The Allegation Rural Directors Bullied Director Rice; Who Bullied Who?

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At the May 27 SRD Board Meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl of Campbell River accused Regional Directors Mark Vonesch, Robyn Mawhinney and Gerald Whalley of bullying Regional Director John Rice:     “For example, when Director Rice was outvoted on a development in Area D by three electoral area Directors who wanted to show him, ‘Stay in line or else we’ll show you.’ They could stop him from succeeding in moving Area D forward.” This is not the first time Campbell River Directors have made this allegation. Directors Rice and Whalley also discussed the matter in the chatter from the opening of this Board Meeting's YouTube video. It is difficult to make out what Director Rice was saying, but Regional Director Whalley clearly states he was supporting Area D's Official Community Plan (OCP): Director Rice: "The point being that ... ( his words were lost in the surrounding noise)." Director Whalley: "Well, I don't agree with that and that's fine." Director Rices's reply is muffled. Director Whalley: “No, we were trying to support your community plan because it included 2 hectares and you had 1 hectare; that was wrong. Then the community plan was revised, and I said, ‘Okay, now it’s right,’ and now that’s history.” It was relatively easy to find the application they were talking about. A search of SRD minutes found 16 applications since February 2023; 15 of these passed the first time through. In all but one of these15 cases, there were no opposing votes. The accusation of 'bullying' arises from the rezoning application associated with Bylaw No. 519, submitted by Peter Zaschke and seven other Area D residents, which was turned down at the October 11, 2023 Board meeting. As it was held in Kyuquot, there is no YouTube recording. This was an electoral-area-only decision and far from the situation Mayor Dahl described. Directors Rice and Vonesch voted for the application, while Mawhinney and Whalley opposed it. When the topic was reintroduced at the November 8, 2023 Board meeting, Director Whalley explained that his opposing vote was cast in support of Area D's Official Community Plan (OCP): "It says, new lots shall have an average minimum lot size of 2.0 hectares. Just that simple. Applicants wanted lot sizes of 1.0 to 1.3 hectares. In my view, that wasn't right."