SVO Chats with the New CRD Chair Saanich Councillor Colin Plant

by Roger Stonebanks, citizen reporter

The new Chair of the Capital Regional District – Saanich Coun. Colin Plant – lists four priorities for the coming year and regional transportation tops the list.

He told SVO,

“I am committed to ensuring we come to a consensus of what a co-ordinated approach to transportation could look like.  A lot of work was done during the past four years to bring forward a Transportation Service but it was eventually shut down due to a lack of consensus on the proposed service.

“I believe we need to revisit this topic and address sub-regional concerns before we bring it forward to the board for a vote to establish a new service. One approach may be to wait to introduce a levy for a service until we have the wastewater project up and running. Until then we would operate within current budgets.”

Transportation has been bedeviled by debate over what should be done as well as – who should do it – and how. And who  pays and how? Most of the concern has centred on the West Shore and the Colwood Crawl. What about the E&N right-of-way? Commuter rail? Bus? And then – the rest of the region. The debate continues.

The other three priorities listed by CRD Chair Plant were – approving and seeing Housing First projects built; completion of the wastewater (sewage) treatment plant at McLoughlin Point and developing a plan to deal with the “residuals” – the leftover sludge. Whatever eventually happens – the sludge will be piped 19 kilometres to Hartland Landfill in northwest Saanich – to await decision-making on what next.

He will ask the CRD board to consider some items during Strategic Planning sessions and they need to find favour with other board directors if they are to advance. He mentioned Performing Arts Spaces starting with the Royal and McPherson theatres; consider Economic Development regionally; consider a new Parks Acquisition strategy; planning for the future of Hartland Landfill; and working with the province “to determine and build an alternate route over the Malahat.”

Asked what he seeks to accomplish, Plant said he views the position of Chairperson as “Service to the board, its committee chairs and the CRD. My goals are just as important as any other of the 23 directors. Once we have identified what our collective goals are throughstrategic planning, I will work hard to ensure these are effectively and economically implemented.

“I also want to work towards an attitude of “we” at the board table, not “us and them.”

I will do this by being respectful and collegial in my dealings with directors, run efficient monthly board meetings and encourage the members of the board to meet outside of our meeting times to get to know each other better. An example of such an activity could be a ‘Lunch and Learn’ tour of one of our facilities and/or parks.”

Plant plans to create a Standing Committee to focus on First Nations relations. “This committee, recommended by the First Nations Task Force that reported during the last CRD board’s term, will work to foster stronger relationships between First Nations and local government.

“I am committed to helping the public better understand the CRD and what it does to make the lives of CRD residents better. I will be proactive in my dealings with the media and be readily available.”

Given his dual political roles as Saanich councillor and CRD Chair – and with a full-time job as drama teacher at Claremont Secondary School in Cordova Bay – how will he find time? Plant replied that he will take leave from teaching as needed.

“My Saanich Teachers Association collective agreement has a provision for leave for local elected office and I have used this provision carefully the past four years (when I am not at school I have the costs of the substitute deducted from my pay). I will stay in constant communication with my school principal to ensure he is aware of my commitments and determine if a greater leave is needed. In the interim I have made provisions for the same substitute to cover all my absences.”

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PLEASE NOTE: SVO PRINT CORRECTION

In the Saanich Voice Online interview with Saanich Coun. Colin Plant in his additional role as Chair of the Capital Regional District, the word “wait” was dropped from one sentence regarding regional transportation – in the printed edition of the story .

As published the story read —

“I am committed to ensuring we come to a consensus of what a co-ordinated approach to transportation could look like.  A lot of work was done during the past four years to bring forward a Transportation Service but it was eventually shut down due to a lack of consensus on the proposed service.

“I believe we need to revisit this topic and address sub-regional concerns before we bring it forward to the board for a vote to establish a new service. One approach may be to introduce a levy for a service until we have the wastewater project up and running. Until then we would operate within current budgets.”

Correctly, with the word “wait” in place, the story should have read (see the second-last sentence, bold-faced for emphasis) — “I am committed to ensuring we come to a consensus of what a coordinated approach to Transportation could look like.  A lot of work was done during the past four years to bring forward a Transportation Service but it was eventually shut down due to a lack of consensus on the proposed service.  I believe we need to revisit this topic and address subregional concerns before we bring it forward to the board for a vote to establish a new service.  One approach may [be] to wait to introduce a levy for a service until we have the wastewater project up and running.  Until then we would just operate within current budgets.”