Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass Project & Land Cost Overruns Are ALL Township Taxpayer's Responsibility!

We have further below linked this posting's news summary to the most relevant and we think shocking top 5 LFP YouTube videos of Monday's council segment when Translink VP Sheri Plewes answered Council's questions.

On Monday afternoon just before the Langley Township council voted 6-3 (only Mayor Green & councillors Kositsky & Richter voted no to the overpass design) to go ahead with the Glover overpass project, Translink VP Sheri Plewes (she is one of only 12 senior Translink execs.) was at the Township Council meeting and answered several questions, clarified points and provided an interesting background to what happened in the decision process on the overpass.

(See Video #1 of 5 - 3:19 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes is introduced by Mayor Green and gives some background on why an overpass redesign won't fly. She essentially said that the provincial government, ditto Minister Falcon we assume, was funding a quarter of the overpass project and as such since the ministry, Falcon, made it abundantly clear that it was do or die on the proposed overpass it was then decided by Translink and hence all the other partners essentially that they had no choice but to go along with the Provincial Government! She also said that there was a strong "desire to move ahead". I guess! But WHY we wonder?

(Play Video #2 of 5 - 3:43 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes was asked her opinion by Clr.Richter on the point that Richter disagreed strongly with Minister Falcon's CKNW interview of last Friday where Falcon suggested that there was public consultation over 2 and a half years on the Overpass. In reality it only started in mid December at best and was essentially a done deal with no other options. Essentially Plewes did not dispute Richter's summary at all. Later on Clr. Mel Kositsky also states that the same disregard for any real public input essentially in his opinion meant that the so-called preliminary overpass design was really for all intents and purposes always THE "final design" and obviously misleading for all . But most importantly Plewes when directly asked by Clr. Richter who would be responsible for any and all project cost overruns, Plewes confirmed that ALL overpass cost overruns will be the complete sole responsibility of Langley Township and essentially Township Taxpayers only! So let's get this straight. Minister Falcon says that his final, oops preliminary, design must go ahead come hell or high water, yet the clear obvious vast majority of Township respondents don't want this design, but will have to pay through the nose if it goes sideways! Does this sound fair to you? Any bets on the chances of the overpass going over budget like most of the other township major projects?

(Play Video #3 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes answers Clr. Kim Richter confirming that all land purchase overpass cost overruns will be the major responsibility of Langley Township! Also Richter asked Plewes what the design benefits especially insofar as east west transportation really were. Plewes answered saying that was a question best asked of Township engineering and not her. The Township director of engineering then answered Richter's question which is in the next video #4 of 5 just below.

(Play Video #4 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Langley Township Director of Engineering answers the Clr. Richter question as to what the design benefits are after Translink's VP Sheri Plewes said it was a question best answered by the Township engineering. LFP suggests that any evaluation of this answer are best left to the LFP readers and as to whether they feel the arguments for the overpass benefits are valid and where they sit on a scale of 1 to 10. You score the benefits with 10 outstanding and 5 mediocre and 1 being minimal to say the least!

(Play Video #5 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes is thanked by Mayor Green for her attendance and her efforts on behalf of Langley Township, as well as an implied running the political gauntlet so to speak and then the Mayor provides a short backgrounder and clarifications on Plewes involvement with the Mayor over the past few weeks....