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LETTER: Council must take lessons from approach to solar farm initiative

There is a need for more open/transparent processes, and an understanding of the benefit of public consultation
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Going forward, if there is a lesson to be learned from council's pursuit of this solar farm initiative, it concerns the need for more open/transparent processes that embrace the understanding that public consultation, while onerous, has significant benefit in community-level decision making.

Further, councillors must take into consideration that expertise is not limited to proponents, administration, or consultants that council chooses to retain in framing advice for decision making. Given new and emerging technologies, there exists a growing body of knowledge holders outside of council’s closest advisors that need to be brought into the decision-making processes through public consultation.

In hindsight, had there been a more collaborative and open sharing of information among all the parties in this public decision-making process, I believe decisions would have been timelier, with less acrimony and stronger public belief that councils that listen will make decisions in the best interests of the residents.

Ken Crutchfield, St. Albert




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