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UPDATE – Are YOU happy with OUR democratic process being hijacked? Was it? – Read On – You decide!

Posted: January 29, 2015 in Uncategorized

Under the guise of inviting all candidates in our last Municipal Election to go through a very suspect process to determine which candidates would form the Firefighter’s Endorsed Slate and be a recipient of a well-planned and paid for election campaign consisting of Paid For ads, 4 by 8 signs, Door Hanging Notices delivered door to door and membership letters; THE Firefighters presented their slate through the foregoing material supporting candidates who unanimously supported a contract agreement negotiated DURING the election period. How much did this contract cost? What was the real price we paid? Was there an agreement in place? The cost to us? The 2010 and 2011 contract – 3% per year plus the 2012 to 2019 contract – 2 ½ % per year all equates to a 26% COMPOUND WAGE INCREASE over 9 years! We don’t know the other cost parts of the agreements reached?

UNTIL WE HAVE ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS OUR RECENT MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULT WILL BE IN QUESTION –

Have our Township of Langley Firefighters traded on their Community Good Will (otherwise known as Community Capital) to secure a financial benefit (contract agreement) in return for a Public Endorsement for and from a Newly elected Council? “Inducement” (Legislation’s word not mine), a word used in section 151 of the B.C. Local Government Act? (Dictionary definition of inducement is “incentive”)

Are any members of the current Council or their representatives, Senior Staff and/or any other third party acting for any of the foregoing been involved in negotiating an agreement, verbal or written with the Firefighters to secure a public endorsement campaign in exchange for a contract agreement(s)? “Inducement” (Legislation’s word not mine), a word used in section 151 of the B.C. Local Government Act? (Dictionary definition of inducement is “incentive”)

The Legality Question – It is clear that section 151 of the B.C. Local Government Act explicitly prohibits any form of “inducement” (outlined below). A review of the penalties to anyone found guilty of breaching this legislation, are very significant.

As I outlined in my recently published 2014 Election Post Mortem Part Two, this is a very disconcerting campaign activity that should be actively pursued through legal authorities. It should, at the very least, be subject to an investigation by the appropriate authorities. My understanding from a good source is that any resident of the Township of Langley may file a complaint with the RCMP with respect to this issue. I would also suggest that any complaint be laid through RCMP E Division, not the Langley Detachment given the potential of or perception of a conflict of interest.

There are those that want to bury their heads in the sand and suggest that this is just a coincidence or it somehow is anti-firefighter – Well, For The Record, nothing could be further from the truth! Lets deal with the facts – In this case, this legislation (laws) are in place to protect taxpayers and to protect our democracy, these laws are not made to be broken, regardless of who is responsible! Did this happen, only an investigation can tell.

There are many questions that need to be answered as are outlined in the body of my BLOG Post that follows, however there is another question that hasn’t has yet been broached, that of the Firefighters list of endorsed candidates? They threw away the previously (2011) endorsed candidates Ward and Dornan in favor of NEW candidates Quaale and Whitmarsh? If the process was true to itself a review of the answers provided by these two NEW endorsed candidates as well as that of the endorsed incumbents compared to that of the rest of the candidates leaves one to wonder on what basis was this decision made? None of this passes the smell test!

There appears to be clearly enough compelling supporting evidence or at the very least circumstantial evidence to secure a thorough and complete investigation. None of what I have and will present to the general public through this BLOG are sour grapes as some would suggest. I will stand very proud on my record of accomplishments and I have paid a very handsome price personally in many ways to fight the fight. I do not apologize. I will continue to present facts and issues and more than anything I am and will challenge residents to stand up and be counted. It is up to any one of you to grab the issue by the horns and to stand up and do something about it. By WHO and HOW our Municipality is being run is the issue, sitting back and doing nothing to correct it is not an answer.

Special Note: I think I have hit a nerve with some, given a couple of responses I have received, not the kind of language I would publish. To be clear, everyone knows that Council don’t negotiate contracts BUT they do have to approve contracts, in this case unanimously and in this case at a time when, on the Firefighters initiative, were determining who they would campaign for. Again it doesn’t pass the smell test, because it is all clearly about timing! Comparing this situation (a comprehensive campaign of ads, signs and door hangers) to other municipalities and cities is like comparing apples and oranges. We all know of the political activity of Firefighters, the Township Firefighters have just seriously crossed the line.

As a reminder to readers I have repeated the details of this issue below from my previous post –

Township of Langley Firefighters Factor (Is this not Political Interference and more?) – It is my opinion and I believe that of the majority of residents that our firefighters are respected for the service that they provide our community. That aside, the question has to be asked, have firefighters seriously crossed the line with their very questionable partisan political activity? To be clear, while I don’t agree with their activity of public support for any specific candidate(s) I do respect their democratic right to do so. BUT, and it is a BIG BUT, in my opinion their actions appear to have crossed a significant line – read on! You be the judge?

It has become quite apparent over the years that Township of Langley Full Time Firefighters have made it a practice of using election campaigns in what appears to be an attempt to leverage their labor negotiations to benefit negotiation outcomes. It is one thing to come out in favor of a candidate or group of candidates; it is quite something else to appear to involve negotiating a contract in exchange for support? Is that what happened? Is there enough evidence to justify an investigation under Division 17 / Sections 151 (below) of the B.C. Local Government Act at the very least?

Please follow the time line below –

Candidate Questionnaire from IAFF 4550 – On or around the first of October 2014 the Township of Langley Fire Fighters Association IAFF 4550 distributed a package of 24 questions to members of Council. (I received a copy of these in confidence before I filed my nomination papers) After filing my nomination papers I received a different package of 16 Candidate Questions? We were asked to submit our answers that dealt with Public Safety and Firefighter issues in writing by noon October 17^th, 2014 (the day of the Firefighters All Candidates Meeting).

Objective of this process – It was made clear that at the conclusion of this process our firefighters would decide who they would publicly endorse in the election. That style of endorsement was on display during the 2011 election.

All Candidate Meeting Invitation – Township of Langley Fire Fighters Association IAFF 4550 invited ALL candidates to an open All Candidates Meeting at the Willoughby Hall Friday October 17^th, 2014 at 7:00 PM.

Questions asked of Candidates – During the All Candidates meeting, questions were drawn randomly from the questions and answers that were submitted in writing and were randomly asked of each candidate. NOTE – You will understand later why I ask this question – The only one of the 16 that was not asked of candidates during the meeting was the question on Labor Relations which was – “Despite a wave of freely-negotiated contracts for full-time firefighters in other B.C. Municipalities, Township of Langley firefighters have been working under an expired contract since 2009. Township of Langley firefighters believe that elected municipal leaders have a role to play in helping to ensure this matter is resolved in a fashion that is fair and equitable to all parties involved. Please describe your thoughts on this particular issue.” (At the conclusion of the meeting I found it highly unusual and interesting that this question would be absent from the questions asked of candidates.) I think the answer to that question lies in the following two Surprises! (A surprise to some maybe?)

Surprise Contract Agreement – With no contract since 2009 it was suddenly announced PRIOR to the end of October (October 27^th to be exact in middle of the election campaign) that a settlement had been reached for 3% increase per year for 2010 and 2011. (Aldergrove Star 12/18/14) The questions? – Who had conversations with whom to suddenly settle this agreement at such a fortuitous time? What was promised to whom and by whom? Who was in on the settlement? Was there a third party active in getting this deal done with a condition of public support the goal by either side? Question – Does this not equate to an “inducement”? See below.

Surprise Contract Agreement – On the heels of the above settlement for years 2010 and 2011, the two parties began to immediately go into negotiations for 2012 – 2019 (During the election campaign) which was settled Dec. 4^th for 2.5% per year plus other benefits. (Aldergrove Star 12/18/14) Question – Does this not equate to an “inducement”? See below.

NOTE – What makes all of this a possibility of and for an “inducement”? The Township of Langley Firefighters Association IAFF 4550 PUBLICLY provided their preferred slate of candidates with the following, which can only be described as – “Inducements” that could be to the benefit of both parties. Are ONE or BOTH parties guilty of a breach of Section 151?

Firefighter paid for minimum half page full color Newspaper Ads listing all candidates they endorsed that they say supported their views of “Public Safety”! (I will add that all candidates if not a minimum of 95% of all candidates came out in full support of Firefighters.) Therefore their inference being that these are THE only candidates that support public safety is and was bogus. Could there be other reasons for their candidate preferences? – Contract negotiations?

Firefighters paid for and distributed large 4 ft. by 8 ft. full color signs posted throughout the Township of Langley by November 6^th listing all candidates that they say endorsed and supported their views of “Public Safety”. (I will add that all candidates if not a minimum of 95% of all candidates came out in full support of Firefighters.) Therefore their inference being that these are THE only candidates that support public safety is bogus. Could there be other reasons for their candidate preferences? – Contract negotiations? OH, and by the way – When were these signs painted and by whom? Just asking the question?

