Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - For the first time in her 13 years as Cortes Island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson writes that there is so little substantive information in the Strathcona Regional District Budget that she cannot do her job. Anderson made this comment in a report, in which she alleges to have witnessed the erosion of the budgeting process over the last number of years. “This year, I see essentially no room for informed Director input,” consequently she will be voting against this budget.
Anderson continued, “After our last Board meeting, I asked both the Chair of the Board and the Chair of EASC to discuss the matters below with me. Both declined.”
She added that, "By Provincial legislation, it is my understanding that we are supposed to update our core long-range planning documents every 5 years …"
Anderson provided a list of delinquent planning documents:
Cortes Island OCP (Official Community Plan) has not been renewed since 2012
Quadra Island OCP - since 2007
Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw - since 2002
Menzies Bay OCP - since 2000
Area D OCP - since 1996
Menzies Bay Zoning Bylaw - since 1996
Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw - since 1993
Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw - since 1990
In response to Cortes Currents queries about Anderson’s statements, the SRD’s Communications Coordinator emailed, “The Board will address the report when its received and at that time follow up will be included in the SRD board minutes or online via the recordings.”
However, as you can hear in the podcast above, the Board chose not to comment when it received Anderson’s report.
This is not the first time, in recent years, that Director Anderson has raised concerns or mentioned the SRD’s delinquent long range planning documents.
