There is a difference of opinion in Lake Country over whether councillors should be allowed to attend public information sessions held by developers or lobbyists.
At the April 1 council meeting, Coun. Cara Reed proposed removing a section of the district’s policy that currently advises councillors not to attend such sessions.
“For me, this is about setting boundaries,” Reed said. “Instead of a blanket prohibition, guidelines could be established for attendance.”
She argued that letting councillors participate in these meetings would actually make decision-making more transparent.
“It demonstrates to the public that council members are open to understanding various perspectives,” she added.
Reed believes councillors need to gather information from multiple sources, and attending these sessions would give them firsthand knowledge of proposals, community concerns, and developers’ intentions. She added that councillors should avoid discussions that could create conflicts of interest or perceived bias.
“This approach allows for participation while maintaining ethical standards,” she said.
Coun. Michael Lewis pushed back, saying public sessions should be for residents, not council.
“Having a councillor there, I think, disrupts that process, basically because the developer is probably going to focus on the councillor who is there,” he said.
Mayor Blair Ireland was also against the change, arguing that attending these meetings could actually make things less transparent.
“Because you’ve gone and been influenced in a group of people without all of the facts,” he said. “We’ve seen a couple of the development meetings that don’t even present what the actual project has become.”
He also warned against private one-on-one meetings with developers or lobbyists, adding he takes members of the district’s development team when attending such meetings.
“That’s for my protection, and everybody’s protection, because when you’re meeting one-on-one, it’s a lack of transparency.”
Coun. Heather Irvine supported Reed’s motion, stating she’s attended a public info session before and doesn’t see the harm.
“It’s no different than meeting a developer for coffee,” she argued. “He’s explaining to us before it comes to council. We owe it to our people—we’re their voice. To speak their words, we have to listen. We have to partake in these events.”
With Coun. Tricia Brett out of the country, council voted to defer the motion until she returns so all councillors can weigh in. Staff will also research how other municipalities handle developer interactions to help council guide its decision.