Firefighters paid and distributed Door hanging notices was distributed presumably by firefighters identifying their list of candidates with descriptions such as “Support Local Champions of Public Safety” and “ensure those elected to council agree that the safety of your family and your property is a priority”. (I will add that all candidates if not a minimum of 95% of all candidates came out in full support of Firefighters.) Therefore their inference being that these are THE only candidates that support public safety is bogus.

Direct Mail Letters that were sent to all Firefighters living in the Township of Langley requesting their support for their selected candidates as posted. It is suggested by Firefighters that there are about 1,200 – 1,400 firefighters living in the Township plus their family units. A fairly large voting block wouldn’t you say with the potential for significant voting affect. Extrapolate those numbers to include extended family and friends?

Council ratified the agreements – In one of their first acts after taking office these union contracts were ratified unanimously by this council.

I believe there is serious reason to be concerned with the possibility that Township of Langley Firefighters and/or Municipal Council members and/or Municipal Staff and/or Township Fire Dept. executive staff and/or a third party (in communication with one of the foregoing) could have seriously crossed the line and breached Section 151. Did they? This could only be determined through a thorough and comprehensive investigation.

What is that all about – Read carefully the following excerpt from the B.C. Local Government Act. It is Interesting that these sections along with a few other pertinent sections were included in the candidate Nomination Packages so ignorance of the law is NO excuse. What qualifies as an inducement? This is not rocket science!

Definition of Inducement – “That which induces; incentive. The act of inducing.”

Excerpts from the B. C. Local Government Act (below)

Division 17 — Election Offences

Vote buying

151 (1) In this section, “inducement” includes money, gift, valuable consideration, refreshment, entertainment, office, placement, employment and any other benefit of any kind.

(2) A person must not pay, give, lend or procure inducement for any of the following purposes:

(a) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting;

(b) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate;

(d) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the election of a particular candidate, the defeat of a particular candidate or a particular result in an election;

(e) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the vote of an elector or the failure of an elector to vote.

(3) A person must not accept inducement

(a) to vote or refrain from voting,

(b) to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate, or

(4) A person must not advance, pay or otherwise provide inducement, or cause inducement to be provided, knowing or with the intent that it is to be used for any of the acts prohibited by this section.

(5) A person must not offer, agree or promise to do anything otherwise prohibited by this section.

(6) A person prohibited from doing something by this section must not do the prohibited act directly, indirectly or by another person on behalf of the first person.

Prosecution of organizations and their directors and agents

153.1 (1) An act or thing done or omitted by an officer, director, employee or agent of an organization within the scope of the individual’s authority to act on behalf of the organization is deemed to be an act or thing done or omitted by the organization.

(2) If an organization commits an offence under this Part, an officer, director, employee or agent of the organization who authorizes, permits or acquiesces in the offence commits the same offence, whether or not the organization is convicted of the offence.

(3) A prosecution for an offence under this Part may be brought against an unincorporated organization in the name of the organization and, for these purposes, an unincorporated organization is deemed to be a person.

Time limit for starting prosecution

153.2 The time limit for laying an information to commence a prosecution respecting an offence under this Part is one year after the date on which the act or omission that is alleged to constitute the offence occurred.

Penalties

154 (1) A person who contravenes section 151 or 152 is guilty of an offence and is liable to one or more of the following penalties:

(a) a fine of not more than $10 000;

(b) imprisonment for a term not longer than 2 years;

(d) [Repealed by 2014-19-71(a).]

(1.1) Disqualification under subsection (1) (c) is disqualification from holding office as follows:

(a) on a local government;

(b) on the council of the City of Vancouver or on the Park Board established under section 485 of the Vancouver Charter;

(d) as a trustee on a board of education, or as a regional trustee on a francophone education authority, under the School Act.

(2) A person or unincorporated organization who contravenes section 153 is guilty of an offence and is liable to one or both of the following penalties:

(a) a fine of not more than $5 000;

(b) imprisonment for a term not longer than one year.

(3) Any penalty under this Division is in addition to and not in place of any other penalty provided in this Part.

(4) A person or unincorporated organization is not guilty of an offence under this Part if the person or organization exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.

Conclusion – The effect the Firefighter’s Campaign had on Election 2014? Was their campaign only motivated by an inducement? Is that what stimulated their message? You decide? This apparent conflict or breach of this legislation is certainly in question, given the evidence available (above). It doesn’t pass the smell test and in my opinion certainly screams out for a public complaint being filed to investigate the issue at the very least. The Firefighters endorsed nine members of Council – EIGHT of them were elected.

Given the wording of the messages sent out by the Firefighters to residents and given the public’s trust of their firefighters I would strongly suggest this activity would have influenced / induced enough residents in their votes to have a significant effect on the final result, certainly for Councilor. The following reflects that considerable likelihood.

For the record there were FIVE candidates for Council that were no more than 465 votes below the last successful candidate, only one of which was endorsed by the firefighter slate. To put it into net political reality of how votes are affected by numbers check the following;

IF only 233 votes were taken away from the bottom three elected candidates (Firefighters recommended slate of candidate’s) and added to the top three unelected candidates you would have a different result in the outcome for Council!

Given the information above, given the widespread Firefighter campaign and it’s potential for widespread effect on the election outcome, does this not put the entire past election into question? Just asking?

This issue must be dealt with, otherwise our democratic process is susceptible to be hijacked by any significant special interest group and taxpayers will pay a significant price. As you will note above, the penalty, if found guilty, is severe, as it should be.

Stay tuned for discussion of top of mind topics that directly affect us in the Township of Langley and our region to be published in the months ahead and much more….!

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left hand corner under recent posts.

Township of Langley Election Campaign 2014 Post Mortem – Part TWO …. Was there Political Interference? Was there financial gain? Many questions and much to consider!

Posted: January 13, 2015 in Uncategorized

As I suggested in Part ONE of our Post-Mortem for Election 2014 there is much more to be concerned about. Lets talk about the Elephant in the Room – Serious Political Interference? Does the following pass the smell test? Not in my opinion – You decide!

The most disconcerting incident that occurred during the recent election campaign is detailed below. I find it very unfortunate that our otherwise well respected firefighters (full time) have put themselves into the middle of a very questionable quagmire. As a key, respected and integral part of our community our firefighters deserve community respect. Having said that, taxpayers deserve to be treated with respect as to their well fought for rights within our democratic process; I believe the following speaks for itself.

Please follow the time line below –

Firefighters paid for and distributed large 4 ft. by 8 ft. full color signs posted throughout the Township of Langley by November 6^th listing all candidates that they say endorsed and supported their views of “Public Safety”. (I will add that all candidates if not a minimum of 95% of all candidates came out in full support of Firefighters.) Therefore their inference being that these are THE only candidates that support public safety is and was bogus. Could there be other reasons for their candidate preferences? – Contract negotiations? OH, and by the way – When were these signs painted and by whom? Just asking the question?

Firefighters paid and distributed door hanging notices identifying their list of candidates with descriptions such as “Support Local Champions of Public Safety” and “ensure those elected to council agree that the safety of your family and your property is a priority”. (I will add that all candidates if not a minimum of 95% of all candidates came out in full support of Firefighters.) Therefore their inference being that these are THE only candidates that support public safety is and was bogus.

Council ratified the agreements – In one of their first acts after taking office these union contracts were ratified unanimously by this council.

Definition of Inducement – “That which induces; incentive. The act of inducing.”

Excerpts from the B. C. Local Government Act (below)

Division 17 — Election Offences

Vote buying

151 (1) In this section, “inducement” includes money, gift, valuable consideration, refreshment, entertainment, office, placement, employment and any other benefit of any kind.

(2) A person must not pay, give, lend or procure inducement for any of the following purposes:

(a) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting;

(b) to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate;

(d) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the election of a particular candidate, the defeat of a particular candidate or a particular result in an election;

(e) to procure or induce a person to attempt to procure the vote of an elector or the failure of an elector to vote.

(3) A person must not accept inducement

(a) to vote or refrain from voting,

(b) to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate, or

(5) A person must not offer, agree or promise to do anything otherwise prohibited by this section.

(6) A person prohibited from doing something by this section must not do the prohibited act directly, indirectly or by another person on behalf of the first person.

Prosecution of organizations and their directors and agents

Time limit for starting prosecution

Penalties

154 (1) A person who contravenes section 151 or 152 is guilty of an offence and is liable to one or more of the following penalties:

(a) a fine of not more than $10 000;

(b) imprisonment for a term not longer than 2 years;

(d) [Repealed by 2014-19-71(a).]

(1.1) Disqualification under subsection (1) (c) is disqualification from holding office as follows:

(a) on a local government;

(b) on the council of the City of Vancouver or on the Park Board established under section 485 of the Vancouver Charter;

(d) as a trustee on a board of education, or as a regional trustee on a francophone education authority, under the School Act.

(2) A person or unincorporated organization who contravenes section 153 is guilty of an offence and is liable to one or both of the following penalties:

(a) a fine of not more than $5 000;

(b) imprisonment for a term not longer than one year.

