City Staff Played Games With Buried MOU: THE VOTER

The Official Plan that was passed in 2021 was one of the most scrutinized documents in recent City of Ottawa history.

Hundreds of advocates, concerned citizens and community organizations went through it with a fine tooth comb as did members of the development community and other business interests. Let us hope that councillors and their office staff gave it as much attention.

NONE of them saw the Tewin memorandum of understanding references or, if they did, might not have understood them for what they were and are. city staff made many, many presentations both in the community and at committee and council meetings. Did they ever once comment or draw attention to the section of the Official Plan we’re all talking about now?

Were they transparent at the time the Tewin proposals were walked on to the floor of council with no notice? Did they ensure that the councillors around that table knew that there was an unusual arrangement that the project was subject to?

When the new crew of city councillors, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, were being briefed at the beginning of their term, were they told of this special arrangement? When council debated and passed the budget of 2023 and 2024, including that of the planning department, did staff members draw their attention to the fact that the planning department had three extra bodies that were not funded through the salary allocation they were approving?

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Tewin arrangements and the MOU were hidden. Certainly, nobody went out of their way to ensure they were exposed to sunlight.

The Voter is a respected community activist and long-time Bulldog commenter who prefers to keep her identity private.