Abbotsford's plans for Sumas Mountain were briefly discussed and debated at today's executive council committee meeting. Council was asked by staff to receive report "EDP 153-2012" Community Sustainability Strategy Update --- here is a copy of the report.

This is relevant to Sumas Mountain residents because the "Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan" is part of the larger "Community Sustainability Charter" project --- an all-encompassing vision or "lens" through which all decisions at city hall will be made in the future.

Council was being asked to:

1. receive the report
2. approve the Sustainability Charter draft language (see appendix C of report)
3. authorize staff to "proceed with the next phase of the Community Sustainability Strategy which includes further consultation on the development of an implementation framework for Charter content"

In the end, council approved 1 and 3, but not 2. Henry Braun and John Smith both voiced concerns over the lack of a commitment to fiscal sustainability in the wording for the Charter. They also, together with Bill MacGregor, aired some of their concerns about staff's plans for Sumas Mountain (which are part of the Sustainability project). Some of the points made by Braun, Smith or MacGregor were:

1. have Sumas Mountain residents been consulted by city staff?
2. are the property rights of Sumas Mountain residents being taken into account?
3. has anyone on staff considered the costs of implementing their plans for Sumas Mountain?
4. has anyone on staff considered the legal implications (i.e. threat of lawsuit) if City Hall implements their plans for Sumas Mountain?
5. if staff's plans for Sumas Mountain involve down-zoning, expropriation, or partial expropriation of private land, shouldn't city staff inform residents?

While council wasn't being asked to vote on the plan for Sumas Mountain, it nonetheless became the topic of brief but intense discussion.

City staff have booked Straiton Hall for July 31st at 6:00 PM and September 11th of 2012 at 6:00 PM to hold information meetings in regards to their plans for Sumas Mountain. Here is a copy of the letter they sent to local residents earlier in July.