(3) Any penalty under this Division is in addition to and not in place of any other penalty provided in this Part.

(4) A person or unincorporated organization is not guilty of an offence under this Part if the person or organization exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.

Given the wording of the messages sent out by the Firefighters to residents and given the public’s trust of their firefighters I would strongly suggest this activity would/could have influenced/induced enough residents in their votes to have a significant effect on the final result, certainly for Councilor. The following reflects that possibility.

Stay tuned for discussion of top of mind topics that directly affect us in the Township of Langley and our region to be published in the months ahead and much more….!

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left hand corner under recent posts.

Township of Langley Election Campaign 2014 Post-Mortem – Part ONE …. A lot happened, a sidebar, many questions and much to consider!

Posted: January 10, 2015 in Uncategorized

A little introspection into my decisions leading up to Municipal Election 2014, the decisions we made during the campaign and the interfering activities of others? What should you as a resident of the Township of Langley be concerned about moving forward?

The Two years leading up to Election 2014 –

As I have said many times before, I had no intention of running for office again. Despite being encouraged by others to get involved immediately after the 2011 election, I declined after all I had just made the decision to retire. While I was retired, the concerned resident (and retired politician) in me could not help but follow the controversial actions (a short list follows) of the elected Mayor (Froese) and Council over three years.

Coulter Berry Fort Langley

Brookswood OCP

Trinity University District / Wall – Metro dispute (more on this in a later post)

Willoughby – Non-existent Community Planning.

Glen Valley Forest sell-off

Aldergrove Creekside Forest sell-off

Aldergrove Pool / Rec facility debacle

….and much much more!!

I felt at the very least, in the absence of any respectable and responsible local media in the Township, all of this demanded a voice of conscience and communication of and to Township residents, – thus the launch of www.langleywatchdog.com in January of 2013.

Who was going to run for Mayor and Council in 2014?

As has been very clear through my BLOG Posts over two years leading up to Election 2014 I have been promoting the fact that NO CHANGE on Council would occur until all opposition representing each of our communities would unite into one common voice. I was thrilled when I heard about the creation of the unelection campaign, an organization that in my opinion, after looking at their very professional website and content, looked to be an effective voice of opposition. In an August BLOG Post I volunteered the fact that I was contacted and helped a number of individuals frequently, who it turns out were obviously playing an active part in this movement. So to those that would suggest somehow that I denied helping…. NOT TRUE!

The first question – who was going to run for Councilor? What started out being a concern to many (lack of names coming forward) as it turned out we (taxpayers) had a choice of a number of incredibly solid and professional candidates who would have represented Township of Langley residents exceptionally well. We hope a number of them run in 2018!

The second question – who was going to run for Mayor? No, in all honesty, I initially had no interest in running. Retirement, farm, family and the feeling I had done my part, will do that to you. We had approached a few very solid potential and very electable candidates, unfortunately after a number of conversations and some thorough discussions, it was the wrong time for a variety of reasons, some personal, some business. There is no question, it is a big commitment. So after considerable discussion with past supporters as well as many who had been lobbying me to do so and most important family (it was not a popular decision with the family) I agreed to enter the race. There was no way I was going to sit back and watch this Mayor get in by acclamation given his disastrous record and actions of the previous three years. I would also add, anyone with an ounce of political savvy knows that a Municipal Election without a viable Mayor’s race is a non-event! So at the very least I am proud of the fact that we seriously added to the debate, the public discourse, the need for accountability and I believe we added substantially to the unexpected campaign cost to the current Mayor, his development based supporters and some members of the elected Council.

Satisfaction does come in different forms.

An interesting sidebar leading up to filing my Nomination Papers!

What will be obvious to some and questionable to others my strategy was, IF I was to run it had to be confidential and a surprise. This move was to prevent what happened in 2011, that is, the establishment having a legitimate third candidate enter the race, all designed to split the vote. (Remember – June of 2011 Froese announces his run for Mayor / September of 2011 Kositsky enters the race. This wasn’t by accident, it was initiated given the negative polling results on Froese they had been receiving at the time.)

My Financial Agent filed my notarized papers with Chief Election Officer Mr. Bob Wilson on or about 3:25PM on October 10, 2014 (remember close of nominations was 4:00PM). Isn’t the Chief Election Officer and his staff independent of Township Administration? By 4:30 I was made aware of an email (sent 5 minutes after my filing) from Bob Wilson, Chief Election Officer to Mark Bakken Township CAO stating “Rick has filed for Mayor”!

The question – WHY would he inform Mark Bakken? Bakken’s staff position should not have allowed him any privilege of information in advance. And you ask why did I announce late?

It is also interesting that the email was forwarded by Mark Bakken prior to nominations close to ALL members of Council.

Was Bob Wilson acting on orders of Mark Bakken? Just asking? Was this appropriate? If you believe there was nothing wrong with this action, ask yourself the question, where does right start and wrong kick in? Where does undue influence start and stop? Is there any other influence? I am just asking the question?

In any event, this was my strategy and on balance that was the correct one.

The Campaign itself:

From a personal campaign point of view it came together well. Unfortunately there were a variety of incidents that certainly leave one questioning the politics of the Township of Langley; and who is really behind the engine that runs the political train? Is it much different than what happens in other Municipalities? – In my 35 years of political experience, Yes, it is and it is getting worse to the detriment of all residents. Unfortunately the vast majority of residents are just not aware of what is really going on and who is really in control! To start:

Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s All Candidate Meeting – The Chamber of Commerce (otherwise known as the Establishment’s Political Farm Team) scheduled this All Candidates Meeting for the Tuesday immediately following close of nominations. It was clear that 90% or more of the tickets had been sold by Friday evening for what was clearly scheduled to be a Jack Froese love in. It was an interesting love-in to attend. Non-Partisan, not a chance!

The Coleman Factor (Is this not Political Interference?) – Now anyone that has read this blog from the start knows and understands why Mr. Coleman and I are and have been at odds (to put it mildly) over the past seven plus years. It was clear, going back to our first meeting in February of 2008, when in his words to me were “WE are OK with the job the Mayor is doing”, “WE are OK with the property deals” and “the CAO is a good friend of mine” that Rich Coleman and I were not and would not be on the same page. Unfortunately, some MLAs, take on an attitude of control over the Municipality/City they represent. They believe they are able to dictate what will or will not happen in the community they represent. Were there attempts to influence their Municipalities election outcome? You decide, just asking the question? www.langleywatchdog.com BLOG Posts are filled with reasons and rationale why this can only lead to unfair and undue influence by a member of a senior level of government. I am in fundamental disagreement with any kind of political interference by senior elected representatives. I believe this kind of influence is not healthy for good municipal governance. The Township of Langley has been governed for special interest groups for self-serving reasons for far too long and still is, much to it’s detriment. So to the question – Should your MLA take an active partisan position in your Municipal Election? Is this what you elected your MLA to do? Remember your MLA once elected, represents ALL citizens in his/her constituency. That MLA is obligated by his/her position to work with whomever the residents of the respective municipality/City choose to elect. In all of this I am just posing the question? Are you going to continue to capitulate or are we going to finally develop a backbone and say no more? Consider –

Rich Coleman Facebook – Rich Coleman Facebook campaign with messages of support for Jack Froese? Sent out and shared repeatedly throughout the campaign by his closest allies. Ask yourself the question, WHY would he care who was elected? Is this another “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours scenario?” Just asking the question? What could that be?

Rich Coleman ROBO Calls – An extensive recorded telephone campaign (his voice) asking residents to vote in support of Jack Froese. Ask yourself the question, WHY would he care who was elected? Is this another “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours scenario?” Just asking the question? What could that be?

Rich Coleman / Mary Polak letter to Willoughby residents – One of the serious issues facing Willoughby residents is that of a shortage of School space meeting high growth needs. What exasperated everyone was the announcement out of the Ministry of Education just prior to the election campaign that the rules had changed – specifically that all School Districts must come up with 50% of the cost of NEW schools and they were NOT accepting any 5 Yr. Capital Plans for expansion. There is no other way but saying that the rules had changed just when Township residents needed help which was causing great concern for our Mayor. To the surprise of no one we then have a Mayor’s delegation meeting in Victoria with Minister and MLAs (you remember – Fassbender, Polak, Coleman are all old friends) announcing something but saying nothing. They had a great conversation, they will consider everything BUT there is no money available. On the heels of this non-announcement we have a letter from our two MLAs to residents of Willoughby making like we were on the verge of a solution. Now you don’t think this was an organized campaign of political speak do you – ie talk a lot and say nothing? By the way – Who paid for the letter? (Probably you and me as taxpayers)

More Political Interference from another source? – Stay Tuned for Part 2!

Election Day:

The Township of Langley used DS200 electronic voting (scanning) machines from ES&S for our 2014 elections. These machines were leased. It is surprising to many that there has been little to no challenges in the use of electronic voting machines (in general) in Canada given the very questionable performance issues that have been experienced in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. As some have noted, when you cast your ballot in the Township of Langley you do not expect a U.S. flag to appear on the screen before you which is what occurred in this election. In any event, the DS200 machines offer a paper ballot scanning system which provides a back-up of paper ballots in the case of a problem or a need to check. Reading material on-line about past incidents in the U.S. cannot help but give serious concern about the security of our election outcomes.

