With the Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee nearing completion of its work, and a pair of open houses only days away, Don Cherkas has resigned as one of the public appointees.
Cherkas walked out of Wednesday night’s meeting, accompanied by several other “Affordable Fire Hall Committee” members in the gallery. The walkout appeared to a planned action to attract attention, one committee member said, while another pointed out the peculiar timing of an anonymous letter that appeared in Creston mailboxes on Thursday.
What Do You Think? Signed Concerned Citizens of Creston (Page 1)
What Do You Think? Signed Concerned Citizens of Creston (Page 2)
Cherkas left a letter to the Advisory Select Committee to explain his reasons:
“Back in March, I had hoped that this group would make an honest attempt to explore various more economical alternatives to the proposal defeated in the December referendum.
“Now, after 13 meetings, none of the experts or other ASC members has suggested any alternatives to the Johnston Davidson proposal. The only cost-focused alternative was in a presentation by the Affordable Fire Hall Committee.
“We spent 2 meetings discussing the Option 3 space program. The discussion at the meetings was that, if anything, the building should be even bigger (and more expensive) with a larger fitness room and more storage space.
“Now, the experts are proposing to repackage the Johnston Davidson proposal by eliminating BCAS (BC Ambulance Service) participation – the only “self-financed, cost neutral” component – and altering last year’s Class C estimate and the DDR.
“It’s become painfully obvious what the ASC’s recommendations to Town Council will be. I won’t be a party to this.
“This is my formal resignation from the Advisory Select Committee, effective immediately.”