Throughout an exhaustive process, I have made an absolute monumental effort trying to educate the regional district to enact enforceable changes to the "derelict properties bylaw."
The current state of this bylaw has solidly employed literally decades of tactful inaction guaranteeing this habitual failure, allowing rural properties to grow into massive rural decay free of any repercussions. While I have strongly encouraged correction to repeal this floundering bylaw, the regional district automatically relies on a series of well-placed excuses that has served this society extremely well to help justify the rampant deterioration of derelict properties.
Navigating through the regional district process, I found the region conducts itself in a very particular manner. First, it starts with a treacherous multitude of rude "dead end" email exchanges. Most staff are easily frustrated, fueled with argumentation and raising their voices to hostile levels.
In one phone conversation I was hung up on. Professionalism? Not exactly!
After being immersed in these shocking circumstances, I contacted the region's main director.
The director is the most capable of making changes to this neglectful bylaw. However, I was immediately introduced to a strong combination of stonewalling and issues with weak motivation.
The only option given was a very insistent "sit down - face to face" meeting, but after experiencing such a toxic pattern of operations in which the region operates, I carefully took into account the possibility of a hostile situation and immediately declined this meeting. Despite the level of difficulty pertaining to communication, the only real effective way to promote responsible communicable exchange appeared to be only in the form of email. Unfortunately, this regional director was in no way interested in this form of communication, therefore again forcing this bylaw to stay in non-compliance.
My next option was to enlist the assistance of MLA Shirley Bond. With her years of experience, she should be able to offer competent guidance to the region, applying essential workable solutions to bring this "derelict properties bylaw" into compliance.
Amazingly, Shirley immediately positioned herself in a resistive, steadfast position, avoiding any involvement to bring about a quality restorative solution.
With Shirley's preferred lack of commitment to provide the necessary assistance to work in tandem with the Regional District again did nothing to help install the required changes to this failed bylaw. I'm sure this happens in many cases, however her uncooperative approach was an astounding failure.
Taxpayers will never lose context of what is important particularly when it comes to failed government legislation.
Elected officials must not assume a special comfort when failed legislation seems to favour only the best interest of the elected official. Governing bodies taking advantage of weak bylaws that provide an easy excuse to exercise this automatic inaction ultimately reinforces this neglectful conduct.
Taxpayers expect confidence in our elected officials.
This fiasco I have had to maneuver through quickly shows the damage failed legislation is truly capable of.
Aaron Thompson
Prince George
