New Advisory Committee Bylaw will regulate future city trail committees
On November 27, 2017, the City passed a new Advisory Committee Bylaw “to prescribe the terms of reference and rules of procedures for any committee established by council.” Committee members must “Focus on making informed and reasonable decisions in an open and transparent way and in the best interests of the community.” Members will be required to vote on any motion, and the names of those voting for or against the motion will be recorded in the minutes.
Link to Advisory Committee Bylaw on City website: http://whitehorse.ca/home/showdocument?id=9320
Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA) is very pleased with this new bylaw, which will help advisory committees to avoid the pitfalls that mired the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC) from the time it started in 2013 until it was disbanded in September 2017. See details below.
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On November 27, 2017, the City passed a new Advisory Committee Bylaw “to prescribe the terms of reference and rules of procedures for any committee established by council.” Committee members must “Focus on making informed and reasonable decisions in an open and transparent way and in the best interests of the community.” Members will be required to vote on any motion, and the names of those voting for or against the motion will be recorded in the minutes.
Link to Advisory Committee Bylaw on City website: http://whitehorse.ca/home/showdocument?id=9320
Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA) is very pleased with this new bylaw, which will help advisory committees to avoid the pitfalls that mired the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC) from the time it started in 2013 until it was disbanded in September 2017. See details below.
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The Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (a City Committee):
Although the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC) was officially disbanded by Council motion on September 11, 2017, there are on-going concerns about trail issues as described in the letter below.
Although the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC) was officially disbanded by Council motion on September 11, 2017, there are on-going concerns about trail issues as described in the letter below.
Active Trails Whitehorse Association's September 11, 2017 letter to City Council:
Reasons given by administration, the Klondike Snowmobile Association and members of Council for shutting down the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee:
Administration:
“The Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Advisory Committee has served the purpose for which it was originally formed. New issues regarding trail development are being dealt with by neighbourhood task force working groups.” (Administrative Report of Sept. 5, 2017)
Mr. Hnatiuk in a Whitehorse Star article of July (28) said that as the 2007 Trail Plan was reaching its “10-year sunset that the timing was right to wrap up its work.”
Comment: The reasons given do not make sense.
a) The committee has not fulfilled the original purposes for which it was formed. These purposes (approximately ten) are listed on the Implementation Chart p. 36, 2007 Trail Plan. This is understandable, as the committee has only been in existence for four years, but was supposed to have been formed in 2007.
Conclusion: The committee has not fulfilled the original purposes for which it was formed, as almost all the goals listed have yet to be realized. Nor has it fulfilled many of its additional Action Plan goals.
According to Mr. Hnatiuk it will be at least two more years (2019) before we even begin to look at the development of a new trail plan. In addition, we have two trail task force groups in operation at present. We also have on-going issues with regard to trails, green spaces, and regional parks in various parts of our city. Mr. Hnatiuk’s comment that “the work of the trail and greenway committee is reaching an end” is certainly questionable. (Whitehorse Star article of July 28, 2017 by Stephanie Waddell.)
As well, there is no indication in the 2007 Trail Plan that the committee was to be phased out in 2017, the time when the plan was supposed to be reviewed. In any case, the 2007 Trail Plan is still in effect until it is replaced, and as mentioned that will not be for some time. [The new Trail Plan was finally approved in 2020.]
Mayor Curtis indicated that “the WTGC was already considered ‘in sunset,’ meaning it was going to be phased out at some point in 2017.” (Yukon News article of August 2, 2017 by Lori Garrison) If that was the case, then why were last fall’s appointments to the WTGC made for “two-year term[s] expiring October 31, 2018?” (Minutes of Regular Council meeting #2016-19-22 of October 24, 2016)
b) At present there are only two “working groups” in existence: Whitehorse North and Whitehorse South. Once these trail task force groups have finished their deliberations (this year) they will cease to exist, so how is consultation to take place with non-existent groups? New trail development could be proposed for any area of the City, but as there will shortly be no neighbourhood working groups in existence in the entire city, with whom does Mr. Hnatiuk propose to consult? (Update Dec. 2017: It appears now that these two trail task force groups will not now meet until early in 2018.)
