Waterfont body lacking objectivity? Photos by Greg Kielec Waterfront Development Committee member Roy Perkins, left, and committee Vice-Chair Guy Menard, are pictured at a recent meeting of the waterfront committee, not long after the committee’s proposal to allow development in Lamoureux Park, east of the Cornwall Civic Complex, was roundly criticized by city councillors.
on city committees. He flatly denied that the Waterfront De- velopment Committee has been stacked with people in favour of building in park- land along city’s waterfront. “Absolutely none,” he replied when asked if there was a city agenda to stack the committee, ex- plaining that “not everybody can be on the committee.” Concern about the intentions of commit- tee members reached back as far March 2011. Committee members were ques- tioned at the time by member Michel Dubuc about why they initially applied to sit on the city government body after pub- lic concerns were raised about the objec- tivity of the committee, according to committee minutes. “Michel Dubuc advised that the reason he is bringing this matter to the committee is because he has heard through the com-
By Greg Kielec Two former members of city council’s Waterfront Development Committee members say the body has been stacked with members itching to building on city parkland. Bill Beatty and Bill Parisien say the ma- jority of the advisory committee’s mem- bership – 10 of 12 members -- were turfed Committee biased toward building along river, say former members
Waterfront committee: By the minutes
in a recent interview. But he stressed com- mittee members do not control the com- mittee’s composition. “The waterfront committee is not deter- mined by us,” he said. “Council deter- mines the waterfront committee. We have no input, zero input, as far as the mem- bers.” Councillor Denis Thibault sits on the Wa- terfront Development Committee. He is one of five city council members on the Lay Appointment Committee which chooses which members of the public sit OCT. 20, 2011 6) Follow-up to Previous Meeting(s): i.) Parking Lot East of Civic Complex Roy Perkins advised that there is a piece of property right next to the Aquatic Cen- tre that is City-owned and has potential for development. He advised that he would like to have the possibilities of de- velopment for that property investigated. Stephen Alexander went through the in- formation that he had regarding the prop- erty: Please see WATERFRONT: Page 6 That Administration write a report to City Council to advise that the Waterfront Committee does not wish to take any fur- ther action on the Request for Proposal # 10-R for Park Design for “Lookout Pointe/Pointe Maligne” and wishes to close the file for the time being. CARRIED 9. New Business: i.) Development on Parking Lot East of Civic Complex – Roy Perkins Roy Perkins advised that there is City- owned land on the waterfront, particu- larly east of the Complex, and that the City should move as quickly as possible to decide what they wish to do with that land . . . Roy Perkins emphasized that we have to prioritize in order that we don’t miss out on a good opportunity.
site east of the complex for development at a June 16, 2011 committee meeting. He raised the proposal again at an Oct. 20, 2011 meeting and then at a Nov. 17, 2011 meeting, according to Waterfront Devel- opment Committee minutes. Perkins declined comment when reached by The Journal, citing a committee policy barring members other than the chair and vice-chair from speaking with the media. Vice-Chair Guy Menard did not directly address whether the committee has been stacked with pro-development members iii.) Lookout Point After some discussion, the members de- cided that they did not want to go ahead with this project. Members were advised that since this project was approved by Council, a report will have to be prepared to advise Council that the Waterfront Committee does not want to go ahead with the project. It was MOVED BY: Roy Perkins SECONDED BY: Guy Ménard The following is a short chronology of discussions at Cornwall’s Waterfront Development Committee leading up to its proposal in January to develop wa- terfront land east of the Cornwall Civic Complex in Lamoureux Park. MARCH 21, 2011 5) Declaration of Conflict of Interest: Michel Dubuc advised that the reason he is bringing this matter to the committee is because he has heard through the com- munity that some members of the Water- front Development Committee have special interest and would benefit finan- cially from development on the water- front. Therefore, he would like to have each member declared why they applied to be on this committee and what they ex- pect to be developed through the commit- tee. JUNE 16, 2011
after the fall 2010 municipal election make way for mem- bers in favouring of developing the city’s waterfront parkland. “We were booted off. It’s plain and simple,” said Parisien, a retired customs agent in an interview from his winter residence in
munity that some members of the Wa- terfront Develop- ment Committee have special interest and would benefit financially from de- velopment on the waterfront,” the minutes read. “Therefore, he would like to have each member de-
“We were booted off. It’s plain and simple.” Bill Parisien Former member of city’s Waterfront Development Committee
“Not everybody can be on the committee.” Denis Thibault Councillor and Waterfront Development Committee member
clared why they applied to be on this com- mittee and what they expect to be developed through the committee.” Committee members, in response, gave various reasons why they became mem- bers and what they would like to see ac- complished. Many of the members declared that they simply wanted to im- prove the city. None declared that they were in conflict. Dubuc declined to speak to The Journal on the record during a lengthy conversa- tion at his office recently, citing the water- front committee’s policy that only chair Lee Cassidy and vice-chair Menard may speak to the media.
Florida. His assessment was echoed by Beatty. “They changed 80 per cent of the committee members,” he said. Their concerns come as the waterfront committee forges ahead with a proposal to develop land in Lamoureux Park, just east of the Cornwall Civic Complex, for a ru- moured condominium – officially the committee has proposed the site for either residential or commercial development. According to minutes provided to The Journal by the city’s planning department, the proposal was brought up by commit- tee member Roy Perkins, who owns a building supply store in Cornwall, on three different occasions within five months. Perkins first proposed developing the
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