To the editor:

In light of Councilman Robert Gilman’s resignation from the Langley City Council, I restate my position that this is not about personalities but personal agendas.

We all have personal agendas in the community process, whether represented in protecting neighborhoods, or objecting to impacts from neighboring developments or a desire, like mine, to protect open space in new development. And at times they can develop into powerful ideologies that can obscure the community process; and agendas can cluster and associate for diverse reasons, i.e. my “connecting dots” “accusations.”

I have agendas and they revolve around the restoration of a community-based planning process with revised and progressive development codes — one where the planning principles emerge from the community, not imported and exotic no matter how alluring.

My push (an agenda) for conservation design subdivision ordinances, supported by the former housing committee (comprehensive plan), was vetted, bashed and argued in a public process — in a public dialogue with community members, not inserted into the development code without that vetting. We need a return to constructive public dialogue not a change in government that reduces that dialogue.

I respect Robert Gilman’s dedication and service to the city of Langley; and he, like me, needs to permit other voices the opportunity to shape Langley’s future, strengthen the current form of government and return to community-based planning.

RON KASPRISIN

Langley