Why did Admin disable new comments on the Kathy Moore thread?

Exactly. Just like other news, it's in the spotlight for a few days, then vanishes, and gets replaced with something else. We can't let that happen, nothing ever gets fixed that way. 

This has become a bit like the parent who thinks the coach is doing a terrible job, but all they do is bitch about it. If you don't like what the Mayor and Council are doing for Rossland, then might I suggest rather than complaining on Bhubble, you run for council or mayor at the next opportunity. Let us know who you are by signing your post, you never know, you might just garner some votes.

Actually, despite the rather patronizing tone, LM has a good suggestion.

Come the next council election it might be an idea to put together a slate of candidates who don't like the direction our current city council are taking Rossland.

It may well be Kathy Moore's legacy that she has effectively divided the city into Mooristas and the resistance.  Come next elections, let's see whether the resistance indeed 'might just garner some votes'.

You're suggesting a concerned citizen run for council in order for their voice to be heard? Get power, impose will? A person who runs for council shouldn't do it so they can push their agenda. The role is intended to respond to citizens. The fact you use that as an argument against somebody voicing their opinion, about a mayor who royally screwed up is illogical.

Not to mention the fact that the vast majority of citizens don't have the time, resources or personality to get involved in politics. Those people should stay quiet? How about council and mayor do their job and respond to the citizens they serve? The appropriate response is for Kathy to step down. Trust is lost and the City needs to move on.

Let's not forget about this. Time has passed, yes. Kathy is still enjoying her vacation. Kathy still needs to be held accountable. I am more pissed off than I was before. Kathy and Council are carrying on as normal, as if Kathy did not nationally embarass our town and act in a hypocritical, disrespectful manner to all residents. She needs to acknowledge this and step down.

Total f**king horses**t. My mom passed last July from dementia and I wasn't able to see her in her last few days due to this Covid crap. The hospital only allowed 1 family member, my dad, and here's the Mayor taking a trip. 

FYI I did not disable new comments but perhaps there is a limit on the number of comments in general. Thanks for starting a new conversation.

I am glad BCMtnDog responded to the comment re: if you don't like it, run for Council.

BCMtnDog is exactly right, you do not run for Council to push your own agenda. I recently heard a US politican talk about his responsibility to voters. It was like he said there was a 50% cut in income tax. I was jaw dropped shocked, the clouds parted sun shone, birds sang. What a concept! I had no idea.

That is absolutely NOT how Rossland government operates. I have heard Kathy say, 'if you don't like it run for Council'. Not everyone has the time, energy, resources, or personal attributes to be involved in politics. Just because I voted for you doesn't mean I give you license to do whatever YOU want. 

I can say unequivocably, Kathy has no plans to do anything when she gets back but get down to business building the MidTown project - her swan song. Kathy sent letters in response to some citizens' letters. They contain a thin apology wrapped up in prolific praise of herself. Then said she has work to do and she's getting to it.

Her recent actions call for her to resign. The consquence of her astronomically bad decision and profound lack of accountability should be to deny her the right to work on the project. That is the only thing she cares about. 

Thank you Bhubble Admin for letting us know :)

To LM, thanks for the overview and advice! it really unmuddies the water. I do not wish to run for council, nor do I have the resources to play in a popularity contest. And I don't feel the need at this point to speak out as anything else but one of MANY concerned tax paying citizens of Rossland. Public outcry IS how politics progress, IF government works for its constituents. This is the problem over and again! 

In my humble opinion the midtown development IS the reason why Kathy won't resign and council won't apply pressure and/or also resign, regardless of the public's pressure to do so. This building is a bad idea and a legacy piece, already over budget, without breaking ground, I'm to understand? And Denying the town's call for a referendum, suprise council meetings, and now the lot is gated with 24 hour surveillance..... Hmmm???

We need a local government in whom we can trust has our best interests in mind. I've lost that confidence in Rossland.

Thanks everyone for keeping this going. This shouldn't be swept under the carpet!    

I happen to think our local government is truly trying to do their best to keep the community informed, as well as trying to do their best to represent its constituents and do the right thing. Thanks guys and gals.

