MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

There was an article in the Waterloo Region Record back on April 6, 2013 which I found interesting and surprising. It was titled "Kitchener councillors tussle over bid to take part in environmental assessments". I know that I've often had the belief that municipal councillors are responsible for everything as they are "in the loop" and all reports and data presumably are sent to them. Maybe not so! This article has two major issues the one being a process issue as to whether a councillor can vote one way, hear the final result and then ask for a "do over", change his vote and get a different result.

The second issue was raised by Councillors Janecki and Fernandes. They feel that municipal environmental assessments for things like roads and bridges should be open at the earliest stages for at the very least the ward councillors to attend. That way those councillors can raise issues that their constituents may have brought to them regarding a new project. Apparently this is indeed common practice at the Region of Waterloo as well as for both the city of Cambridge and of Waterloo. Surprisingly the majority of Kitchener councillors voted against this idea, at least on the second attempt that is. Personally I fail to see how Kitchener councillors could make that kind of a decision. Why on earth wouldn't the process be open and available to the elected representatives of the local community that will be affected by the project? That would appear to be only democratic.