Dear Editor,
As a former Rocky View County councillor and resident board member of the Subdivision Appeal Board (SDAB), I question both Coun. Daniel Henn’s choice to recuse himself from four subdivision decisions in May, and Rocky View’s choice to place a councillor on the SDAB.
Municipal Affairs states all councillors must vote on all agenda items at a council meeting. Subdivision items are no exception.
In his role with SDAB, Henn recused himself May 14 from one of three subdivision decisions, and from all three decisions May 28. His reasoning was he preferred to hear the possible appeal at SDAB rather than vote on the subdivision in council. He has not done this before or since. Why?
There are only two situations in which a councillor can be publicly recused from a vote – monetary interest or absence from a Public Hearing, neither of which he declared.
Rocky View County needs to fix this inconsistency and amend its Appeal and Review Panels Bylaw, so councillors are not SDAB members.
Kim Magnuson
Springbank
