Copyright westernstandard
The dust has settled. The mudslinging has quit, at least for now. Calgary’s new city council will be sworn in on Wednesday and begin to go about its business, with appointments to committees. To call it a “new council” is an understatement. To use a sports analogy, it’s like a rookie camp, with 10 new faces sitting around the ‘horseshoe’ that seats 15 in council chambers. There is a steep learning curve for the newbies who are going through orientation sessions about staff, expense accounts, proper procedures, and protocols that wrap up on November 3. The first regularly scheduled council meeting is on November 18, a public hearing (agenda not yet available). A lot of promises were made by candidates during the election, not the least of which was repealing blanket upzoning, which will prove easier to say than do. Yet to be determined are any ramifications in the contract between the city and the federal Liberal government’s $228.5 million in funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) (set to expire in October 2026) if blanket rezoning is repealed. Does it break the contract? Is there a penalty clause for breaking the contract?.More important perhaps is what effect it will have on Calgarians most affected by blanket upzoning. What of the contractors who bought single-family homes and lots in neighbourhoods across the city with the intention of building multi-plex homes on those lots? What of multi-plex homes that have been built? What of multi-plex homes that are currently under construction? What of building permits that have been issued but construction has yet to begin?' Many questions, likely to be probed and answered by many lawyers. What is certain is a notice of motion will be brought forward in council chambers to repeal the bylaw. What isn’t certain is when it is brought forward, will it be approved by the minimum required 8-to-7 vote? An AI search found the following councillors included repealing blanket upzoning in their campaign literature and promises: Mayor-elect Jeromy Farkas*; Dan McLean, Ward 13; Rob Ward*, Ward 11; Andre Chabot, Ward 13; Kim Tyers*, Ward 1; Mike Jamieson*, Ward 12. Councillors who did not make a clear promise to repeal the bylaw include Jennifer Wyness, Ward 2 (she did say she disliked the bylaw); Andrew Yule*, Ward 3; DJ Kelly*, Ward 4; Raj Dhaliwal, Ward 5; John Panatzopolus*, Ward 6; Myke Atkinson*, Ward 7; Nathaniel Schmidt*, Ward 8; Harrison Clark*, Ward 9, and; Landon Johnston*, Ward 14. *Denotes new member of this council .To be clear, if a councillor did not make repealing the bylaw a campaign promise it does not necessarily mean that councillor will not vote in favour of repealing it. In terms of the Notice of Motion, it will most certainly direct administration to look into the legal ramifications and costs of repealing the bylaw and perhaps put approvals on hold until a final decision is reached. It isn’t going to happen overnight, but it behooves this new council to get it right and repeal blanket upzoning.
