Editor:
Town council’s recent decision to limit the types of public questions permitted at council meetings is troubling.
Now only questions that, “relate strictly to matters which appear on the council agenda at which the individual is speaking” can be asked.
No questioning of past council decisions or requests for updates on actions promised by council will be permitted.
No queries about how town by-laws are enforced (or not) will be allowed.
Question period typically lasts less than 10 minutes so time or efficiency are not the issue. So why the limitations of question period? They were adopted because, “one person was asking what (Mayor) Hutchins said were irrelevant questions.”
Is it reasonable that because one person asked some “irrelevant” questions that all citizens should have their questions restricted?
This appears to be an over reaction. Hopefully council will re-consider and return to an open question period at council meetings.
Pam Fraser
Ladysmith
Editor:
Parking is appalling on First Avenue from Methuen Street to the library, then High Street to the highway and Gatacre to the highway.
On Friday, Jan. 14, I wanted to go buy a land line telephone to have in case of emergency like the recent power outage.
I am a disabled senior and cannot walk more than half a block without assistance. So I need a parking spot reasonably close.
On the first try, no spots. So I went around the block three times with no success.
So I gave up. I had business at Coronation Mall and came back approximately one hour later and six of the same cars were in the same spots on first.
So I went around five more times. I saw a spot and signalled I was going in and some jerk pulled a u-turn right in front of me, gave me the finger and pulled into the parking spot. So, I gave up and came home.
During all that time, if I had gone to Wal-Mart in Duncan — which I should have and will from now on — I would have saved money and frustration.
So you say ‘Shop Local’ — BAH HUMBUG! No wonder locals go out of town to shop.
And you want tourists to stop and shop in Ladysmith? Good luck!
Rena Hodge
Ladysmith
Editor:
As taxpayers we need to be concerned about the council’s bicycle plan. It is ambitious and costly and if the whole is implemented, we will have a network of bike lanes over a large part of the town with racks and shelters and lock ups.
Rationale for the plan is “to promote safe use of the bicycle and good health.”
I question if any of this is needed or desirable. We do not have enough traffic to make safety an issue. The few cyclists we have will go where they want not where lanes are. Lanes will not encourage people to cycle. Let’s face it, the topography of the town doesn’t encourage anyone to hop on a bike.
Of immediate concern is council’s choice for the installation of the first cycle lane: Bayview Ave. I live on Bayview and I doubt if half a dozen cyclists a week use this road, so how did it get chosen?
Bike lanes are a feature of large urban areas with heavy traffic and large numbers of commuting cyclists not small towns with one main street.
Are we going to have cycle lanes with no cyclists to go with our bus with no passengers?
Brian Bradshaw
Ladysmith