A paper trail is all well and good, unfortunately without a legislated opportunity to check (A Random manual count in 2 regular polls), a paper trail serves no useful purpose.

Please go into the following Computerworld on-line site to judge for yourself.

Go into the following link and you will understand why voters should hold some serious concern!

www.computerworld.com/article/2501005/technology-law-regulation/e-voting-machine-freezes–misreads-votes–u-s–agency-says.html

There were three incidents of concern relating to voting day and the Voting Machines –

The communication link between a large Aldergrove Poll and the Municipal Hall did not work and the memory stick had to be transported physically to the Municipal Hall for final count. (We understand there was no security nor witness to this physical transfer.)
There was an electrical problem at the WIX Brown Poll for a few hours in the morning of election day which required a technician. Is it possible this vote and or the machine count was affected before they got it up and running properly?
The communication link between a large Brookswood Poll and the Municipal Hall did not work and the memory stick had to be transported physically to the Municipal Hall for final count. (We understand there was no security nor witness to this physical transfer.)

An EASY solution re Voting Machines prior to the next election – Council should bring forward their by-laws covering electronic voting with an amendment that stipulates TWO regular polls (not advance or special) be randomly selected(through an independent selection process) and go through a manual recount. This should be mandatory in every election.

Election Result:

The changes brought about in the final election result, was the result of the coming together of all communities in a focused way. It was absolutely instrumental in the defeat of three Councilors and the election of Petrina Arnason. Unfortunately I can’t help but add we elected one who is very closely affiliated with the current Mayor and another who is employed by Trinity Western University which has numerous partnerships and/or relationships with the Township of Langley. These two will require and will receive some very close scrutiny over the next four years.

Promises are made during an election, lets make sure that promises are kept! Having said that a review of most platforms show they are vague, and that is by political design. They are filled with platitudes that frankly can make you warm and fuzzy but are open to widespread interpretation. There lies the problem with politics! We made some good strides in Election 2014, lets improve on that for election 2018!

Post-Mortem Part TWO?

There was another very disturbing occurrence that happened during Campaign 2014. Stay tuned for the detail on that part of the Post Mortem! Coming in three days!

Stay tuned for discussion of top of mind topics that directly affect us in the Township of Langley and our region to be published in the months ahead and much more….!

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our readers…. A big thank you to all of our supporters Plus a line-up of BLOG Posts to come and more!!!

Posted: December 21, 2014 in Uncategorized

On behalf of the Green Family we would like to extend our sincerest wishes to ALL of our readers for a VERY Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year! To the election – No matter how many times one goes through an election (and I have gone through too many) as a candidate or manager it takes time to decompress and organize your thoughts post-election!

I apologize for the delay in getting this Post out, just a lot to think about. So after much thought and consideration, we are back, refreshed and loaded for bear!! I want to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt and sincere thanks to all of those that worked so hard on our behalf in the Municipal Election just passed. Your support assisted in bringing some conscience to the issues affecting the Township of Langley. Those issues have not changed, so despite the result (although we have to be pleased with the defeat of three members of the past Council) we have to recommit our energy to hold members of Council accountable for their actions!

So as I said, after much thought (recognizing the number of hours needed on my part to devote to research and writing) www.langleywatchdog.com will be back, energized more than ever! The actions of this Council, our Provincial Government and our Federal Government, as they affect our Township of Langley, will determine what will be written in this space in an effort to communicate to and educating of our residents pro OR con! As always, we will be utilizing my own personal knowledge and experience from the inside as well as that of numerous sources, Freedom of Information, those elected as well as that of staff past and present. Our sources will always remain confidential, but trust me our information will be factual and the basis of any of our propositions worthy of serious consideration.

So what’s ahead? Here is a bit of a teaser list of hot button issues we are working on at present –

UPDATE – Our first will start January ~~2nd~~ 9th (or before) 2015. In no particular order – WHAT IS COMING the first of the New Year?

Post-Election – Post Mortem – So what are some of the behind the scene stories that occurred leading up to and those that occurred during Campaign 2014? For the record none of this is sour grapes despite the fact some will accuse me of just that. My message to those is the same as before, if you disagree with me, great, but do so arguing the facts not fictional hyperbole! What I lay out in this BLOG are the facts, if you choose to ignore, dismiss or otherwise criticize them out of hand as opposed to possibly learning from the information provided, so be it! There are some interesting actions done during this election campaign that in my opinion crosses the line into being unethical, immoral, illegal and/or just fundamentally wrong more than anything else. You can decide for yourself. IF much of what has happened during election campaigns over the past couple of decades in the Township continues in the years ahead, taxpayers should be very concerned about their democracy being hijacked in the interest of a special few. Some interesting content that I am willing to bet many do not know or haven’t considered the serious implications of will be profiled.

Proposed Referendum on the Translink Tax (Sorry, that is what it is!) and Transit as it affects the Township – I have already taken a strong stand on the whole issue / idea of a Referendum within Metro Vancouver, and for good reason. Having said that, now that we know the question and the proposal there is much more to be said and considered BEFORE we vote! From all early reports we read that those on the YES side are saying this is NOT a Translink Vote BUT a Transit Vote! Nothing could be further from the truth. Stay tuned.

Sale of Taxpayer Owned assets to fund future Capital Projects / Aldergrove Pool?– During the recent election campaign a hot button issue was the Aldergrove Pool project and rightfully so. This project has been promised going back a number years during every election. There is much to be said about this proposal, including size, concept, services, location as well as misinformation coming out of Council which has fed its desire to delay the project as much as possible. Council is directly responsible! Stay tuned!

Mayors Red Herring – Task Force on Public Engagement – You know politics is an interesting endeavor. You can run on a meaningful platform of issues that forms and meets your commitment made during an election; or there are those who’s want to be re-elected trumps their commitment to the promises made to the public during the election campaign itself. A Task Force on Public Engagement – WHAT? How about utilizing the legislated resources currently available within the Community Charter? Public Meetings? – Public Hearings? – Petitions? – And Public Input? OH Yes and the key ingredient in all of this is “Listening” to the taxpayer! What a foreign concept.

Willoughby – Development – Density – Parking and Poor Community Planning! Unfortunately the election did not produce the necessary results to drive home some common sense into our Mayor and the majority of the elected Council. The weight of many of our communities will now rest on the shoulders of a few on Council. While I know and understand that residents like to see our Council get along, the questions has to be asked – At what Price? Take it from me, being a part of a minority voice on Council, carrying the banner and fighting for what is right IS NOT easy and comes at a price; however not taking up that fight and just voting against something frankly doesn’t cut it. We can only hope that our three member minority will have the strength to stand up for what they ran on during the election!

Once again…. Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!!!!!!!!!! See you in 2015!

Stay tuned for the above topics to be published the first of 2015 and much more….!

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed and stay involved!!!

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Rick Green’s list of achievements…. A Mayor with a proven record of listening, hearing and fighting hard for residents!

Posted: November 9, 2014 in Uncategorized

My list of achievements displays my will to fight for our residents in the face of wrong doing and the absolute necessity of being honest and transparent in our deliberations and decisions. I am very proud of that fact. Uncovering the serious issues surrounding the Langley Events Center, Mufford Crescent Diversion, Athenry Development, Forewest Devlopment and more demanded the public be told THE TRUTH, and that is exactly what I did! Mayor Rick Green’s List of Achievements over TWO + Years!

Stopped Provincial Government Gravel Mining Plans for Brown’s Pit – The Provincial Government had expressed an interest in re-activating Browns Pit to supply gravel needs for the Gateway Program. We worked with the immediate affected community residents and campaigned directly to the Provincial Government through our MLAs and media to STOP any intentions to re-activate this venue. Supported residents in their media campaign. Listened to the community!

Stopped 224th Street Feed Lot – Worked with staff to ensure any plans to establish a feed lot addressed a number of Township Residents and Township needs and protections in the areas of roads, environment, ground water and stream protection. We worked to ensure the number of cattle was limited to net area affected. With small acreages it is important that we work for the benefit of the majority in so many sensitive areas. Listened to the community!

Renewed Inter-urban rail passenger rights – Uncovered a previously unknown Master Agreement that secured passenger rights on the Pratt Livingston Corridor, through the Langleys, that was due to expire Aug. 29^th We uncovered it 4 months before it was lost forever and under the terms of the agreement we lobbied all municipal councils to assist us in lobbying the President of B.C. Hydro and our MLAs South of the Fraser to renew those rights. Those rights were secured for the people of B.C. in June of 2009! The result of listening to key members of our community!

Established the South of Fraser Community Rail Task Force- With the renewal of passenger rights on the Inter-Urban Corridor we established a Task Force as I promised in the election which has been supported by all cities and municipalities South of the Fraser including our three post secondary institutions. This Task Force was created to lobby senior levels of government and transit providers with a united voice for the much need improvements to our transportation network. An initiative of mine that involved communities from Delta through to Chilliwack!

