As the clock neared 5 p.m. at city hall Friday, tempers flared as councillors debated if they would delay the beginning of their summer break so they could finish a public hearing into the zoning bylaw. Read More
Scheduling crush before summer break frays nerves at City Hall
Scheduling crush before summer break frays nerves at City Hall
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As the clock neared 5 p.m. at city hall Friday, tempers flared as councillors debated if they would delay the beginning of their summer break so they could finish a public hearing into the zoning bylaw.
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The motion passed by a 9-4 vote, but not after some tense debate. Councillors Sarah Hamilton, Tim Cartmell, Jennifer Rice and Karen Principe voted against the continuation.
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Cartmell and Hamilton said they had trips booked and weren’t sure if they’d have internet connections to remotely attend a Tuesday continuation of the public hearing, Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said she was surprised that incumbents wouldn’t know that there are scheduling buffers that are made in case an item right before summer break goes long.
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Hamilton blew up at the slight.
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“F–k you, Jo-Anne!” Hamilton yelled from her remote location. “F–k you!”
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Mayor Amarjeet Sohi asked Wright to withdraw the slight, and Hamilton apologized for her language.
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But other councillors said they could not support extending the hearing until Tuesday.
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The public hearing began Monday, and the hearing into a potential change in the zoning bylaw was the last item on the agenda. Almost 100 speakers were listed to make their submissions on the proposal to cap mid-block infill developments to six units, down from eight in the zoning bylaw. On Monday, council rejected a motion from Principe to have the bylaw hearing moved to the top of the agenda, so council did not get to the item until Thursday.
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Rice suggested that council wouldn’t be facing the scheduling mess had Principe’s motion been approved. She said she couldn’t support coming back to city hall on Tuesday.
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“We are human as well,” said Rice. “We have emotions. We have families.”
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While Coun. Erin Rutherford supported the extension, she said that council should have respected the summer vacation schedule.
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“We are all burnt out,” she said.
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Sohi said that it’s vital not to leave the item until after the summer break, in August. He said the people who have made submissions either in support or opposition to the bylaw changes deserve a quick verdict. He said it leaves developers in limbo, and leaves concerned community members waiting.
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“This is not the ideal situation, but it’s the situation we are in,” said Sohi.
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Administration told council there are 74 building permits waiting review that could be affected by a bylaw change.
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