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A 4 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 13, 2002 Join us for a anise presentation featuring our two escorted, 14 day European River Cruises. Departures August 2002 Sparks fly at emergency council meeting By Angela Blackburn O A K V IL L E B E A V E R S T A F F CRUISE "BURGUNDY & PROVENCE" or "THE RHINE & DANUBE" P r e s e n t a t io n a t B o b 's C r u is e s 6 3 5 F o u rth Line S u n d a y , M a rch 2 4 2 :0 0 p .m . R S V P S h ir l e y 9 0 5 - 3 3 8 - 2 0 7 7 R e fr e s h m e n ts & D o o r P riz e s cruises 635 Fourth Line, Oakville 905-338-2077 Opinions and emotions ran high at an emergency meeting of Town of Oakville council on Monday night. Ward 1 Councillor Kevin Flynn, who initiated the meeting and asked that a special sub-committee of council be formed to guide north Oakville growth and the Town's legal strategy at Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) challenges, summed it up best when he said, "It's politics." Mayor Ann Mulvale questioned the calling of the meeting without notice to the public. She would have preferred a Thursday date, so local media could alert residents. Nor did the mayor see a need for a committee to guide growth strategies on 7,000 acres of land in north Oakville, saying it was council's job. Some councillors complained their names were put forward for the committee without them being asked. Others complained they not only weren't asked, but didn't know about the emergency meeting Monday until after it was post ed on Oakvillegreen's Web site. Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll said he couldn't find the emer gency and questioned whether Monday's meeting should even have been aliowed. TABIQCLAND FLYER SALE ON NOW! FABULOUS G R E A T B U Y S F R O M $ 1 A T F A B R IC L A N D ! Special Selection! JUNKETS I TREASURES Bagged novelty craft assortments of buttons, ribbon roses, appliques, rhinestones. Assortment varies per store -1 2 pieces or. more per bag. 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DRAPERY & UPHOLSTERY PRINTS & TEXTURES Assortments w ill vary. Individually priced NOW 6.00 m FROM JUST A LOONIE fo O N IE Members of the public who did find out about the meeting -- some just an hour before it began -- had lots of questions and criticisms. Others had praise. "With all the discussion of the probable consequences of deferring OPA 198. I'm astonished that anybody could think this was some emergency," said resident Tom Scott. By Monday, two developers had sought to challenge Town council's 7-5 decision last week to defer any decision on growth until after more study, particularly environ mental study, is completed and more experts are hired. "Surely good government has got to be the abiding principle even when the priori ty is something else, like the environ ment?" asked Scott. "When council voted to defer, it voted to play chicken with our money, our environmental interests and our right to make decisions here that affect our lives here." Gerard Chiasson, of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, said he could offer no official Chamber comment because no one at the chamber was aware of Monday's meeting. He also said the Oakville Economic Development Alliance (OEDA) was unaware of the meeting. Mulvale said it was "unfortunate" that the same seven councillors who voted against OPA 198 last week, were the same seven who called the special meeting and were the same seven whose names were put forward for committee membership. Ultimately, Flynn's motion, backed by Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar, to set up the committee called for one council repre sentative from each ward. "I'm not hung up on being on the com mittee. I'm just hung up that there be a committee." said Flynn. Oakville resident and Oakvillegreen member Michael Lansdown welcomed the committee. "I see in the committee, finally, finally, a chance for the environmental per spective to be brought to the council table." he said. North Oakville resident Stephen Baker questioned motives behind Monday's meeting. "The public perception is that seven councillors wish to get rid of the voices of the other five councillors, includ ing the mayor," said Baker. "You may be operating within legality, but I'd say you're pushing the envelope of democracy to the extent where most reasonable people have to call into question your motives." However Flynn assured there was noth ing sinister afoot, only a desire to get on with protecting the Town's interests. Flynn said, "council did not have own ership" of the recent OPA No. 198 process. "If council had been involved all the way along, it would have turned out in a different manner," said Flynn. "I believe we made a decision, a clear decision that met with at least the majority of public sentiment," said Flynn. "Now we must move forward and protect these inter ests and do it with some haste." Flyrin said there was no need to apolo gize for his actions. "I