Stopped the Mufford Crescent Diversion – As promised during the last election we brought a previously unknown road and overpass network, but secretly applied for to the ALC and conditionally approved, back to public open houses and a public meeting. After a 98% rejection from over 1,000 residents through community consultation council still approved through two significant votes, despite public anger. In response to the proponents submission in answer to the 9 conditions, I along with a community committee corrected the inaccuracies in their report. The ALC rejected the application based primarily on those corrections we submitted. We stood firm against Kevin Falcon, Minister of Transportation, Translink, B.C. Gov’t, City of Langley, Council, 12 Funding Partners, the ALC and WE WON! Stood firm against senior levels of government, provincial agencies and the Municipalities of Delta, Surrey, Langley City and the bureaucracy of Langley Township in favor of 95% of the 1,400 + of Township residents who came out against this project.

New Responsible Water Management Plan – Prior to the 2008 election there was a draft water management plan slated for approval that incorporated a number of very contentious changes, including metered private wells, to the current regulations. We revisited that plan and approved a New Water Management Plan that has been passed and sent to Victoria. We also approved some preliminary funding to cap some free flowing artesian wells. Listened to a petition of over 3,500 residents initiated by Penny Anderlini, a South Langley pioneer farming family!

Proposed Fish Farm in South Langley – Worked with residents, township staff and regulatory authorities to ensure we prevented the gravel mining of a proposed fish farm site in South Langley. This proposal was stopped but has since restarted albeit limited to the extraction of approximately 6,000 cu metres. This type of permissible activity in the ALR must stop and we will continue our lobbying to provincial and federal authorities to remove it as a permitted use or at the very least put it into the hands of the Municipal government. We have since been advised that the Federal Government has taken over responsibility for coastal and in-land fish resources. They have been issued their Federal License. Listened to residents!

Initiated public engagement process for the protection of an expanded Noel Booth Park- This site was targeted by the Township as a fill site, a proposal that was a hot issue in the community on or about 2004. I initiated separate conversations with about seven residents who clearly expressed their wishes for an expanded Noel Booth park. These conversations led to a series of meetings with senior staff and a series of public engagement sessions that led to the protection of the site as a passive park for the community. Listened and acted in support of residents of Brookswood!

New Core Aldergrove Community Plan – As promised during the last election we made the Aldergrove Community Plan a priority. I introduced a dramatic change in our community planning process by working with staff to introduce the concept of an Aldergrove Community Planning Committee. This change was presented through a staff report to council and adopted. The committee consisted of members of the community; business, residents and association representatives who were instrumental in council adopting and giving final reading to this document last fall. Acted on a campaign promise to change the process of Community Planning. (After my loss in 2011 the Township have gone back to top down planning)

GVWD Water into Gloucester and Aldergrove – As promised in the 2008 election we brought back the essential element to allow for the growth of Aldergrove and expansion of Gloucester. GVWD water is also essential to take the pressure off of the declining aquifers throughout the Township of Langley. Council approved the route and it is now well under construction. This was considered a priority as it’s implications are supporting needed growth and development in residential, commercial and industrial as well as the protection of our environment. Initiated the long promised but never initiated Metro Water line into east Langley. This project was and is essential for development and growth, commercial and residential.

Repatriated Land Fills on Agricultural Land back to the Township of Langley – Township of Langley residents had been told for years that Landfill on ALR land was the responsibility of the ALR. That was and is Residents were mislead. Through significant due diligence we uncovered that it was the decision of the past municipal council to transfer their responsibility to the ALC contrary to their legislated responsibility. That was stopped and is now back in the hands of the Township of Langley. Listened to residents throughout rural Langley who had long complained but never addressed by Council.

Fought to ensure the Aldergrove Border Crossing was kept open for trucks – Worked on a community, business and municipal committee to stop the planned closure of this crossing for truck traffic. Construction of the expansion of this facility is well under way. This was very important to the economic development of the Township of Langley. Worked with adjoining Municipalities in putting together a community/business committee as well as a political lobbying group (Mayors and other elected representatives) to ensure this crossing was protected for future truck traffic.

Joint Langley Police Board Committee – Established a Joint Police Board Committee consisting of the two Mayors, two CAOs, our RCMP Superintendent and an Inspector. This committee dealt with reviewing policing issues from a high level designed to be pre-emptive on policing needs in the Langleys. Through this committee and the CCJR Committee, a prolific offender program has been launched. Listened to the needs of our community to provide a safe and secure environment through this pro-active community initiative. This ceased to operate after the 2011 election.

New “Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform Committee” – Originated by Township of Langley resident Carol Mills and MP Mark Warawa, this committee was established at the start of our mandate and included representatives from all levels of government, both Mayors, policing and fire from Surrey, Langleys and Abbotsford along with well known Criminal Justice advocate Darryl Plecas and other community leaders. Significant advancements have been derived in policing and senior government lobbying through this committee. A community pro-active initiative.

Created an Open and Transparent Township of Langley Property Inventory – As promised in the 2008 election campaign I had staff create and make available to the public a complete property portfolio providing pictures and property information. This is available through the Township of Langley Real Estate department. Never before available, this initiative laid out in complete detail the Township of Langley property portfolio estimated to be valued at $500,000,000. Previously not available to the public.

Initiated NEW bylaw controlling metal theft that resulted in Province wide legislation – Due to some serious cases of metal theft that resulted in some serious public safety issues (Township at the time considered central to this problem) I went on Global TV to discuss the serious problem we had. In my effort to have our bylaws reviewed I was publicly chastised by Councillors Bateman and Fox suggesting we had a crime problem not a bylaw problem. I was persistent in getting that passed and through our initiative we held a region wide meeting for police, Telus, bylaw officers and fire with the result of our Municipality adopting a resolution to UBCM calling for Province Wide legislation. UBCM adopted our resolution unanimously. That call was heard by Victoria and we were successful in getting that province wide legislation passed. Credit must go to Bill Storey our Director of Bylaws for spearheading this initiative. Listened to a community problem and took steps to find a solution for ourselves but more important throughout the Province of B.C.

Created and established the “Langley Healthier Community Partnership Council” – Together with the City of Langley we created the Langley Healthier Community Partnership Council which is co-chaired by both Mayors and Lois Dixon from Fraser Health. This initiative was about bringing ALL agencies together with a common purpose to find new and creative ways to make our communities healthier. This affects all aspects of our living environment. Another pro-active initiative to create a healthier community in partnership with Fraser Health.

Encouraged Citizens to launch a campaign against the 208^th Street Truck Route – Residents living on or around the 208^th Street corridor approached me for help in their campaign against this initiative. In response to their request I offered advice that led to their email, petition and open house turnout to fight what was being proposed. The residents compiled a petition of 2,200 signatures and an attendance of close to 700 at the Open House held at the LEC. The proposed truck route was defeated by council. This community action was initiated in response to a visit of 25 community residents to one of my Monthly Town Hall meetings held at the Willoughby Hall.

Exposed the serious financial issues surrounding the Langley Events Center – Living up to what I promised during the last election I issued a press release surrounding the extensive problematic issues surrounding the Langley Events Center. Full detail surrounding this issue was ultimately provided by Press Release. Made public the financial wrong doing behind the development of the Langley Events Center in keeping with my promise of public transparency.

Initiated the discussion and creation of the Walnut Grove Business Association – Working with a couple of major business owners in the Walnut Grove area we provided some Township of Langley resources which were instrumental in the Creation of the Walnut Grove Business Association now numbering over 100 members. This association is proving to be very beneficial in a wide variety of ways in business development, crime information and communication and municipal two-way communication. In response to a telephone call from Ron Knight, owner of McDonalds Restaurants in Walnut Grove and Port Kells I initiated and chaired the first couple of information meetings at the LEC of prospective members of what I wanted to see develop – The Walnut Grove Business Association.

Initiated the discussion and creation of the Aldergrove Business Association – Working closely with and being encouraged by the Walnut Grove Business Association, Aldergrove businesses have taken the same step as Walnut Grove. Supported by and with some Township of Langley resources, which were instrumental, Aldergrove is well on their way to create the same vehicle. This association is proving to be very beneficial in a wide variety of ways in business development, crime information and communication and municipal two-way communication. Following the template we used in Walnut Grove we initiated the same campaign in Aldergrove which successfully formed the Aldergrove Business Association.

Mayor’s Monthly Public Forum – As promised during the 2008 election I held monthly Mayor’s Forums which attracted over 1,000 residents in the first two years. This was a drop-in session designed to be informal and to engage the public in a dialogue on individual and collective issues in the community with the Mayor. Delivered on my campaign promise!

Langley Agriculture Trust Foundation – The Township of Langley has created the Langley Agriculture Trust Foundation which is being managed by a Community Board of Directors. This initiative was designed to help promote and fund agriculture improvements within the Township going forward. A pro-active initiative supporting Agriculture in the Township of Langley.

