Posted:\u00a0Monday, May 23, 2016 4:50 pm<\/p>\n
JOE FRIES<\/p>\n
Some local politicians are balking at a telecommunications company\u2019s request to have them sign gag orders before receiving a special briefing on its plans for the region.<\/p>\n
Telus wants each member of the 18-person board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen to sign a non-disclosure agreement in advance of a future closed-door meeting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s believed to be the first such request the RDOS has received, chief administrative officer Bill Newell told the board at its public meeting May 19<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cTypically they\u2019d just come, ask to go in camera and that would be protected by legislation,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Board chairman Mark Pendergraft noted in camera meetings \u2013 for land, labour and legal issues \u2013 are indeed meant to be secret, but \u201cthere\u2019s very little punishment for breaking that\u201d vow of silence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He said the \u201cconundrum\u201d facing directors now is they don\u2019t know what they\u2019ll be missing out on if they don\u2019t sign the agreements with Telus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Others worried, however, about keeping constituents in the dark on what could be a matter of broad public interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIf their corporate profit-and-loss statements are on the table, I understand the request. But if they\u2019re going to put up cell phone towers in somebody\u2019s face, I think they should have the courage to do it in public,\u201d said Tom Siddon, the director for Area C (Kaleden\/Okanagan Falls).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI think the public has a right to know if some corporation comes lobbying us for something they want, especially if there are implications for the public\u2019s well-being and public concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Michael Brydon, the director for Area F (West Bench), suggested the board would still be better off hearing from the company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe can make a principled stand on this, but we\u2019ll be in the dark. What would you rather have?\u201d said Brydon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The motion to sign the agreements passed by a 14-4 margin with Siddon, Area C (rural Oliver) director Terry Schafer, Summerland director Richard Barkwill and Penticton director Helena Konanz opposed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said in an interview the secret briefing will reveal \u201cconfidential technical information that our competitors would very much like to have\u201d regarding \u201ca potential communications infrastructure project<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf we do proceed, we\u2019d make the project public before getting underway,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hall said the project \u201cdoes not have to do with a large wireless site or anything like that,\u201d but declined to be more specific.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He was unable to say how exactly how often the company seeks such non-disclosure agreements nor why, stating instead it\u2019s simply how Telus prefers to do business. Hall was also unable to say what the penalty is for anyone who violates such an agreement.<\/p>\n