Democratic Deficit Deepens

If you blinked you missed it.  The UNA election opened and then just as quickly shut down.  As of 4:30 Friday, August 9th, only 3 people -Prod Laquain, Ying Zhou (2 year terms), and Thomas Beyer (1 year term)- had submitted nomination papers.  These three will be summarily acclaimed as elected. They will start serving with about as much democratic authority as the appointed directors since no UNA citizen will have the chance to vote for or against them.

These three new directors all have impressive community experience and have demonstrated their capacity for community engagement.  The UNA will benefit from having them working alongside the democratically elected and the undemocraticly appointed directors.  But we have lost somethign valuable by not having a healthy competitive election.

On a positive note these three new directors bring to the table a continuation of the UNA-insider's approach.  Laquain has served for many years as a Director, having taken a year off to manage a large private contract.  Beyer is an incumbent Director well known for his strong neo-libearl/green views.  Zhou, though less well known to the general UNA public, is well known and respected within the UNA Multicultural committee and will pick up where Shaohong Wu left off. This means that the business of the UNA will essentially continue as it has been - no seismic shift has occured in the composition of the board this year.

I should also note that due to the departure of Nancy Knight from employment at UBC the university is in the process of appointing their second UNA Director (yet to be named).  Nancy will be missed from our circle of deliberation. 

On the matter of democratic deficit the lack of a real election means that key issues will remain entangled within the old insider's network.  Despite having tried to shift the balance of discussion during my past year on the board it has become clear that one or two new voices don't make a change. Ideas that could make a difference are deflected by the largely non-elected majority or long-serving directors. If we get an idea moving then the lack of staff (and some directors would like to see us have even fewer staff!) slows the process so that ideas essentially get stale-dated and ignored. What is needed is a complete democratic overall of our local governance system.  There is a powerful, outspoken minority of people who are too comfortable with the way thing are currenlty working to do much about effecting real change.

While I can feel comforted in knowing that I will be joined in late September by three competent hard working new acclaimed directors, I feel saddened that the democratic deficit has grown larger and the issues will remain locked within the circle of the old guard for the time being.

Richard Alexander tosses the first pitch @ Nobel Park

Richard Alexander, UNA Chair, tosses the first pitch to celebrate the opening of Nobel Park Baseball Field, July 27, 2013. 

Alexander demonstrated his decisive Chairmanship with three swift strikes pitched at a burning pace over home plate.  Backstop, Luna the UNA Cow, was heard commenting after the event that their hooves were burning from the impact.

UNA's Noise Bylaw and Landscaping Power Equipment Compliance

Nearly one full year after being approved by the UBC BoG the UNA’s noise bylaw is in the process of being placed into operation. If it is implemented in full accord with the wording of the bylaw then we should anticipate noticing some significant changes in the audio environment over the next few years.  It would seem that most of the landscaping practices in the UNA are not in compliance with the noise bylaw.  Bringing landscaping firms into compliance with the bylaw will create the potential for more environmentally friendly landscaping practices and a more pleasant sonic environment.

The opening lines of clause 9 of the Noise Bylaw reads as follows: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Bylaw the following are declared to be Noises which are objectionable or liable to disturb the Quiet of any person and are hereby prohibited and no person being the owner or occupant of any Premises shall Cause.”  This is followed with a list of prohibited noises.  Under subsection 9(d) power equipment is deemed a prohibited noise “except between 0800 hours to 1800 hours on any week day that is not a Holiday or between the hours of 1000 hours to 1700 hours on any Saturday that is not a Holiday.”  This would seem to allow an exception that would permit power equipment of any noise level as long as its operation is restricted to weekdays 8am to 6pm and Saturdays 10am to 5pm.  However, power equipment does appear to be covered under the provisions of clause 10 that concerns continuous noise.

Clause 10 stipulates that “No person shall Cause Continuous Sound the Sound Level of which: (a) during the Daytime exceeds a rating of 55 on an Approved Sound Meter when received at a Point of Reception; or (b) during the Nighttime exceeds a rating of 45 on an Approved Sound Meter when received at a Point of Reception.” This clause does not prohibit power equipment; it does however limit the sound level of such power equipment.

One might argue that the “notwithstanding” used in the opening of clause 9 renders the restriction of the sound level clause ineffective.  However, it would seem to me that the notwithstanding is in specific reference to what noises are deemed to be prohibited, tout court.  Clause 10 compliments clause 9 by qualifying the extent of disruptive sounds within the common areas of the UNA.  Specifically clause 10 refers to Continuous Sound, “which means any Noise occurring for a duration of more than three minutes, or occurring continually, sporadically or erratically but totaling more than three minutes in any 15 minute period of time.” 

What this means is that we need to ensure that the landscaping contactors are apprised of the noise bylaw and that we develop effective noise mitigation operational rules and procedures so that our contractors can act in compliance with the noise bylaw.  At present power equipment is operated in the UNA areas