In addition, Council directed Mr. Hnatiuk in November of 2016 to work with the WTGC to produce a Trail Development Policy that was to be completed by the spring of 2017. Part of this policy was to address the issue of unauthorized trail creation in the City. (Update Dec. 2017: The Trail Development Policy is now scheduled to be presented to a Council and Senior Management (CASM) meeting in March of 2018, a year after it was supposed to be ready for perusal.)
Conclusion: Administration’s statement that “new issues regarding trail development are being dealt with by neighbourhood task force working groups” needs to be clarified, as at present it simply does not make sense.
In addition, until we have a new Trail Development Policy in place the City should not be considering new trail development. This should not involve a long wait as the policy was supposed to be ready in spring for public review and council approval, so one would expect that it will soon be finished. (Update Dec. 2017: The Trail Development Policy is now scheduled to be presented to a Council and Senior Management (CASM) meeting in March of 2018, a year after it was supposed to be ready for perusal.)
The Klondike Snowmobile Association: (Trail Steward and member of the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee)
a) “The KSA’s website makes the following statement as to why the committee is being shut down: “Unfortunately in recent months city council has chosen to ignore the recommendations of the committee supported by many and instead cater to a few vocal individuals. City Councillors and the Mayor of Whitehorse have since acknowledged this failure, and made it known that based on these actions by city council there is no longer any reason to continue with the committee, which is now in the process of disbanding.” See https://ksa.yk.ca/news/
Comment: Since this statement is already appearing in responses to press articles on the story of the possible disbanding of the WTGC, it might be wise for City Council to confirm or deny its content. See http://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/trails-committee-on-the-path-toward-disbandment .
Press reports seem to suggest that the Mayor and Councillor Woodcock agree with some parts of the KSA’s comments.
Conclusion: The committee is advisory in nature and Mayor and Council has every right to reject or modify the recommendations of this citizen committee. Indeed, it has a responsibility to evaluate the worth of those recommendations, as it represents all the people of Whitehorse.
As far as the rest of the trail steward’s comments are concerned, City Council can make its own conclusions about the attitude of an organization that continues to work closely with city staff.
Final Comment:
The reasons that have been given for disbanding the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee do not appear to bear scrutiny. They appear to be nothing more than face-saving measures intended to cloud the real reasons for disbanding the committee.
The failure to provide accurate information concerning this situation is a continuum of the lack of transparency that (in our view) ruined the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Advisory Committee. We are very concerned that this lack of transparency is set to continue with administration’s handling of current and future trail issues.
Suggested Actions:
We urge council to ensure the following steps are taken immediately:
Reasons given by administration, the Klondike Snowmobile Association and members of Council for shutting down the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee:
Administration:
“The Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Advisory Committee has served the purpose for which it was originally formed. New issues regarding trail development are being dealt with by neighbourhood task force working groups.” (Administrative Report of Sept. 5, 2017)
Mr. Hnatiuk in a Whitehorse Star article of July (28) said that as the 2007 Trail Plan was reaching its “10-year sunset that the timing was right to wrap up its work.”
Comment: The reasons given do not make sense.
a) The committee has not fulfilled the original purposes for which it was formed. These purposes (approximately ten) are listed on the Implementation Chart p. 36, 2007 Trail Plan. This is understandable, as the committee has only been in existence for four years, but was supposed to have been formed in 2007.
Conclusion: The committee has not fulfilled the original purposes for which it was formed, as almost all the goals listed have yet to be realized. Nor has it fulfilled many of its additional Action Plan goals.
According to Mr. Hnatiuk it will be at least two more years (2019) before we even begin to look at the development of a new trail plan. In addition, we have two trail task force groups in operation at present. We also have on-going issues with regard to trails, green spaces, and regional parks in various parts of our city. Mr. Hnatiuk’s comment that “the work of the trail and greenway committee is reaching an end” is certainly questionable. (Whitehorse Star article of July 28, 2017 by Stephanie Waddell.)
As well, there is no indication in the 2007 Trail Plan that the committee was to be phased out in 2017, the time when the plan was supposed to be reviewed. In any case, the 2007 Trail Plan is still in effect until it is replaced, and as mentioned that will not be for some time. [The new Trail Plan was finally approved in 2020.]
