Editor’s note: The following report comes from someone who is not a lawyer, not familiar with legal terminology and will most likely change after written court documents with the correct terminology becomes available.
In a phone- in- session starting at 9:15 AM on Thursday, June 24, Justice Geoffrey Gaul dismissed BC Supreme Court case S15097, Anderson vs the SRD (Strathcona Regional District).
Continue reading Noba Anderson vs the SRD DismissedOn January 26th 2021, Currents reported on continuing friction between the SRD Board and our elected representative Noba Anderson. Readers may recall that SRD had filed a petition against Anderson and her land partners after a bylaw compliance complaint against their Cortes Island property. Legal documents pertaining to this case are now publicly available, and Currents is able to report in further detail.
Why should Cortes Islanders care about a private legal dispute? Because this litigation has implications and consequences for all Area B residents. If SRD succeeds in court, it could set a precedent instantly rendering many Cortes properties non-compliant which have previously been legal. SRD has re-interpreted the language of the zoning bylaw in a new way, outside the traditional understanding of the community and of SRD’s own planners.
Continue reading SRD vs Anderson: Zoning Compliance IssueThe Strathcona Regional District is sending Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson a letter advising of the SRD Board’s expectations regarding communications between Directors and Regional District staff.
Continue reading Director Anderson to be given notice of SRD Board’s expectationsCortes Island Director Noba Anderson violated an agreement that one of her land partners would communicate with staff regarding the subdivision of her property on Cortes Island, according to the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).
Anderson’s lawyer, Matthew Voell, pointed out that staff made a request, which Anderson acknowledged receipt of – that is not an agreement. He produced a long stream of emails demonstrating that staff repeatedly initiated the direct contacts with Anderson. Voell maintained that Anderson ‘communicated with Regional District staff in her personal capacity and not in her role as a director,’ used her personal email address, and ‘almost always copied her land partner Ms. Lovena Harvey.’
Continue reading SRD Board undecided about legal action against AndersonIn the Agenda published on Friday Jan 22, 2021 for the SRD meeting of Weds Jan 27th, 2021 can be found a couple of items of interest to Cortes Islanders. For item N.1 (Cortes Island Assent Voting Bylaws), all sub-items have been postponed indefinitely. But more dramatic developments are found in section M (Staff Reports) item 1, “Director Anderson — Insider Influence.”
Attached to Item M.1 is a staff report dated January 21st and signed by David Leitch, CAO, with several documentary attachments. The Board is requested to “consider the process for deciding whether to pursue allegations of insider influence in relation to Director Anderson‘s December 17, 2020 communication with a staff member as it pertains to a proposed subdivision of land co-owned by her and located on Cortes Island.”
Continue reading SRD Contemplates Further Litigation Against Noba Anderson
