Jeff Duncan says in the last 13 years the town’s committee of adjustment has not received one complaint from applicants, the public or council.
The former Erin councillor was joined last week by Neil Baldwin and Wayne Parkinson, the committee’s two other public members, in a bid to convince council to reconsider its previous decision to take over the committee.
“We’re unlike any other committee,” Duncan told council on Jan. 11.
He explained the five-member committee – councillors Barb Tocher and John Brennan are the other current members – works silently behind the scenes as a “quasi-judicial body,” making decisions on behalf of council, primarily concerning minor variances from the zoning bylaw.
Duncan said more public involvement on the committee, which has had 46 applications and 32 meetings since 2007, is probably a good thing.
He noted most municipalities in the area have public members on their committee of adjustment, including Centre Wellington, Guelph-Eramosa, Mapleton and Puslinch.
If Erin council took over the committee, he added, minor planning issues would take up valuable time that could be used by council to deal with more important matters. Council can appeal any decision made by the committee anyhow, Duncan concluded.
Parkinson, who has sat on the committee since 2004, said it’s better to have residents face a committee of the public, as opposed to one composed solely of councillors.
Baldwin, a committee of adjustment member since 1983, suggested the committee may actually function better without any councillors on it.
“A committee of three is quite workable,” he said.
Councillor Barb Tocher said the delegation members should be commended for coming before council.
“It shows a passion and dedication,” she said, adding the members obviously aren’t doing the job for the modest remuneration they receive.
Mayor Lou Maieron also thanked the committee members for their years of dedication and he acknowledged the decision for council to take over the committee was not made because of any complaints received by the town.
The idea, he said, came from a belief that the municipality’s elected officials should form the committee because “the buck stops with us.”
The mayor said council would soon inform the delegation of its decision. Tocher noted the matter should be discussed and decided on when Brennan is present (he was absent at last week’s meeting).