Re-Activated the Langley Horse Federation – I worked with previously involved prominent citizens of the Township of Langley in the promotion of the previously approved Langley Horse Strategy (by council circa 1996) These residents are now back, actively involved in the Langley Horse Federation with a new community based board of directors who are energized to revisit this important Langley initiative. An important element of their work will be building and adding to our agriculture / horse economic development opportunities. A pro-active initiative to support the equine industry in the Township of Langley know with the moniker “The Horse Capital of B.C.” They initiated a Town hall Meeting at the Langley Events Center supported by the Township, of over 300 industry representatives which dealt with a priority list of needs.

Metro Vancouver Food Strategy – As Vice Chair of the Metro Vancouver Agriculture Committee I am proud to have played a major role in the development of the Metro Vancouver Food Strategy. This is an important initiative which is designed to raise the profile and importance of our agriculture, food production and food distribution system. This strategy was the result of an initiative sponsored by our metro Agricultural Committee of which I was Vice-Chair.

Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy – As a Director of Metro Vancouver I played a major role in the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy which has been very closely addressed by the Township of Langley Municipal Council and Staff. This is a provincially mandated initiative that, through our input, protects the Township of Langley and the region’s residents quality of life and liveability. This was a hotly discussed and debated provincially mandated initiative which ultimately resulted in unanimous support by all Metro Directors and ALL Municipal Councils. Approved in 2011.

Translink Transit Service to Gloucester Industrial Park / Aldergrove Corridor – For over 30 years the Township of Langley has ignored the Transit needs of one of the regions largest industrial parks. There are 8,000 to 10,000 employees per day in and out of that park. On my initiative, working with Translink, Gloucester property owners and the Aldergrove Business Association, we conducted a comprehensive survey of their transit needs. Gloucester property owners are contributing $1.4 million in Translink Property Tax levies without so much as a bus to show for it. An initiative by myself in conjunction with businesses in Gloucester to find a solution for the lack of ANY bus transportation in and out of Gloucester. A $1.4 million investment into Translink coffers without a bus to show for it.

There is a lot of gossip, rumor and innuendo being spread by my opposition in this campaign, I find that very unfortunate. A read through my list of achievements demonstrates a Mayor that fought for residents and I don’t apologize for that. In office the easy decision is to go with the flow and don’t rock the boat, I happen to believe residents deserve better. If there are any questions I would be pleased to answer them. Contact me at 604 607-7338 or 604 309-7795 Thank You

Mayor Froese, is showing desperation…. Sad BUT True! I guess he just does not want to let the facts get in the way of a good story!

Posted: November 9, 2014 in Uncategorized

Mayor Froese in finally recognizing the anger directed at him and this Council for their actions in Brookswood is now striking out in a sad, and frankly very desperate, fashion. Calling a Press Conference this Friday morning, Mayor Froese attempted to 1) Deflect blame from where blame should be directed on the Brookswood issue and 2) and NOW he is planning to revamp the Planning Process? Did I hear all of this correctly?

This will be short and sweet – The Facts! Don’t believe me, believe the Council Minutes!!!

One – In May of 2011 the Municipal Council of the day dealt with the Brookswood issue and I was absent! Minutes show who was at Council that day and approved the Brookswood Plan makeup and exactly what they approved.

(For the record I was away for two consecutive meetings due to me daughter’s serious life threatening illness. I am sure the residents of the Township forgave my absence.)

“When the petition from landowners to initiate a neighborhood plan process came before council on Feb. 14th, 2011, Green voted in favor of a motion to refer the petition to staff for a report on the implications of that idea.” Langley Times Nov. 7th. Confirmation of that fact has been reported in the both local papers.

Township of Langley Minutes / Verbatim copy follows of items pertinent to this issue. You can access the minutes through the Township of Langley archive web-site.

Regular Afternoon Meeting of Township Council

Monday. May 30th, 2011 at 3:00 PM

PRESENT: Acting Mayor, M. Kositsky

Councillors J. Bateman, B. Dornan, S. Ferguson, C. Fox, B. Long and G. Ward

Absent – Mayor Green and Councillor Richter

B. 1.

Griffith Neighborhood Advisory Group

Request by the Griffith Neighborhood Advisory Group to appear before Council to answer any questions with regards to the Brookswood/Fernridge Neighborhood Plan – Carried

F. 2.

Brookswood/Fernridge Community Plan Update and Neighborhood Plan

Report 11-66

File CD 6480-21-001

Moved by Councillor Ferguson,

Seconded by Councillor Bateman,

That Council authorizes staff to proceed with a process to update the Brookswood/Fernridge Community Plan, as needed, and to create a Neighborhood Plan as described in this report and set out in the form of a draft Memorandum of Understanding, provided as attachment C, including the hiring of planning staff and retention of consultants all at the proponents expense.

CARRIED (Unanimous)

Special Note: Please note, the motion that passed unanimously was by Acting Mayor Kositsky, Councilors Bateman, Dornan, Ferguson, Fox, Long, and Ward. Similar to other contracts and motions I uncovered while in the Mayor’s office (read Langley Events Center) the wording approved by Council gives staff complete control (a blank cheque) with NO referral back to Council for final approval. This is a practice that MUST be stopped!

Where was Mayor Froese after his election, when confronted by such community outrage over this issue? Why did he not review the process and the agreement which was obviously a conflict of interest?

TWO – Mayor Froese then announces, if elected, he will revamp the Planning process through a Special Committee? This would be another Blank Cheque of trust! Questions the community needs to ask themselves – Who would sit on it? What would the process be for establishing changes? How open and transparent would it be? Would it involve a Community Planning Committee fairly selected and fairly represented? Would it hold Open Public Meetings? And we could go on….

So let’s see if I understand this? We have a Mayor that promised addressing the Community Plan process in his 2011 election campaign and has done nothing for three years except voting for every development that came along despite public anger. We have a Mayor that openly disrespected literally thousands of residents submissions on a litany of developments by voting in favor, not recognizing residents wishes. We have a Mayor who is on record as saying he does not make decisions based on Public Hearings, petitions and other public input but has to consider those that did not come out to the meetings? This is a form of democracy that is NOT welcome in the Township of Langley.

NOW, we have just gone through 4 weeks of the Election Campaign in which this Mayor has defended and justified all of his actions in public debates, all candidate meetings and literature and NOW one week before election-day he recognizes a problem? Given his past history he is not to be believed!

Conclusion – The sitting Mayor on the eve of the election is being pushed by his handlers to respond to what are the real issues in this campaign, unfortunately Mayor Froese’s response at this late a date comes across as political, not sincere and not to be believed. Mayor Froese tried this new “revamp Township Planning” last night in front of over 450 people from all corners of the municipality and it received the reception it deserved!

Vote for REAL Change Nov. 15^th NOT FOUR MORE YEARS OF THE SAME!

There will be more political NEWS in the days ahead. We are coming down to the home stretch. Don’t be swayed, stay the course and lets take back the Township of Langley for ALL of our residents. When in office I fought hard for you and listened to you. Lets get back at it!!

Full Response to Langley Advance Questions – NOT Just a Yes / No / I don’t know!!!

Posted: November 7, 2014 in Uncategorized

Unfortunately my response as printed in the Langley Advance today was seen by some as I did not answer, which of course is not true. I didn’t believe the majority of questions could be answered in the simple terms they requested. They did post my full answers in their expanded version but just in case you missed them, here they are!

Do you currently live in Langley Township?

A – Yes

How long (in years) have you lived in Langley Township?

A – 17 years

Should a new OCP allow increased density in Brookswood and Fernridge?

A – A NEW OCP should only be allowed after a NEW Community Based Planning Model is created through collaboration with the community. The Community must play a very active role in this process.

Should Township council act to slow down development of Willoughby?

A – Once again, like Brookswood above, a NEW Community Based Planning Model must be adopted after collaboration with the community. We have to take a step back and take a deep breath and move forward cautiously listening to the community which has been absent up to now.

Does the Township do enough to help ensure there are enough schools in developing areas?

A – Schools are an important part of the infrastructure necessary to service our ever increasing population. The new rules that have just been laid down by the Province, specifically the School Board must come up with 50% of the funding and now the Province has rejected our 5 year Capital Plan with no funds available this year make our situation untenable. We have two Senior Cabinet Ministers elected by our community and we get this kind of message? We must meet with them to find solutions to this problem. It is Provincially based.

Would you vote in favour of a tax increase?

A – We must establish a more intensive budgeting process looking at a variety of issues such as the ongoing substantial Operating Subsidy of the Langley Events Center and more. At the most a very minimum tax increase would be accepted ONLY after a comprehensive budgeting review looking into ALL aspects of Township spending and current priorities.

Would you support tolling ALL Metro Vancouver bridges to fund transit?

