Promises Broken

This is the first of a long series on Promises Broken by Mayor Rick Green of the Township of Langley. Candidate Green promised much in 2008 while on the campaign trail and now we see if the rubber has met the road after one year on the job.

The Water Management Plan

During the campaign Township Council received a DRAFT Water Management Plan. Staff detailed measures that COULD be taken in order to help conserve our precious water supply. The DRAFT report suggested that private wells could be metered to help people see how much water was being used, with an eye at helping them to now conserve and cut back on this usage.

Then candidate Rick Green took this draft plan and metering proposal to the streets. He told the public that the Township of Langley would meter private wells, conveniently leaving out the for purposes of conservation part. Green promoted the idea that water meters would include the ToL billing residents for water from private wells.

As this issue was before Council and then Mayor Kurt Alberts did not know the wishes of Council, he wasn't able to comment on this issue until the final debate. By then the damage had been done. Kurt Alberts DID NOT support water metering even for conservation purposes, as that would give the perception of billing, etc. Neither did the majority of Council and so before the election, this metering provision was removed from the draft plan. Kurt Alberts was being a great mayor by waiting to see what the wishes of Council were. He put aside his own opinion to give that a chance. All of this planning was being done so that the Township of Langley would say how water would be managed here, and not the Provincial government dictating.

On Rick Green's candidate website which was removed directly following the election, but which The Langley Record has full copies of, Green said,

"Currently - Under Kurt Alberts leadership the Township initiated a Water Management Plan. without initial public input and consultation starting with a joint Township and Provincial Government initiative in 2004 designed to tax the groundwater resource.

This initiative was designed to go public and to be sent to Victoria for implementation in early 2008 after a very short two month time frame, including two open houses.

After a significant taxpayer revolt, Council backed off of the Taxation Authority and metering of private wells. The second draft has now been introduced and will be studied over the next ten months. This plan includes an estimated administration cost of $700,000 to 1,000,000 per year for 20 years. Who pays and for what?

Proposed under Rick Green

Put a hold on the current proposed draft Water Management Plan #2 and hold talks with the Provincial Government, our MLA's and the Federal Government through our MP to identify our real needs in this process, specifically to address the needed water line infrastructure required into areas such as Brookswood, Aldergrove, Murrayville and the Gloucester Industrial Estates.

There are some positive recommendations within this plan but also some very real negative impacts or certainly items to be clarified. Something that needs immediate review is the estimated annual cost of $700,000 to $1,000,000 per year for 20 years to pay for annual administration of the plan...."

Promise Broken
On September 21, 2009 Council approved the very same plan that Kurt Alberts had supported. Mayor Green did not raise any objections and only Council Kositsky voted in opposition to the plan being forwarded to the Provincial Government. Mayor Rick Green broke this promise to the residents of the Township of Langley.

Broken Promises

Just one year ago many, many promises were made to the residents of the Township of Langley by a certain candidate for mayor. These promises tickled the ears of many that listened. Old men dreamed dreams and the electorate shifted with high hopes. Everything sounded good to them and it was all wrapped in promises of "openness and transparency".

But very quietly and unnoticed by most residents, the day after the election Rick Greens website came down along with all the promises and audio files. Since that day, the promises of election past have faded and survive only in the minds of those that can recall what was said to the masses.

We here at The Langley Record have not forgotten the promises made to you. So, starting this week we will be previewing a new weekly series entitled, "Promises Broken". It's the stuff that The Langley Mimes can't print for fear of angry calls to their puppet editor. The Langley Retreat won't publish it as they struggle to stay out of bankruptcy and attract more advertising dollars. A certain female councillor's site promised you long ago that they would provide some reports, but apparently they are still out fishing and perhaps afraid to piss off some joint supporters because they were once part of the slate. So, we at The Record are here to present the facts without pulling any punches. Stay Tuned, the best is yet to come!

