Frances Bula - Vancouver — From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2010 10:43PM EDT
Vancouver councillors are encouraging the people whom the mayor thought might be “NPA hacks” to join the city’s controversial new advisory committee for the West End.
But it’s unclear whether any of them are prepared to do so.
The most-quoted spokesman of the community group West End Neighbours said he doesn’t think any self-respecting resident should join the new city committee until there are clear rules about how it’s going to operate.
“Before anyone should consider it, all the questions I asked at the meeting about accountability and transparency need to be answered in writing,” Randy Helten said.
WEN is an ad-hoc group that sprang into being last fall to oppose several tall towers being proposed under the council’s new program to encourage rental housing.
Mr. Helten was one of the handful of speakers at a council meeting last week that exploded into controversy when his group publicized remarks made by Mayor Gregor Robertson and two councillors after the session ended, unaware that recording equipment was still on. The mayor asked whether the speakers were “fucking NPA hacks,” and other councillors dismissed them as owners, not renters.
But Mr. Helten’s condition is going to be difficult to meet.
Councillor Andrea Reimer, a co-chair for the planned 12-person committee, said the members will set the rules after they’re appointed.
However, Ms. Reimer said she’s hopeful that concerned citizens will take advantage of the chance to have a conversation with the whole community about the issues. She and other Vision Vancouver councillors have been asking West End Neighbours members to apply to be on the committee.
“We have nothing to lose by trying to have better dialogue,” said Ms. Reimer, who is hoping the committee can be running by the end of September.
She also said other members of WEN have indicated that they’re interested in participating.
Ms. Reimer and the committee’s other co-chair, Tim Stevenson, are anxious to get other people from the West End into the public discussion because they feel WEN members have a limited point of view and dismiss the need for rental housing.
“You want a broad spectrum of opinion on committees like this, not just one opinion,” Ms. Reimer said
Mr. Stevenson said he fears that broad spectrum is missing from WEN.
“These people really believe that as an owner, you have more rights, you have more at stake,” said Mr. Stevenson, who is a renter. “It’s not that they’re anti-renter, but they’re owners and that’s where their interests lie.”
Mr. Stevenson regrets the language and tone of the conversation that he had with the mayor.
He’s apologized for it, and said in an interview on Tuesday that it is “so unfortunate because it puts us behind the eight ball.”
But he
doesn’t regret expressing a concern that owners are dominating the
conversation about the city’s Short Term Incentives for Rental Housing
Mr. Stevenson said he thinks many renters support the city’s plan and that even those who are signing the WEN petition opposing taller buildings are being misled.
