City Plan

It has been asked why I did not vote in support of the Nanaimo Reimagined City Plan. Let me give my reasons. This was a difficult decision because the document is so huge and has so many different components. First, I do not believe the Plan is part of some mysterious conspiracy theory. My objections are much more down to earth. There is much in the Plan which I do support, including the land use framework. However, I expressed concerns from Day One that the Plan was being driven by members of Council rather than the public, and that the questions and methodology was flawed. In addition, for the me the Plan does not focus enough on the basic mandate of City government: to provide basic services to residents and concentrate on issue we have control over. So when I read that the Plan is based on a philosophy that "focusses primarility on transformative social and ecological change" I cannot accept that premise. There is lots of concern for the environment but very little on economic development and helping local business. Not to mention the reality that spending and taxation need to be curtailed in this time of high inflation and cost of living with many residents struggling. I disagree strongly with the section on transportation policy, which totally fails to recognize the need to accommodate increased traffic on local roads. We just want to ignore that fact and hope people ride bikes! There is also very little related to community safety and social disorder, which I believe is the main concern for many residents. I want a Plan that is more realistic and down to earth in addressing the concerns of our residents.