Hanna, McConkey fight – and win – to be on Midhurst liaison group
Springwater councillors Jack Hanna and Sandy McConkey are back as members of the residents liaison group on an environmental assessment for the Midhurst Secondary Plan.
At the June 24 planning committee meeting, Hanna and McConkey expressed outrage at a staff report in which CAO Robert Brindley recommended that Mayor Linda Collins, Deputy Mayor Dan McLean and Councillor Rick Webster represent council on the liaison group.
Hanna and McConkey had been designated March 18 when council approved Planning Director Brad Sokach’s recommendation to establish an Environmental Assessment Resident Liaison Committee.
The Ward 4 and 5 councillors said they had no idea of the plan to replace them until they read Brindley’s report.
“I was really alarmed when I received this report,” McConkey told her fellow council members, asking how they would like being excluded from discussion of a major development in their ward, and not be able to answer residents’ questions.
“I feel I have lost a major tool to do my job effectively,” she said. “If I cannot do my job… I question why I am here.”
“I was very surprised,” Hanna said. “I found out that the CAO was contacting other members of council and asking them if they wanted to be on this committee… I was never contacted.”
Brindley’s explanation was that council had changed the composition of the committee to include an extra councillor. “It was hard to go forward with just two councillors when council said three councillors,” Brindley said, in response to a question from Midhurst resident David Strachan.
Hanna said that when council voted March 18 to add another councillor, no mention was made that he and McConkey would no longer be members – or he would have opposed the amendment.
He asked Brindley whether he made the change on his own accord – or if he had been directed to do so.
Brindley replied that he followed the direction of council.
Collins said she believes the workload should be spread. Also, “we have been reminded on a regular basis that this is a Springwater decision, not a Midhurst decision.”
McLean said he was the one who suggested the change, because Hanna and McConkey are already members of the environmental assessment steering committee, which reports to the liaison committee on technical matters. “I think it’s important that we have a wide selection of council on both committees.”
“You didn’t say that that night,” Hanna said – in reference to the March 18 council meeting.
“No, I didn’t,” McLean agreed.
Councillor Perry Ritchie said he supported McConkey and Hanna. “If they want to sit on those committees, it’s in their ward, anything less than that is just stick-handling.”
Webster questioned whether his participation was being challenged on the basis he wouldn’t do the work. “I do my best on every file, this will be no exception.”
Hanna said his objection is to the process.
“I didn’t think you wanted to be on both committees,” said Collins.
Hanna said he would sit in on the liaison meetings even if he wasn’t appointed. “It’s how this was orchestrated that I was most annoyed with.”
McLean said Hanna can still represent his residents even if he’s not a member.
At which point Webster said” “I would like to withdraw my name, I don’t like the acrimony here.”
“I withdraw also,” said McLean.
Ritchie and Councillor Dan Clement said they had been asked by the CAO if they wanted to serve and had declined.
Collins said she would be pleased to sit on the committee.
Meanwhile, the liaison body has been downgraded from a committee to a group since first proposed – it was referred to as the Midhurst Secondary Plan Environmental Assessment Resident Liaison Committee in the March 19 amended motion.
Since then, the committee has morphed into the Midhurst Secondary Plan Resident Liaison Group.
A group has less weight than a committee of council.
Paul Fleming, Gerald Scanlan and Rob Wright have been appointed to represent the Midhurst Ratepayers Association.
According to Brindley’s report three people have been selected from eight applicants to represent Springwater residents at large.
Their appointment was discussed in closed session June 24 and is to be approved at the next council meeting on July 15.
Full disclosure: the writer applied to be a member of the liaison group but was not one of four short-listed for an interview.
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