If you think they have an easy job making decisions that will keep everyone happy, please, put yourselves in their shoes. We all know the reality is when it comes to government you will never make and keep everyone happy. Like life, it's finding a balance.

Assuming you are referring to the Emcon lot when mentioning 24 hour surveillance, have you noticed what the price of lumber is at the moment? Regardless, really, what is the big deal? 

Now I think I will go SHRED some of the GNARLEY trails we are so fortunate to have right out our back doors, WooHoo!

Council should also be held accountable. They can say whatever they want, but they condoned Kathys actions to take her vacation during this pandemic. 

I think we can all agree that Kathy is not resigning because of her over-budget before breaking ground $3 million dollar city hall project. 

This town does not need Kathy and this town does not need a glitzy city hall. Kathy is acting in pure selfishness, and I would say, she always has. 

And.she.is.still.in.the.US! The pandemic and how it affects our community and residents obviously matters so much to her. What a jerk.

Shredgnarley and bikeskiswim, please educate us on how the city hall/low income housing project is already over budget. Thanks

I'll help  to answer my own question so you don't need to...

"BUDGET & ASSET MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS: The reflected changes to pricing for the proposed project indicate an overall variance of approximately + $577,000 to the project, where + $82,866 is a direct cost to the City. At this time, this updated figure is still within previously anticipated budgets for the project - and City funding is contained in the recently approved 2021-2025 Financial Plan."

From my perspective the issue really lies with the process. I recently reviewed the Alternative Approval Process vs Assent Vote process (referendum) guidelines. There are a number of areas to be considered if you intend to proceed with the AAP process. The size, cost, public perspective (greater than 10% of citizens petitioned for an Assent Vote) all suggest the MTMUD project should have gone to Assent Vote.

Unfortunatley these are just guidelines intended to offer flexibility but also generate potential weakness that can be exploited which I believe has happened with this project.

The main thing which gave this group the opportunity to exploit this process was the $2,000,000 reserve. If they had to borrow they would have no choice but to proceed through Assent Vote.

You could consider this reserve as prudent fiscal management. That is certainly NOT how I see it as you don't amass such a reserve without cutting services.

A good example of this is the conditon of pavement in the City. When I moved here the street in front of the house we bought was newly paved. In the 30 years I've lived here there has never been any maintenance done to that surface. We have invested significantly in new paving (street rebuilds) over the last few years but appear to have no program to maintain them. I posted a study by the Canadian Automobile Association showing that proceeding in this fashion is probably the most expensive way to maintain your roads vs a program of regular maintenance. Maintaining roads is not a cool sexy affordable housing project so they see no value in it. Not a good deal for taxpayers.

Council may believe they are doing something very nobel by participating in a so called affordable housing project. From my perspective there is nothing nobel about manipulating a weak process to your advantage and spending public funds without clear majority approval for that spending.

There is no balance on Council. The democratic process has been exploited so taxpayers have no say in how our public funds are spent. There is no honour in what has transpired with the MTMUD Project.  

Another thing to keep in mind is the Provincial Government role in the MTMUD process. Kathy is the main manipulator that has led Council down this path and clearly has a distorted view on ethics however the Provincial Government are supposed to be the check and balance when a municipal council is acting inappropriately. After Council refused to respond to the petition for Assent Vote the BC NDP Government refused to get involved to assist the citizens of Rossland.

Council hired a housing consultant to review the housing situation in Rossland. When the consultant didn't tel them what they wanted to hear and indicated the MTMUD project would do little to deal with the most urgent housing needs in the community they just decided they knew better and again ignored the report.

The NDP Government cares nothing for the taxpayers of Rossland but will have another 37 units to add to the list they will brag about for the next election regardless of the inappropriate methods imployed to get the taxpayers of Rossland to subsidize this project.

Fortunately Kathy will be gone at some point but don't forget the harm that has been done to the community and the fact that the NDP are using the taxpayers of Rossland for political gain.

Kathy Moore making Rossland famous for the wrong reasons.