Days after 4/20 celebrations took place at Sunset Beach, a petition is calling for the resignation of Vancouver Park Board chair Sarah Kirby-Yung.
Kirby-Yung strongly opposed the annual cannabis event’s move to the beach from its old home at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and said she’ll work to prevent its return.
Vancouver park board stuck with the bills — and the mess — from 4/20 event | Vancouver Sun https://t.co/vVZr1hFsRR
— Sarah Kirby-Yung 楊瑞蘭 (@sarahkirby_yung) April 22, 2016
“It’s the board’s goal to ensure it’s not coming back next year, to this or any other park,” she said, in an interview with the National Post.
The petition, organized by Vanessa Bui, claimed that Kirby-Yung and the Park Board failed to work with 4/20 organizers to address concerns about the site.
Post #420vancouver cleanup underway at #SunsetBeach @ParkBoard pic.twitter.com/1RG5h6oG4B
— GP Mendoza (@gpsmendoza) April 21, 2016
“Taxpayers’ money went into resisting the organizing of this protest and now more taxpayers’ money is being wasted to clean up garbage that could have and should have been resolved had Sarah and VPB worked together with 4/20 Vancouver organizers,” Bui wrote.
Pointing to a quote from Vancouver Police Sgt. Randy Fincham, who said the event at Sunset Beach was an improvement over 2015’s at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Bui said Kirby-Yung “has yet to acknowledge that taxpayer money could have been saved had she and VPB supported 4/20 Vancouver organizers in streamlining a clean-up process in the first place.”
Food packaging,water bottles&other objects found along shoreline,field&BBQ pit.9 team members cleaning up after 4/20 pic.twitter.com/hOIpfpx33S
— Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (@ParkBoard) April 21, 2016
On Twitter, lawyer Kirk Tousaw speculated that Kirby-Yung’s vocal protest against the 4/20 move was a precursor to a run for office.
Through the last few days, city officials have tweeted out images of the cleanup efforts after 4/20, with nine staff members required to clear the beach.
https://twitter.com/KirkTousaw/status/723559375755866112