The front-page story of Feb. 24, “Top Cop,” about the selection of a new police chief for the city of Delta was well done. Reporter Beverly Corbell may have unwittingly hit upon the crux of what ails Delta’s city government.

Last year the Clearview Drive neighborhood was annexed into the city of Delta without reasonable notification to residents. The letter of the law was satisfied in that public notice was placed in local newspaper classified ad columns under Legal Notices, but in unreadable legalese and microscopic print. City staff intentionally did not mail a simple letter of intent to the few dozen affected citizens. At a city council meeting — absent Clearview residents — an “emergency annexation” procedure suggested by the director of community development was used. His fear was that knowledgeable residents might make changes (heaven forbid) to their own properties prior to being annexed and such changes would have to be allowed as existing conditions.

Residents of Clearview became aware of their status as the newest citizens of Delta through an article in a local newspaper. Phone calls to city hall the day of publication found the place vacant of anyone above receptionist. A political tactic of “hunker down and let it blow over” was apparently employed. Resistance, ex post facto, was utterly futile.

Referring to her interview with the city manager, Corbell wrote, “Sloan said it’s ‘nice to know’ so many people support Christian [local candidate for police chief], but the petition ultimately won’t matter.” Again, the will of the citizenry is unimportant. You see, it simply doesn’t mesh with the bigger picture.

This is the unfortunate modus operandi of city hall in Delta. It is run by a staff whose ego-driven vision of empire building trumps the input of those silly little creatures that get in the way, the citizens.

ALAN METCALFE
Delta

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