Council is moving forward with ideas on re-launching the Waterfront Development Committee.
Although there was some hesitation by councillors Monday night to add to the list of duties for administration, the motion from Red River’s Brian McKinnon passed 7-5.
McKinnon had a simple message to those elected officials who do not want to sit on the committee.
“Let’s just get a little working committee who are willing to do it,” McKinnon stressed. “If people don’t want to go on it then don’t go on it! If we get three people that are interested, great. If we manage to secure six individuals, that sends a message.”
The committee was first established in 2005 to respond to the development of Prince Arthur’s Landing however in 2018 it was deemed that the committee was no longer required and that elected officials would approve and make recommendations to future waterfront related work.
Mayor Bill Mauro, who voted against the idea, feels the number of committees has to decrease.
“In my mind, we’ve always had too many committees. I think we still have too many committees. As I like to say, a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee,” Mauro quipped.
Northwood’s Shelby Ch’ng also cast a no vote, indicating citizens who want to join a committee want to feel like their work is worth something.
“[Committees] come up with this grand idea, find funding for it, come to council and it gets turned down because the council of the day feels like there’s no funding for it,” Ch’ng remarked.
“I’d really think long and hard and maybe with the time between the three [councillors] that put their hands up, maybe you could put your time towards other things,” noted Ch’ng.
The councillors Ch’ng were referring to were Red River’s Brian McKinnon and At Large’s Aldo Ruberto and Peng You, who all raised their hand when Ch’ng asked if any councillors would be interested in sitting on this committee.
The motion will now go to administration and will be brought back before council by June 21st.
