A lengthy discussion at council eventually led to the approval of a new waterfront development committee.
The previous committee was tasked with developing Prince Arthur’s Landing, with the current looking at ways to improve the rest of the waterfront.
At-Large Councillor Mark Bentz questioned whether it was the right time to make the decision.
““We are the council that discontinued the waterfront committee for a reason and to strike it up in our last year, I would like see what the next council has to say about this,” says Bentz. “We’re looking at reducing the number if committees that we have to lessen the workload on the Clerk’s office. To establish committees without budgets, it looks good on paper but it may not look good in practice.”
Mayor Bill Mauro also involved himself in the discussion, believing that some responsibilities of the committee could fall on council, but approved overall.
“Many individual projects could have been brought directly forward to us but there is more than one, and I think in this instance having a clearing house for this project is a good idea.”
Neebing Councillor Cody Fraser said for the committee to be effective, council needs to consider providing funds for support.
“Everyone’s on a committee that has amazing support staff through the Clerk’s office and it works quite well, and we’re all on committees that don’t have support staff and it doesn’t work so well.”
Councillor Fraser goes on to say establishing this committee should have been something that council looked at earlier.
“We’re at the end of our term, if anyone wanted to commit time to this it should have been done three or four years ago,” stressed Fraser. “I don’t know what can be accomplished in a year and a half.”
Establishing the committee itself along with funding will be addressed at a later council date.
