Consultation flawed: Katz

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BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES The bikeway is �sparsely used,� one resident says.

Mayor Sam Katz admits the city could have done a better job consulting the public over a bikeway project one citizen has called a "theft of democracy."

On Wednesday, council's executive policy committee reviewed an audit report that identified shortcomings in the consultation process over the Assiniboine Avenue bikeway. The report said area businesses were not included in the process and public notifications should have outlined the impact the project would have on traffic.

The bikeway was part of Winnipeg's major active-transportation overhaul that saw the city try to complete 35 projects within an 18-month period to make use of federal stimulus dollars.

It prompted a backlash from residents and businesses, and six companies near the Midtown Bridge filed a lawsuit to try to halt construction, saying the plan would cause traffic chaos in the neighbourhood. One plaintiff on Assiniboine said he was notified about the project by a notice taped to his door.

Graham Hnatiuk, a citizen journalist, told EPC the city should seek a refund since the consultant the city hired to conduct public consultations did not contact residents for their input for the on-street bike lane. Hnatiuk said he became interested in the issue after he attended a public meeting about the bikeway in 2009, and most of the people who attended were bike lobbyists.

The blogger said he complained to 311 about the consultation process, and department staff did not address his concerns. Hnatiuk said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) later helped forward his complaint directly to the city auditor.

Hnatiuk said the bikeway is "sparsely used" in summer, and hundreds of cars that used the route during rush hour travel down an already gridlocked York Avenue instead.

"We were right all along," he said. "The residents and businesses along Assiniboine Avenue have known all along that their input was never asked for."

Bob Axford told EPC the City of Winnipeg has a governance problem and public consultations need to be improved. He suggested Winnipeg make changes to the way it approaches public consultations.

"This is a complete theft of democracy," he said.

Katz said he agrees that the consultant did not do a good job. He said the company had a short time frame to complete the public-consultation process due to the federal deadline.

However, Katz said the firm shouldn't have taken the job if they could not complete it in the given time. He said everyone, including the mayor, councillors and the city, could have done a better job.

"On this particular instance a very poor job was done," Katz said.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

Also on the agenda

OTHER things that happened at city hall on Wednesday:

Granny flat OK'd: Council's executive policy committee gave a St. Vital family the go-ahead to build a granny flat for aging parents. The city initially denied Gina Trinidad's bid to build an 800-square-foot separate suite that attaches to their garage, with a bedroom, kitchen and dining area for her parents. City administration said the home is in a rural-residential area that does not have a full range of municipal services, including piped water. The home is located on .8 hectares of land south of the Perimeter Highway and west of Lagimodiere Boulevard, but is still part of Winnipeg. EPC voted in favour of Trinidad's application, calling it a unique situation.

Fraud hotline: The City of Winnipeg is set to launch a fraud and waste hotline for city employees this month, according to a report executive policy committee reviewed. The audit department is negotiating a contract and will review the hotline's implementation in July. The report said the hotline will initially be available for city employees to report fraud, but the audit committee may recommend it be made available to all Winnipeg residents. Last year, an audit said many cases of waste and fraud likely go unreported since the City of Winnipeg requires staff to report it to a supervisor.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 19, 2012 B1