A – Yes I would support a minimum toll on all bridges within the region sharing the cost with all residents going forward. This is something I agreed with when on the Mayors Translink Council. Township residents are unfairly penalized by tolls on the Golden Ears and Port Mann. Live North of the river and you have West Coast Express and no tolls into the region to the West. Live on the South side of the Fraser and you get penalized and unfairly treated.

Would you support road pricing to fund transit?

A – No, there should be no additional costs to residents of the Township of Langley UNTIL we receive an adequate service by Translink. Currently we are not receiving anything close to what we are submitting in tax dollars. (property and gas taxes)

Would you support increasing property taxes to fund transit?

A – No, property taxes are an unfair source of taxation for transit. It should be based on the user formula but as I said above only after adequate service is provided and available to our residents. Suggesting that we are going into a 10 yr. or 20 yr. plan to receive the service we have been paying for years is unfair and unacceptable.

Should a tree protection bylaw be applied to the entire Township?

A – We have to be very careful when we impose a by-law of this nature. Does this include agricultural land? Would it negatively affect a private property owners ability to use his land for an agricultural use. I believe a public process should be established to hear from residents, urban and rural. Community, ALL communities should be represented for input into this issue.

Should developers be required to provide more low-income housing in the Township?

A – There is no question that there is a need and every municipality should do it’s share. I believe a decision such as this can only come after serious due diligence is undertaken. What are best practices, what funds are available for partnership?

Should the Township create more bike lanes and public cycling infrastructure?

A – While this is a trendy improvement we cannot get ahead of it’s need and use. Great idea if it is used over time and at that time should be expanded. What financial resources are available from Translink and other senior governments.

Do you support the construction of high rise developments in Willoughby?

A – This consideration must be broached through a NEW Community Based Planning Model that is developed through Community Collaboration. It is essential the community plays an integral part in that decision.

Should the Township open sales of municipal lands to public scrutiny in advance?

A – One of the issues I ran on in 2008 was the non-transparency of the Township property portfolio. On my initiative it is now available for the public to view through the Township Real Estate Division. Yes, the process to sell municipal lands (IF they should be sold) should be open to public scrutiny, BUT they should be a part of a process to enhance that public asset value.

Should the Township commit to building the Aldergrove rec centre and pool regardless of land sales?

A – Yes and it will take a change in priorities to do so. When we have just spent over $22,000,000 over 4 ½ years in Operational Subsidy for the Langley Events Center we have a serious problem in the Township. With strong financial controls I believe that expenditure can be handled.

Should the Township ensure that roads, sidewalks, and crosswalks are in place prior to the completion of new developments?

A – There must be a review of our Development Cost Charge Funds and the legislation allowing us to do so. There also has to be a full review on the potential for CACs (Community Amenity Contributions). Through both of these reviews I believe we can do a much better job in preparing the necessary infrastructure going forward.

Is the Township doing enough to protect agricultural land?

A – No, it is very clear that they have little respect for ALR land. One just has to look at the Wall Development of 69 Townhouses in the middle of prime farm land to understand their position in ALR protection.

Does the Township need more parks?

A – There is a significant inventory of parks and land dedicated for parks. The answer to that question will be different in Willoughby than possibly another community. The other question is are we talking passive or active parks and for what use? I was instrumental in the move to initiate the Noel Booth Park in Brookswood from what was being planned as a fill site.

Does the Township need more sports and recreation facilities?

A – For the most part we probably have some of the finest facilities in the lower mainland however there will be an increase in need as our population grows. The old Aldergrove complex should be rezoned, sold and developed into high rise development (approved in the Core Aldergrove Community Plan) The funding from that could be utilized for the NEW Aldergrove Pool, Ice and recreation facility.

Should more firefighters be hired, even if it means a tax increase?

A – We should move immediately to make the Township compliant with WCB / Worksafe BC rules of four man crews. That will require some funding however I believe we can find that funding out of our existing budget.

Should more RCMP officers be hired, even if it means a tax increase?

A – We must explore the use of Community Police Officers which is a significantly lower cost where needed.

Do you believe Langley Township and City should be amalgamated into one municipality?

A – Yes, however the discussion is moot point because a referendum would have to be agreed to by the City Council and passed and likewise the same in the Township. I think it is safe to say that won’t happen so why debate it?

I hope the above clarifies my position on a number of issues of interest.

BREAKING NEWS – Endorsement from the B.C. Farmland Defense League for Township of Langley Municipal Council Candidates received!

Posted: November 6, 2014 in Uncategorized

The following Candidates for the Township of Langley have been endorsed by the Farmland Defense League of British Columbia. For the record ALL of these candidates are INDEPENDENT and proud of their independence.

Their comments follow as received:

Mayor	Rick Green	Most prominently recognized as a true fiscal conservative, Green came to the attention of the Farmland Defence League with his successful 2010 fight to ensure the voters and taxpayers of Langley Township were given an opportunity to be heard about the BC government’s plan to pave Langley’s historic Hudson’s Bay Farm. A hobby farmer himself, Green remains one of Langley’s most respected advocates of the preservation of farmland and rural life and the democratic voice of its citizenry.
Council	David Davis	4^th generation professional farmer of a family that has worked Langley’s historic Hudson’s Bay Farm for more than 100 years, Council incumbent David Davis served his community for a number of years as a member of its Agricultural Advisory Committee and as the only reliable voice for agriculture, food security and rural life on the 2011-2014 Township Council.
	Petrina Arnason	Her mother’s daughter in every honourable way, Petrina has carried on the family tradition of eloquently articulating for preservation of all that is wholesome and green in Langley, including its fish bearing watercourses, its wildlife and farmland and farmers.
	Dave Stark	Introduced to the true nature of food security as a former director of Meals on Wheels, this Langley farmer emerged as a leading voice for preservation of his community’s farmland during the 2008-2011 campaign to preserve the Hudson’s Bay Farm from becoming a ribbon of highway. Stark remains a passionate advocate for rural Langley.
	Kevin Mitchell	This Langley sheep farmer has been a vocal opponent of landfilling (dumping) on Langley farmland and an advocate for farmland preservation and honest, transparent government.

Stay tuned for more election information on the Township of Langley Municipal Election 2014!

Respect for Communities….Just imagine! Something is just failing to compute?

Posted: November 2, 2014 in Uncategorized

We have just gone through a very well attended and a very telling All Candidates Meeting put on by the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board at the Langley Events Center. The first items on the agenda were questions of all non-incumbent candidates asking for a yes or no to all of the controversial decisions of the past three years. Well, it was at least admitted that there have been a number of controversial issues, I would suggest very contentious issues over the incumbents three year term in office.

Now, you would think that members of this council would understand the anger by now and be a little bit contrite over the balance of the evening when they had an opportunity to respond directly to these issues. Unfortunately rather than recognizing wrong doing they all fell into a defensive shell and attempted to justify their actions in front of a full house of residents that were looking for more than they got from the incumbents. It was very apparent to all in attendance that the old saying “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior” will be true in this case should this council get reelected.

Why does it appear our Municipal politicians have lost respect for our communities and residents?

One thing I learned many years ago from those I observed, good and bad,if you resist providing opportunities for communication and dialogue with taxpayers, eventually, like what has happening throughout the Township of Langley, it will flare up into a giant protest. Welcome to the Township of Langley Municipal Election 2014! The voter WILL have their final say!

Politicians must earn the respect of the voter, not the opposite. It appears more often than not, that the longer a politician serves, elitism takes over and arrogance rises to the surface. I am firmly of the opinion in the long run that there should be term limits which would afford the opportunity for new ideas; unfortunately that isn’t the case and it is up to the voter to make the changes that our communities need.

How do the taxpayers of the Township of Langley really feel?

Leading up to this Municipal Election, a Mario Canseco Public Opinion Poll by Insights West for the Vancouver Sun released some very interesting information and some suggest very disturbing information for the incumbents; but to taxpayers not surprising. The information that follows validates the feelings and concerns of residents who very plainly have had enough!

The poll was effectively answering the question:

What are residents thoughts on their local municipal governments?

Langley came second to last in overall satisfaction. Only Maple Ridge residents are less satisfied than us in Langley with our Mayor and Council!

When the numbers are reviewed to see why Langley received such a poor rating, the following tells us all we need to know:

57% of Langley residents gave their local Mayor and Council a Fair/Poor rating in regards to being trustworthy!

62% rated their transparency as Fair/Poor!

57% don’t think they are fair!

Only 6% said they were very happy with the present Mayor and Council!

54% didn’t think our Mayor and Council were accessible!

58% didn’t think they were doing a good job of listening to the community!

53% thought they were doing a bad or very bad job of engaging with regular people! Literally nobody thought they were doing a very good job of engaging with regular people.

53% clearly said it was time for a change!

63% wanted better people running for public office!

75% of Langley residents believe developers and lobbyists have TOO MUCH INFLUENCE in Langley! This was the most stunning number in regards to developers and their relationship with the present Mayor and Council!

Conclusion?

This is an independent poll on the feelings of average citizens about their Municipal elected leaders. It is very clear that the tipping point of dissatisfaction has been reached and the wishes are for REAL Change. We have two weeks to go in this election campaign and I can tell you without a doubt those in power and those with something significant to gain if the incumbents stay in power will be pulling out all the stops. They have a lot to lose!

