Coun. Dever’s resolution on Ajax public information session

Mayor Peter Milobar and his councillors still don’t understand that the purpose of a public meeting on Ajax is equally as much to allow people to ask questions as it is to get answers.

Milobar believes holding a meeting now would just be an exercise in frustration because all the answers wouldn’t be available. But council’s decision to plan a meeting is already “much overdue,” as Coun. Nelly Dever told me after yesterday’s council session. A meeting sooner rather than later would allow the public to be clear on what their questions are, so that KGHM, the City and Environmental Assessment Office can go get the answers. And the resolution approved at Tuesday’s council meeting doesn’t necessarily guarantee there will be an opportunity at the planned presentation for questions from the floor.

The timing in Dever’s motion puts a public meeting off until next January, since it couldn’t practically be held during the Christmas season. Nevertheless, credit where due — this is at least a beginning. I’ll have more to say on council’s Ajax discussion in tomorrow’s Armchair Mayor column in The Kamloops Daily News, but here, for the record, is Dever’s resolution:

Notice of Motion for April 9, 2013 (** Note: Council decided to discuss it March 26 instead of waiting for April 9)

CITY HOSTED KGHM AJAX MINE INFORMATION SESSION

WHEREAS

A. The KGHM Ajax mine proposal has created much controversy with the community;

B. The City itself has asked a number of questions of the BC Environmental Assessment Office (cc to KGHM Ajax and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency) about the mine proposal, which remain unanswered at this time;

C. Most Councillors have chosen not to take a position on the mine proposal until after the results of the environmental assessment are received and reviewed;

D. The environmental assessment results are now projected to be available in September 2013.

E. When the environmental assessment is complete and the environmental assessment application is submitted, the federal and provincial governments have a month to assess the completeness of the environmental assessment;

F. If judged complete, a six-month review period follows;

G. During the review period, the City will review and analyze the environmental assessment from the City’s perspective of economic, social, and environmental sustainability;

H. Kamloops citizens need to know that following the City’s review and analysis of the environmental assessment, the City will provide a public report to the community and will also look for community input about the KGHM Ajax mine proposal.

BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Kamloops hold a public information session after the results of the KGHM Ajax environmental assessment are received. The purpose of the session is to discuss the environmental assessment and the City’s review of it, and gather community feedback.

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the information session be held mid-way through the six-month comment period for the environmental assessment.