Mayor Curtis indicated that “the WTGC was already considered ‘in sunset,’ meaning it was going to be phased out at some point in 2017.” (Yukon News article of August 2, 2017 by Lori Garrison) If that was the case, then why were last fall’s appointments to the WTGC made for “two-year term[s] expiring October 31, 2018?” (Minutes of Regular Council meeting #2016-19-22 of October 24, 2016)
b) At present there are only two “working groups” in existence: Whitehorse North and Whitehorse South. Once these trail task force groups have finished their deliberations (this year) they will cease to exist, so how is consultation to take place with non-existent groups? New trail development could be proposed for any area of the City, but as there will shortly be no neighbourhood working groups in existence in the entire city, with whom does Mr. Hnatiuk propose to consult? (Update Dec. 2017: It appears now that these two trail task force groups will not now meet until early in 2018.)
In addition, Council directed Mr. Hnatiuk in November of 2016 to work with the WTGC to produce a Trail Development Policy that was to be completed by the spring of 2017. Part of this policy was to address the issue of unauthorized trail creation in the City. (Update Dec. 2017: The Trail Development Policy is now scheduled to be presented to a Council and Senior Management (CASM) meeting in March of 2018, a year after it was supposed to be ready for perusal.)
Conclusion: Administration’s statement that “new issues regarding trail development are being dealt with by neighbourhood task force working groups” needs to be clarified, as at present it simply does not make sense.
In addition, until we have a new Trail Development Policy in place the City should not be considering new trail development. This should not involve a long wait as the policy was supposed to be ready in spring for public review and council approval, so one would expect that it will soon be finished. (Update Dec. 2017: The Trail Development Policy is now scheduled to be presented to a Council and Senior Management (CASM) meeting in March of 2018, a year after it was supposed to be ready for perusal.)
The Klondike Snowmobile Association: (Trail Steward and member of the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee)
a) “The KSA’s website makes the following statement as to why the committee is being shut down: “Unfortunately in recent months city council has chosen to ignore the recommendations of the committee supported by many and instead cater to a few vocal individuals. City Councillors and the Mayor of Whitehorse have since acknowledged this failure, and made it known that based on these actions by city council there is no longer any reason to continue with the committee, which is now in the process of disbanding.” See https://ksa.yk.ca/news/
Comment: Since this statement is already appearing in responses to press articles on the story of the possible disbanding of the WTGC, it might be wise for City Council to confirm or deny its content. See http://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/trails-committee-on-the-path-toward-disbandment .
Press reports seem to suggest that the Mayor and Councillor Woodcock agree with some parts of the KSA’s comments.
Conclusion: The committee is advisory in nature and Mayor and Council has every right to reject or modify the recommendations of this citizen committee. Indeed, it has a responsibility to evaluate the worth of those recommendations, as it represents all the people of Whitehorse.
As far as the rest of the trail steward’s comments are concerned, City Council can make its own conclusions about the attitude of an organization that continues to work closely with city staff.
Final Comment:
The reasons that have been given for disbanding the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee do not appear to bear scrutiny. They appear to be nothing more than face-saving measures intended to cloud the real reasons for disbanding the committee.
The failure to provide accurate information concerning this situation is a continuum of the lack of transparency that (in our view) ruined the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Advisory Committee. We are very concerned that this lack of transparency is set to continue with administration’s handling of current and future trail issues.
Suggested Actions:
We urge council to ensure the following steps are taken immediately:
- Ensure the public is included “in determining guidelines for trail system development, use, preservation and maintenance” as per the 2007 Trail Plan’s Guiding Principle of inclusiveness.
- Ask administration to “be proactive and innovative in seeking public participation and increasing public awareness to develop community spaces.” (Parks & Community Development Strategic Plan Update 2017, p. 9)
- Determine when the November 2016 request of Council to produce a Trail Development Policy will be realized, and how the public will be involved.
- Ensure that any future trail development applications are made available for public review and input.
- Inform the public as to what process must be followed at present in order to make a trail development application, while we wait until a Trail Development Policy is completed that will clarify the process.
- Clarify with whom city staff are going to consult on trail matters.
- Ensure the public is made aware that citizen committees such as the WTGC are advisory in nature, and that Mayor and Council have every right to reject or modify the recommendations of such committees.