This Train Isn't Leaving The Station

By Guest Editor Mildred Manor

The Editorial Board of this blog have given Mayor Rick Green the benefit of the doubt regarding his light rail task force, despite the involvement of the Milner Greens. But I have an opposing viewpoint and they have graciously allowed me to publish it here. Thanks fellow EB members!

This Train Isn't Leaving The Station

Why you ask? Well likely because Mayor Green and his citizens committee (or so he states - we will discuss that later in this post) didn't do their homework prior to presenting to all the Mayors and Councils south of the Fraser. The City of Surrey announced some time ago their support for a rail demonstration project in conjunction with the heritage rail folks (Mufford, Holt, et al - all staunch Milner Green campaign supporters). Trying to capitalize on Mayor Green's position, his cohort (read "cronies") decided to work the momentum created by Surrey and developed a proposal to extend this through the Fraser Valley on the old interurban line. Mayor Green and his group reported to Township Council on Oct. 5th. The report titled "Fraser Valley Heritage Rail Update" in actual fact wasn't an update. It was a proposal for ToL Council to back his supposed south of the Fraser Rail Task Force.

With due consideration and politeness Township Council indulged and appointed a member of Council to this task force. Prior to presenting to Council, Mayor Green and his band of tired engineers (including hanger on member Jacob deRaat) presented to Langley City Council.

With his chest puffed and his ego stroked by Township Council, Green felt he had tied the issue up (no pun intended). Things started to unravel later that week as Township Council received a pointed and rather blunt letter from TransLink C.E.O., Mr. Tom Prendergast in which he straightened the record out on several points that Mayor Green and his misguided citizens committee made in their presentations to numerous councils. Further, he implored the committee to correct the points made regarding TransLink's alleged support (which the committee interpreted quite incorrectly - listen folks, listen) and told Green in no uncertain terms to remove the TransLink logo from their presentation.

This was a huge blow to the committee as one of their reported key partners for support (both moral and funding) was allegedly TransLink. Mayor Green then shot back a letter to Mr. Prendergast using Township letterhead (what you scream!). I thought this was a citizens committee and that Mayor Green was actually just a simple citizen (Rick Green) on the committee, and not the Mayor as he had reported. So all of a sudden this is a Township Committee and his rebuttle is now clearly laid out on Township letterhead and I would guess typed by Township staff. Interesting that Green failed to use the "Mayor's letterhead" with his name and picture only - choosing to use the mayor and council letterhead. Perhaps he felt that all the names collectively added credibility to his cause? This is evidence of a blatant lie to Township Council and an abuse of power in his position as Mayor - are you a citizen or Mayor when you speak for this committee Mr. Green? We are very confused as you appear to throw your mayor's cape on and off at will.

Doesn't this bring back memories of the supposed "private citizen" Rick Green presenting to the ALC and mentioning five times in the presentation that he was mayor - another Community Charter violation methinks!

Now comes the biggest blow. My sources tell me that on Monday a week ago all members of Township Council, Mayors and Councils south of the Fraser and all other government bodies received a letter from the Mayor of the City of Langley simply challenging Mr. Green (no not Mayor Green) and his antique band of self-proclaimed railway officinados to answer to eleven points that represent some legitimate questions regarding the reality or authenticity of this proposed demonstration project. Apparently this rational letter caused an explosion. I guess it is fair to say relations between the Langleys are at an all-time low. With Mayor Fassbender's letter and Translink's rebuttal in hand this guest editor suspects that this project has derailed and hit the end of the line. There won't be any diesel smoke blowing from these engines, just from that smoke blowing from the ears of the Milner Greens. Of course as Holt and deRaat are from South Surrey and Whiterock, it would be unfair to label them as true Milner Greens. So why do they muck around in Langley anyway?

Next time folks, cross your 'T's' and dot your 'I's' before you stoke the coals. It will be a long time coming now, as all credibility has been lost. Area councils were all told that this proposal had regional support from all the other communities and TransLink. But now we find it was all a sham and this is why This Train Isn't Leaving The Station.