Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin May
Waye and Austin should be barred from voting when the Centre Plan goes to council. A developer doesn't get to sit on council and decide the fate of her/his proposal. Having been deeply involved in the plan how can they be independent decision makers ? A defendant/accuser doesn't sit on a jury.
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Excellent point. Austin at least has a planning degree but that makes him behave in a doctrinaire manner on Council and does not sit well with many of the residents he is supposed to represent. Planning theory does not always translate well to real-world situations, yet he is slavishly devoted to it, which has led to him being dismissive and condescending to resident concerns. As for Mason, his only real work experience is as a music booking agent and promoter, a sh*t business at the best of times. He fancies himself as a self-styled "policy wonk" and a wannabe planner, which is extremely dangerous for someone with his lack of education and skills in the area. He has pushed for the growth in budgets and activism of the planning group within the bureaucracy with staff actively lobbying for things such as bicycle flyovers and lanes which negatively impact residents and their tax bills. Word is he was the biggest promoter of the hiring of Bjerke to lead the department, which did not work out so well. The Centre Plan has been a very expensive and lengthy process which has produced a document that is far too detailed, directive and complex, and which may well end up stifling development if it is adopted as-is.