Open letter to Mayor Turner and Council of the Municipality of Bowen Island

(if you would like to add your name to this letter, please contact Living Bowen (email posted at left)

RE: SYNTHETIC GRASS FIELD ON BOWEN
June 22, 2009

We represent many Bowen Island community members who are very concerned by the Council decision on June 8th 2009 to approve the construction of a synthetic grass turf field on Bowen Island Community School grounds.

Respect for the opinions of the greater island community has not been exhibited by our elected council. Your decision goes against every value of conservation and protection that so many people on Bowen expect to be upheld. At this time in history when all information available calls for visionary protection of our environment, here on Bowen Island this irreversible destructive environmental act is about to happen; and right in front of the children.

We feel we have to act now to protest this decision and ask Council to reconsider it.

The project does not meet the requirements specified in your January 26th 2009 Resolution (RES# CW 09-015). We believe that because critical aspects of the synthetic grass field proposal did not meet those requirements, approval of the plan ignores the very real possibility of cost overruns. There was a total lack of scrutiny of the money issues regarding electrical and lighting infrastructure, relocation of tetherball and basketball courts, fill removal and disposal, security, on-going maintenance, debris removal and sanitation, and the eventual field replacement cost and its disposal costs.

More specifically, our concerns have to do with the tendered bid by Cedar Crest whose first quote came in well over the subsequently shaved down version of $254,867.00. We believe it is important to know what was excluded to stay within budget and how might that affect possible cost overruns. An additional concern is that of compromising the quality of synthetic to be used to “stay within budget”. It is also troubling that an additional project-related expense of approximately $20,000 was approved by Council to come from Recreation Surplus and/or Council Contingency funding. We had understood Council’s approval of a maximum expenditure for this project from BIM to be $375,000, regardless of which ‘pot’ the money came from. Will any additional cost overruns be justified in the same manner? We believe that Council should very clearly state its position now on cost overruns, before they occur.

The projected budget for maintenance of the synthetic turf of $5,000 annually may lead to further neglect and degradation of the existing grass field. We were concerned to hear, at the June 8th meeting, that the grass field maintenance budget of $17,000 per year will stretch to cover both the grass and synthetic grass field. We wonder too about further costs and environmental concerns related to maintenance of the synthetic turf such as the use of chemical disinfectants.

The future synthetic field replacement costs (2008 estimate of $85,000 to replace, $20,000 to dispose) may be affected dramatically by either the inability of users to meet the “user fee” projections of $5,000.00 annually, and/or the likely increase in cost of appropriate replacement synthetic turf material. (The formula given was an annual amount of $12,500 being $7,500 from BIM, $5,000 from user fees.)

Because specifics of the turf material were not described in the proposal, the “Health and Safety” stipulation cannot be verified. If this is to be a responsible project, the proposal must meet all the requirements, and especially those to do with Health and Safety.

We are asking Council to re-examine the tender bids in a closed meeting so as to fully understand the choices being made in this project. On June 8th you were repeatedly told by the Project Manager that choices were restricted because of the budget. We ask that Council takes the time to be fully informed of all the immediate and long term costs to this community – financial, environmental, and social.

We therefore ask that Council complete due diligence on this project and we urge Mayor Turner to use your power under the Community Charter to require Council to reconsider its decision of June 8th, and to re-examine this project in light of the concerns raised above.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Sincerely, the Undersigned:

Alan Leigh
Alejandro Frid
Alfred Rahn
Alison Beale
Allene Drake
Amanda Daniell
Ambrose Merrell
Andrew Todd
Alvin Elizabeth De Connick
Andrea Kaufman
Ann Silberman
Anton van Walraven
Asa Hamrin
Berni Claus
Betty Dhont
Beverley J. Rogers
Bill Carr
Blake Voyer
Bob Dicer
Bob Doucet
Bo Lonnquist
Bonney McDowell
Brenda McLuhan
Bridget Knipe
Brita Lonnquist
Bruce Baldwin
Carolyn Neu
Cherilyne B. Olson
Cheryl Ackerman
Christine Miller
Cindy Brown
Colin C. Graham
Dale Adams Segal
Daniela Gifford
Daniel Dekkers
Daniel Heald
David Cameron
David Chamberlain
David Hill
David Koeplin
David McIntosh
David Parkin
Dean Buscher
Debbie Benson
Dee Anderson
Dee MacCarthy
Diana Ray
Donna Lawrence
Doreen Anderson
Edward Sanders
Edna Thomson
Elaine Jones
Elizabeth Burdock
Elizabeth Williams
Elvis Doughtery
Emily van Lidth de Jeude
Eric Sherlock
Erin Little
Frank Kemble
Gale Lyttle
Georgia Nicols
Gerry Halischuk
Gillian Bennett
Gini Grey
Gregory Ronczewski
Greta Smith
Heather Haley
Heather Woodall
Helen Reynolds
Ian Thompson
Irene Wanless
Iris Carr
J.G. Barr
Jack Silberman
James McConnan
James West
Jana Tubinshlak
Jani Carroll
Janice Skeels
Jan Parker
Jayne Pivik
Jean Jamieson
Jeff Derbyshire
Jim Brown
Jim de Zwart
Jlonka Bally-Brown
Joel Voyer
Jonathan Bennett
Jo Lipsey
Judy Balko
Julie Cree
Julie Vik
Kami Kanetsuka
Karen Cannem
Karen Munro
Karen Shea
Karen Wallace
Kelly Schwenning
Kelley Voyer
Kelsey Knipe
Kelly Smith
Ken Smith
Keona Hammond
Kim Sear
Laura Rahn
Laurel Bailey
Leslie L. Olson
Libby Beck
Linda Halischuk
Lisa Barrett
Lisa Shatzky
Louise Escallier
Lyubomir Kamenov
Luke Wang
Luz Budzinski
Lyn van Lidth de Jeude
Lynn Williams
Magdalena Kozicka
Marcel Bally
Margaret Miller
Marion Moore
Marissa Ross
Markus Roemer
Martin Beck
Maurice Anderson
Michelle Livaja
Mika Tubinshlak
Monica Sabathil
Nairn Knipe
Neil Hammond
Neil Reynolds
Niklaus M. Ruloff
P.S. Barr
Pam Dicer
Pat McCready
Paul Beck
Paul Neu
Peg Campbell
Pete Willis
Rob Bailey
Rob Dufty
Robert Semeniuk
Ross Cone
Ruta Yawney
Sabine Schneller
Sam Greenspoon
Sam Knowles
Sarah Pansino
Sarah Voyer
Sharon Haggerty
Shawna Goodrich
Shelagh Hill
Sigurd Sabathil
Stacey Leigh
Steve Livaja
Sue Ritchie
Susan Munro
Susanne Koeplin
Susanne Schloegl
Tanya Voormeij-de Zwart
Teal Ander
Terri Dewar
Thijs Dhont
Tim Frazer
Tim Hausch
Tim O'Hagan
Toni Leverett
Trevor Burdock
Tyler Ruggles
Vikram Dua
Wayne Peter De Connick
Wendy Merkley
Wynn Nielsen
Yogiuday
Yvette Dhont