Message from the Mayor – July 2017

By Ute Juras

Village of Canal Flats Mayor

Summer is in full swing and I hope everyone is having a good time.

The weather is not the only thing bringing on some heat this summer. We are once again faced with an application for the Benny Boyz RV Resort proposal. I would like to take this opportunity to go over the process for everyone.

At the last council meeting, council gave first and second reading to the bylaw. This doesn’t mean that council is in favour of the proposal. It means that it can move forward to the next step in the process, which is the public hearing. The public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Civic Centre.

Between now and then the public is invited to give comment on the application either in writing or by attending the public hearing. It is important to note that council CANNOT accept any comments verbally or in writing AFTER the close of the public hearing.

The public hearing itself will consist of two parts. The first part is informal where the applicant has an opportunity to speak to the proposal. The attendees will then have an opportunity to ask questions of the applicant and village staff.

The second, formal part of the meeting will give everyone an opportunity to speak in favour or opposed to the application. This will be recorded in the minutes. The chair will ask three times if there are any more comments. The meeting will be closed after the third and final call for comments and no new information can be received after this point.

It is important to note that council will not participate in the public hearing. We are there to observe and gather information. Council members are expected to be impartial during this part of the process and hear all the information with an open mind.

On that note, I realize that there this is a very important issue for the village and that there are passionate opinions out there, mostly in opposition. I would like to remind everyone that EVERY opinion counts and that it is important for council to hear both sides. It is also important that those with the less popular opinion feel safe to express their feelings about the proposal.

In addition, there is a lot of information out there. Some of it may not be as accurate as it should be. Therefore, if you hear anything that sounds not quite right don’t hesitate to contact the village or myself to get the information first hand.

After the public hearing the bylaw will come back to council for third reading. At that time council can defeat or pass the bylaw.

I would like to thank everyone for being involved in the process and look forward to a respectful and informative public hearing.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 250-489-9070; [email protected].

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