On the other hand, to make the changes all of us are looking for we must stay the course, talk to our friends and neighbors, talk to family and get involved in your area to promote the change that will benefit us all. The Township of Langley is a great Municipality with great people making up great communities.

There is no question that we will be out spent given the money and power that is at stake, but the forces for change will not be out motivated to make change happen WITH YOUR HELP!

Stay tuned for more Township of Langley Municipal Election Information! More updates shortly!!!

Press Release: Rick Green announces he is a candidate for Mayor of the Township of Langley!

Posted: October 12, 2014 in Uncategorized

Today I am announcing that I will be running as an independent for Mayor of the Township of Langley in the Municipal Election to be held Saturday November 15^th, 2014. While very happy in retirement with no plan of getting back into politics my decision to do so is in response to numerous requests I have received from all areas of the Township of Langley. This decision has been made only after careful and long reflection and discussion with my family; my decision to run is also in response to the devastating decisions made by our current Mayor and Council and the negative affect those decisions are having and will have on our community.

Carol and I have lived in the Township for over 17 years; we have been married for over 47 years, have three grown children who live in the Township and we have four grandchildren. It is well documented that I am an enthusiastic free enterpriser. The wide-spread community support and encouragement I have received to run for Mayor is very broad based throughout the Township who have identified themselves as the “Citizens to Re-Elect Rick Green for Mayor”. We sincerely appreciate that support and fully understand why residents want change, REAL Change!

After the last election I was prepared for retirement and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and working around our property. I was willing just to sit back and observe from a distance how this Council would operate and deal with the issues of the day. It only took about ten months for me to feel the need to do my part through a community BLOG designed to inform Township residents about what is really going on at their Council table. Since the end of this Council’s first year it has been no secret that there has been an endless number of community based controversies over decisions this council was making on a weekly basis. Observing the actions of Mayor and Council and seeing the absolute frustration on the part of taxpayers and their collective communities, I have reached the point where I cannot sit back and observe any longer without doing something about it. Again I am responding to the urging of a large number of taxpayers who have had enough!

There is a tendency to place our trust in Council members elected to represent us. Although these representatives are elected to look after our best interests, in the case of the majority of current Township of Langley Council they have fatally broken that trust. We need effective REAL Change –

I am committed to changing the way our communities are being treated and the endless number of questionable deals and decisions being made behind closed doors that suffer from a complete lack of transparency and due process. A special deal for friends and insiders comes to mind.

Who is to blame? The blame has to lie squarely at the feet of Mayor Froese and his majority on this Council who have clearly gone past their best before date. Mayor Froese has shown a complete lack of leadership on a variety of issues. It is the Mayor and Council’s responsibility to provide strong and effective leadership for staff in the areas of fiscal responsibility, accountability and Community Vision. The Mayor of the Township must set the course and lead council and staff toward initiatives that will serve the best interests of residents and taxpayers, embracing community input and LISTENING TO THAT COMMUNITY INPUT! Listening to the Mayor’s own words, he doesn’t believe in the public’s right to be heard and listened to.

I have operated my own business with a million dollar payroll, served on many boards both elected and appointed in the private and public sector and served as an Alderman in Delta and Mayor in the Township of Langley (Curriculum Vitae is available)

My experience in Municipal government gives me a unique perspective in terms of evaluating the performance of this council. It is time for REAL Change!

Why are we seeing so many poor decisions that are costing our communities and taxpayers significantly? This cost comes not only in dollars and cents but in quality of life and livability. What has become so blatantly clear to all is that this Mayor and Council have NO respect for public input.

So what are some of the issues?

WILL NOT LISTEN TO RESIDENTS / TAXPAYERS – In what has become a sad reflection on local democracy and governance, the only avenue available to residents (Public Hearings and Petitions) to communicate their interests or concerns to their elected Council have been publicly denied. The Mayor is on record that HE DOES NOT make decisions based on Public Hearing presentations and petitions! Examples of not listening? Coulter Berry Fort Langley, Athenry, Willoughby Development i.e. Forewest and more, Brookswood, Aldergrove and Glen Valley – It just doesn’t quit!

Approving a 69 unit Wall Townhouse Development in the middle of Prime Agricultural land.

Approving the Forewest Development, a multi-unit, multi floor and multi Condominium building development in a community that had to be re-zoned from single family!

NO ACCEPTABLE COMMUNITY PLANNING – Despite very high levels of community and public anger we continue to embrace top down planning with Community involvement and collaboration absent from the process.

Out of control Taxpayer funded subsidy of over $32,000,000, Capital and Operating over 4 ½ years for the Langley Events Center, over $11,000,000 during the last year alone! These are from the Township’s own numbers!

Building a $7.5 million expansion to the Langley Events Center without any public input, public need or public announcement until six weeks after construction started. Transparency doesn’t appear to be important in the Township of Langley.

The majority of this Council purchased a Golf Course and a Fort Langley Restaurant with real extrapolated costs estimated to be over $12 million… Why?

Buying property from Trinity University paying 80% over assessed value, an additional $1.2 million of your tax dollars.

Very Questionable Land Deals (Sales) that lack any form of public transparency that can only lead to public suspicion and mistrust with their Elected Municipal Council ranging from selling ¾ of an acre for $12,000 to the Dickson Pit sale for $2 million.

What are my plans? What is my Platform?

Throughout the course of the last couple of years I have had ample time to sit back and observe the irresponsible actions of this Municipal Government. While I have had the time to consider what I would do, I never considered that it was something I would undertake until now! While considering my plans going forward I have identified a very comprehensive platform surrounding the issue of how to put the Township back on track and re-establish public confidence in their municipal government. My platform will be announced as we get into the election period; however as a general statement I offer the following:

With the support of a NEW Municipal Council we will review and address the public angst on the many public issues surrounding loss of protection of our Community Heritage Value, No Community in Community Planning, questionable property purchases (Your tax dollars), questionable property transactions (Your property portfolio asset value), debt, taxation, projects over-budget and Langley Events Center Subsidies, Operational Costs and facility use contracts that are in place.

It is important to understand that as an independent (all councilors and the Mayor claim to have been in the recent past) changes will only happen with the support of the majority of the elected council. I believe that my plans for sound management of the Township will be supported by any and all clear thinking elected councilors and I am committed, willing and able to work with all councilors that are elected and embrace their willing contribution and participation going forward. I sincerely tried to do that during my three year term but resistance on their part failed the taxpayer.

How satisfied are you? IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE! It is time to start ensuring the Township of Langley will be the community of choice in the Lower Mainland. At no time in our history, with the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy, have the development pressures been greater and the land use decisions been more acute. Working together we can build a community that respects individual opinion and values community input. Working together we can expedite economic development activities building a much stronger commercial and industrial tax base. Working together we can involve interested members of the community on Council Advisory, Standing and Select Committees as well as Task Forces that are established with clear objectives in mind focused on community improvement. Community members of those committees should feel valued offering their expertise and commitment of time. We can achieve this by setting priorities that meet our taxpayer’s community and fiscal expectations. To build the community I talk about we need to bring about change in the Mayor`s office and CHANGE THAT WORKS! IT IS TIME…. IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE!

I am asking for your support November 15^th, 2014 for sound, strong and fiscally responsible leadership for the Township of Langley and for a Mayor that has proven he listens and fights hard for YOU the taxpayer.

Sincerely

W. R. Rick Green

Candidate for Mayor

Township of Langley

Mayor 2008 – 20113.+ick Green 604 607-7338 Cell 604 309-7795 email at rgreen@rickgreenformayor.ca or my website at www.rickgreenformayor.ca for a detailed platform and campaign information.

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UPDATE – Are YOU happy with OUR democratic process being hijacked? Was it? – Read On – You decide!

Vote buying

Prosecution of organizations and their directors and agents

Time limit for starting prosecution

Penalties

Township of Langley Election Campaign 2014 Post Mortem – Part TWO …. Was there Political Interference? Was there financial gain? Many questions and much to consider!

Vote buying

Prosecution of organizations and their directors and agents

Time limit for starting prosecution

Penalties

Township of Langley Election Campaign 2014 Post-Mortem – Part ONE …. A lot happened, a sidebar, many questions and much to consider!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our readers…. A big thank you to all of our supporters Plus a line-up of BLOG Posts to come and more!!!

Rick Green’s list of achievements…. A Mayor with a proven record of listening, hearing and fighting hard for residents!

Mayor Froese, is showing desperation…. Sad BUT True! I guess he just does not want to let the facts get in the way of a good story!

Full Response to Langley Advance Questions – NOT Just a Yes / No / I don’t know!!!

BREAKING NEWS – Endorsement from the B.C. Farmland Defense League for Township of Langley Municipal Council Candidates received!

Respect for Communities….Just imagine! Something is just failing to compute?

Press Release: Rick Green announces he is a candidate for Mayor of the Township of Langley!