Powering thorough Tuesday’s executive committee meeting in about a half-hour, the city’s elected officials expressed little opposition to the recommendations made by city administration.
The executive committee meeting serves as a council think tank in preparation for the subsequent week’s regular meeting of council, to be held Monday, Sept. 10.
Though little opposition was noted during Tuesday’s meeting, the following items garnered some discussion.
• City yards’ garage space being leased to First Canada for Catholic school bus service yields too many questions to be approved, Coun. Greg Dionne said.
This is, in addition to Dionne’s disapproval of the lease as a whole.
In the spring of this year, First Canada approached the city about servicing school buses in leased garage space at the city yards, as they were bidding on the Catholic school bus service — a contract they won.
“I would have appreciated if council had a discussion at that time on this item,” Dionne said. “I object to the city competing against private enterprise.”
The lease ensures that the city transit service, also taken care of by First Canada, takes priority over the school bus contract, according to a report by the city’s transportation project manager Keri Sexmith.
Without the original lease attached to the report presented on Tuesday, Dionne successfully motioned to have the item brought forth to Monday’s city council meeting without a recommendation, with a number of additional pieces of information brought forth at that time.
• Council was split on only one issue on Tuesday, when Coun. Cheryl Ring voted against a city administration report suggesting a bylaw be rescinded and amended.
At question was Bylaw No. 21 of 2011, which served to rezone a 15.9-acre parcel of land south of SIAST that runs along 15thStreet East up to 15th Avenue East.
Originally zoned Industrial Medium Density, the land was rezoned as Park in the 2011 amendment.
City planning manager Yves Richard said that the Minister of Government Relations did not recommend that the proposed amendment be endorsed to the ministry until a more definitive measurement of the land is made.
“They would like a new, clearly articulated "Schedule A" with dimensions showing exactly what land is being impacted,” the city report reads. “Schedule A” represents the map that the minister deemed inadequate.
Ring’s opposition came despite the city administration report suggesting that no changes be made to Bylaw No. 21 of 2011, other than the inclusion of a more detailed map.
