January is a month of second chances. It's a time to reflect on the past and ask what will we do differently in the new year. Do we need a course correction to achieve our goals? As developers at Netook Crossing and MVC taxpayers this is something we encourage MVC council to do with its current MDP review process.Now is the time to reflect on the county's ultimate goals; ask what is best for taxpayers and make a course correction to ensure the council does not create an environment that discourages opportunities such as Netook Crossing.Let's take a moment to reflect on the process so far. Council launched the MDP review through an intense public engagement process including roundtables, councillor open houses, mail-out survey, workshops and a phone survey. This was a good start. Through this they set some fundamental principles including preservation of farmland, fiscal responsibility and service integrity. We would agree with these motherhood type goals Ö most people would.Unfortunately after this relatively good start, the process fell off the rails. In late November, two months after scheduled, council released its draft report, which from our analysis works directly against many of its stated goals. From a public engagement perspective, council has rushed its proposed changes through hosting four open houses in less than two weeks and providing residents who attended with less than a month to submit comments through a questionnaire.Given the significance of the proposed MPD changes, an open house format is not likely the best approach to effectively engage the public. This is a complex document and that is simply not enough time. As landowners we did respond to the questionnaire and also submitted an extensive list of our own questions and concerns. Because we believe in being as transparent as possible we have posted this information on our public website ñ www.netookfuture.ca ñ which we encourage residents to visit.It's time to get the process back on track; allow time for citizen understanding, meaningful discussion and proper analysis of the plan's consequences. We believe it's time to get past motherhood statements and throw some serious economic information and questions into the mix. For example, council needs to ask residents if they would support a tax increase of two to three times the current amount if changes to the MDP drive out approved developments such as Netook.The good news is there is time for council to take a second look and make a course correction to its MDP process before it is too late. With results of the Netook Fiscal Impact Assessment and Servicing Strategy forthcoming, councillors will have the opportunity to determine whether they can afford to lose this unique opportunity, which will not only offset forecasted tax assessment losses but also achieve their stated goal of preserving farmland. Following through with council commitments to approved plans will also demonstrate good faith to current and future investors that Mountain View County is a viable and trustworthy place to do business.As developers we welcome the opportunity to work with MVC council to take a second look at the draft plan to create a solution, which embraces Netook within the future of MVC for the betterment of all residents.Herb Styles and Terry JohnstonNetook Crossing Landowners and MVC Taxpayers
