking if now is the time to seriously consider reunification with Surrey.
Ross Buchanan, White Rock