Dear editor,
It is interesting to note that the cost of the sewer service is borne by the City of Courtenay (70 per cent) and Town of Comox (30 per cent). Each partner has one half of the membership on the Sewage Commission.
The military has one vote. In the case of a tie, the chair can vote to break the tie. The vote by commission members to put the sewer pump station back on Beech Street instead of a number of locations in the municipalities was tied with Ken Grant and Maureen Swift voting in favour and Courtenay councillors Wells, Eriksson and Theos voting against Beech Street. The new military representative, who was not briefed on prior discussions and neighbourhood concerns, voted with the Comox councillors, and chair Barbara Price voted to break the tie and place the pump station in Area B.
To say that the Beech Street station is the only choice is lunacy. The Courtenay politicians obviously had other ideas based on their negative votes. Why were they not more forthcoming with these ideas? That would be the honorable thing to do.
It saves a considerable amount of time, public hassle, and financial resources to remain silent and not go through the public vetting processes required in the municipalities. All of the elected officials know this. The only ones that seem willing to step forward and make honorable statements are Courtenay councillor Eriksson and Courtenay Mayor Jangula.
How can Mayor Ives and other councillors in Comox and Courtenay continue to govern knowing that this travesty of our democratic process has been allowed? I know that I would not be able to look myself in the mirror. If constituents asked these politicians if they truly believed in Canadian democracy, how could they answer?
Slava Simice, Henriette Beaudoin and Pat Guillo, Connie Prain
Comox Valley