Traffic noise
Promoting bicycle routes through town is a great idea [“Gear up for free-wheeling event,” May 20].
As far as Joyce Avenue is concerned we should ban motor vehicles there. Ha, ha, just kidding. However, Joyce is no fit place for man nor beast on foot or bicycle. The noise is oppressive.
For a population with virtually no place to go, at least in a hurry, many Powell Riverites drive surprisingly loudly with about twice as much acceleration and braking as required. Add to that the terrible air quality, mostly from diesel engines, and the high traffic volume, and Joyce is pretty unpleasant.
As a driver, you wouldn’t realize how bad the air and noise become. How about opening up Manson Avenue to through traffic from the south of town via Penticton Street, and sharing some of the pain? It would be handy for southside folk accessing the Powell River Recreation complex and Powell River General Hospital, and would give Joyce some relief. Also a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour on Joyce might bring the average speed down to 50, which would create quite an improvement in safety and noise level.
If Mr. Joyce were still farming between Fairmont and Duncan streets, I am sure he would agree with me.
Ted Crossley
Hammond Street
Delay pay raise
I realize that I am an individual taxpayer and voter, and I want to express my surprise and disappointment that Powell River Regional District board of directors is considering giving itself a relatively substantial increase in remuneration at this time [“Regional directors settle on raise,” March 25]. I have a few main reasons for asking that this increase be postponed and limited.
First, each elected official signed on for this term at the old rate of remuneration, and should be prepared to serve at that rate. It is common for boards to make decisions on increases in remuneration for the next board members, following an election. For sure, some current board members will choose to run again, and might be re-elected, and so might receive the increased rate of pay for their service. This should be standard practice, instead of giving themselves a raise now, and enjoying it for three and a half years, in the full expectation that electors will not remember that they increased their own pay near the beginning of their term.
Secondly, I am concerned that they want their pay to be equal to or greater than three quarters of all elected positions in the neighbouring local governments that were surveyed. It seems to me that this can easily lead to an ongoing spiral within the region, if each board decides to accept such a principle of pay-setting.
Finally, in comparing the remuneration of Lasqueti’s Area E regional director (expected to increase to about $17,000) with the remuneration for our locally elected Islands Trustee ($8,000 plus medical/dental benefits amounting to nearly $2,000, for a total of $10,000), it seems that the regional district remuneration is already very high, and getting higher. Or perhaps the Islands Trust amount (based on a formula involving numbers of residents, parcels, et cetera) is too low.
I want the directors to know that I believe that serving in local government is to a huge degree community service, and that there should be some compensation, but I believe that it would be more seemly for the board to be more reticent and modest in this regard. I ask that they postpone the decision, or if they don’t want to do that, then make the decision now, but make it effective with the next board, following the election in 2018.
Peter Johnston
Lasqueti Island, BC
