North Saanich Coun. Murray Weisenberger should spend more of his time B次元官网网址渆ngagingB次元官网网址� with the residents of North Saanich than B次元官网网址渆nragingB次元官网网址� them with inappropriate comments and actions.

At the special council meeting, he made the comment that no level of consultation will satisfy groups such as Save North Saanich, who he accused of being opposed for the sake of being opposed, and said B次元官网网址渙ne more dog house is too much for some people and thatB次元官网网址檚 the way it is.B次元官网网址� WeisenbergerB次元官网网址檚 temper was also on full display at the OCPB次元官网网址檚 pop-up session at Panorama when he confronted a senior over conflicting views on the OCP process. The words and actions of a politician should be held at a high standard; Coun. Weisenberger failed on both counts. A politician must have the skills to listen to their constituents; especially when their views are different from your own. You might even learn something.

The residents of the various neighbourhoods that make up North Saanich are very passionate about their community. They want real engagement in the OCP review with the districtB次元官网网址檚 staff and the consulting company hired by the district. All the feedback that staff received at the pop-up sessions didnB次元官网网址檛 even make it into the staff report that was in front of the special council meeting so council could make a sound decision. IsnB次元官网网址檛 this part of the engagement process?

Every community within the district is unique. All have different needs, and meeting those needs requires different approaches. The common thread is that the needs of every community and the strategies to address them are best defined by the people who live and work in those communities.

Smart growth is not possible without the perspective of everyone with a vested interest in the community. Smart growth is about building a future for a community that everyone can participate in. The process is not only inclusive and equitable, it also will give projects built-in support and staying power. It is a tough process to undertake and one that will take time. As Coun. Jack McClintock stated, B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 the hurry?B次元官网网址� He also said he would hate to provide the public with an OCP that isnB次元官网网址檛 the best we can do. I concur.

Gordon Gummer

North Saanich