The Editor,
The mayor and council of White Rock have made changes to the residential garbage, recycling and green can collection.
These changes have been approved behind closed doors and in closed meetings with no consultation with the citizens of White Rock. These changes impact every citizen of this city. By not conferring with citizens, mayor and council have shown their absolute disregard and disrespect for the people of White Rock.
The mayor and previous council commissioned a report from Dillon Consulting Limited. The purpose of the report was "To Review Solid Waste Operations and Development of Solid Waste Utility." The project initiation meeting was held on July 16, 2014 in the city's operations meeting room. This would indicate that mayor and previous council were considering changes to garbage/recycling pickup three months prior to the recent election. During the election there was no word from mayor or council regarding changes to garbage/recycling pick up.
This should have been an election issue.
The city has announced an information meeting to be held April 1, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the White Rock Community Centre. This is the first meeting called by the city for the citizens of White Rock. There are 250 strata buildings in White Rock with more than 11,000 occupants and the city allots two hours for information on an issue that touches every resident of White Rock.
This is absolutely unacceptable and insulting and confirms that this mayor and council are out of touch.
On Feb. 16, 2015 I sent an e-mail to a city councillor, asking why the city was contemplating changes to garbage pickup. As of today, I have not received an answer. I then went to a community forum and asked why the city was making these changes. The two councillors at the meeting could not, or would not, give me an answer.
Our mayor and council's lack of communication and inability to answer questions regarding this garbage issue in fact just garbage.
Ian Routledge, White Rock