We urge citizens to scrutinize and report on either of these meetings at 9 am on Friday, May 27. Details are below.
Metro Vancouver is at the centre of a grasp for greater control of 22 municipalities and is engaged in pressure tactics to force the Coquitlam to accept the 30-year “Regional Growth Strategy” reported on MetroVanWatch. Coquitlam has raised serious concerns about the RGS, reported elsewhere on this website. The Metro Vancouver board is not publicly accountable, yet it controls a budget costing each household over $500 a year (over $600 million per year budget), and under the RGS would have even greater control over land use decisions in Vancouver.
TransLink is considered to be “local government” under the Regional Growth Strategy, yet its board consists of political appointees with no public accountability. On June 13, 2011, new Articles enter into effect giving the board chair sole power to control secrecy at TransLink (i.e., to determine what is confidential and concealed from the public at board meetings). TransLink will have major influence in land use decisions, and proposes infrastructure developments that will cost billions of dollars. More public scrutiny is needed.
Metro Vancouver Board Meeting
9 am, May 27, 2011
Metro Vancouver Head Office, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby
(Walking distance from Patterson Skytrain Station)
Agenda and details here. The RGS is not on the agenda this time, but still might be referred during the regular meeting. Unfortunately, the board is likely to cover the RGS only in the closed part of the meeting.
TransLink Annual General Meeting
9 to 11 am, May 27, 2011
Creekside Community Ctr, 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver
(Walking distance from Olympic Village Station on Canada Line)
More information here. Agenda had not yet been posted as of May 20.
MetroVanWatch 