Latham Island Neighbourhood Association member Louise Dundas-Matthews was one of the residents who addressed council on Monday about plans for the city's 2013 Harbour Plan implementation initiative. One of the three projects includes getting the float plane dock and small boat marina completed, which could end up at the base of Latham Island. She says council needs to narrow the scope of what it intends to get area residents to agree to.
- Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 21, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Plans to move ahead with locating, designing and operating a float plane dock and small boat launch at Latham Island this year will take one step longer as council decided Monday to further review the city's plans to consult with neighbors.
Director of planning and development Jeff Humble presented a detailed engagement process that, beginning in February, will help the city deal with communicating and involving the broader public before implementing three planned Harbour Plan recommendations this summer.
The 2013 budget has $600,000 planned for making the Pilot's Monument area more tourist friendly, improving area parks and locating a float plane and small boating dock, proposed most likely to be at the base of Latham Island on Back Bay.
"The city will be undertaking a large number of projects in 2013 and one of the key considerations is the level of public engagement that we will be undertaking," explained Humble, on Monday.
"Basically we are looking for council's support and verification on this direction so that we can commence this engagement strategy going forward."
Most of council was receptive to a more formalized communications process that would allow staff to involve the public prior to project implementation. Much of the committee discussion, however, diverted to the scope of the city's Latham Island docking proposal, which after years of discussion remains a controversial topic between the NWT Float Plane Association, the city and the Latham Island Neighborhood Association. The city has already purchased docking units to go into the Lessard location, however the neighborhood association and float plane association remain unclear whether the project proposed is a small float plane dock at Lessard or a float plane and boat marina stretching from Lessard to Otto Drive .
By a 4-3 vote, council approved a motion moved by Coun. Adrian Bell to review administration's plans for discussing the dock designs before moving ahead with consulting.
"What I thought was being missed in the whole process was our commitment to consult with the effective neighbors prior to going to a broad consultation," Bell said, adding he agreed with resident Louise Dundas-Matthews that the scope of the project needs to be narrowed so the city can negotiate a solid plan with neighbors.
"I proposed we at least have the design ideas come to council so that we can then go to the neighborhood association and say, 'Here is what is being talked about and what are your thoughts?'"
Some councilors said this effort was redundant, however, and that public input should happen before council makes any further decisions on the dock.
"I am extremely uncomfortable with this suggestion for many reasons," said Coun. Dan Wong in the meeting. "First of all, we have had direction from council and second of all, we have had direction from the public. We have a Harbour front Plan that has had extensive input from the public. This isn't just something that council or administration came up with on a whim."
While the last council agreed the base of the docking should be at the base of the island instead of at other proposed locations, such as the Wiley Road node park or Kam Lake, Mayor Mark Heyck said this week the current council is not held to that decision and could still reverse it if it feels it necessary.
Coun. Cory Vanthuyne added he sees no time frame associated with the dock, either, and said the project may not even go ahead if consensus on a final location, design and operation, is not found.
Float plane association president Hal Logdson, neighborhood association members Louise Dundas-Matthews and Penny Johnson and Dr. Courtney Howard all addressed council briefly.
"I think this council had a better understanding of where the neighborhood association and the float plane association were coming from," Johnson said. "I think we heard a lot of support from the councilors as to the role of engagement and protocol when engaging with groups in town."
Story and Photo: http://nnsl.com
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