got together with a group of like-minded people. There's noth ing I have to apologize for, it's politics." "There were no lawyers or developers on side with the Town. We have to make sure we get the best people who know what Oakville wants. It's best to be first out of the gate." said Elgar. Mulvale interjected that the Town has not only its own lawyers and planners, but has also hired outside lawyers and plan ners. Ward 6 Councillor Kurt Franklin was scathing in his criticism, saying Monday's moves were "here to strip away the demo cratic rights of councillors and con stituents." Franklin said 30 per cent of north Oakville land is in his ward and said, "I've been directly cut out of the process." Ward 4 Councillor Jody Sanderson said, "I just don't buy this anymore." She wanted an apology for the "slight" of not being asked to participate on the proposed committee. Ward 5 Councillor Janice Caster said, "OPA 198 is important to all councillors, not just a few." Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll said deci sions on "the single most important issue in Oakville" belong to council not a sub-committee. "It's been said this process has got ten off the rails. Whose rails? The Town of Oakville's rails or one particular group's rails?" asked Knoll. Ward 3 Councillor Keith Bird said if the process is left to council it will get bogged down. Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson said he thought councillors were trying to solve problems before they get worse. Ward 3 Councillor Tedd Smith said he saw red flags in allowing a committee such widespread authority. Ward 2 Councillor Fred Oliver said the Town council has been "procrastinating on OPA 198." Committee members still to be determined (Continued from page 1) board to face OMB challenges, subject to final Council approval. The committee would also be involved in all north Oakville growth matters -- with the goal of managing growth and protecting the environment. The move to set up the committee, however, got off to a very rocky start Monday against the backdrop of the already highly-charged issue and the many differing opinions about north Oakville growth. Monday's emergency council meet ing was called by the same seven coun cillors who opted to defer growth at the risk of facing OMB challenges. The same seven councillors' names were put forward for membership of the new committee. That raised eyebrows and accusations that some councillors and the mayor were being cut out o f the picture. Then, two of those councillors named on the committee, said that while they agreed to call the emergency meeting, and wouldn't mind serving on the com If you have a news tip or story idea, call the Oakville Beaver at 845-3824. mittee, they hadn't been asked. Other councillors, those among the five who voted for OPA 198 last week, complained that they weren't asked to sit on the committee. Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll said that he and Ward 5 Councillor Janice Caster, who represent a large piece of land north of Dundas, weren't included. Caster said she didn't even find out about Monday's emergency meeting until after it had been posted on the Oakvillegreen Web site. However, a motion to establish the new sub-committee passed in a recorded 6-5 vote. Mulvale, in holding with her tradition of never creating a tie, abstained from voting. Those in favour included Ward 1 Councillors Kevin Flynn and Ralph Robinson; Ward 2 Councillors Fred Oliver and Linda Hardacre; Ward 3 Councillor Keith Bird: and. Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar. Those opposed included Ward 5 Councillors Jeff Knoll and Janice Caster; Ward 3 Councillor Tedd Smith; Ward 4 Councillor Jody Sanderson; and. Ward 6 Councillor Kurt Franklin. Ward 6 Councillor Janice Wright has been absent from the OPA 198 debate as she's visiting family in New Zealand. Sale in effect March 4-24. 2002. Most items available in most stores, look for the red sale tags. Sale prices apply to in-slock merchandise only. Sorry, no special orders. Due to advanced deadlines this flyer was prepared weeks in advance: some items may therefore be sold out. RAND may appeal to OMB (Continued from page 1) seeking party status at the OMB. That group's homes were first ear marked to be included in employment lands as growth proceeded north of Hwy. 5. RAND members worked with the Town to secure a residential designation for their land, but that was lost when the Town failed to adopt OPA 198. `T o say RAND is angry tonight is probably an understatement," Telawski told councillors. Telawski said residents are looking at hiring a lawyer, seeking party status at the OMB and seeking passage of the Town's version of OPA 198. `T o force residents to incur that additional cost and hardship is not the type of leadership RAND expects," Telawski said, charging that council failed to represent the existing residents in its decisions on the future o f north Oakville. 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