Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 10/99) - It amounts to a pretty big drop in an $85,000 bucket. City council voted Monday to cough up $40,000 for the Yellowknife Property Owners Association -- almost $10,000 more than the courts ordered them to pay.

The money will help offset the association's legal costs which were in excess of $85,000. This, following a three-year legal battle that concluded with a judge ordering the city to stop holding secret meetings.

Association spokesperson Mike Byrne presented their case for the extra money.

"There can be no doubt that the city, under the guidance of the previous council and previous city administrator, did much to frustrate and stall the court process seeking a ruling in this matter," Byrne said in his speech to council.

Alternative motions to the full payment were tabled and voted on but it was councillor Cheryl Best who refused to accept anything less than what the association requested.

"It was part of my campaign to open our city hall to public scrutiny. Many of us were elected because we wanted a responsible, accountable and transparent municipal government," Best said.

"In order for the residents of Yellowknife to feel comfortable with their local government, they need to have access to the information that's given to council and access to the debate and discussion regarding that information.

"The citizens of Yellowknife owe the ratepayers' association a debt of gratitude because they guaranteed us a municipal government that will remain open for all time."

Councillor Peggy Near, keeping her eye on the bottom dollar, voted against paying anything extra as did Kevin O'Reilly and Ben McDonald -- citing "fiscal hard times."

The city will get the $10,000 out of its contingency fund, which stands at around $55,000 at the moment.

Ramsay said because of what the association accomplished here, municipalities are beginning to change their ways across the country.

"St. John's and Grande Prairie are two examples of municipalities that have recently launched discussions of closed door meetings in light of what happened here," Ramsay said.

"The case of the city of Yellowknife versus the Yellowknife Property Owners Association will be cited for years to come."

Ken Pook, now semi-retired in Saskatchewan, contributed more than $13,000 of his own money to fund the lawsuit. Pook was one of the original founders of the association.

"I spent two years of my life on something Dave Lovell had every opportunity to avoid. I only have one desire -- that something like this doesn't happen again," Pook said in a phone conversation from Saskatchewan.

"What the original council was doing was making a mockery of the democratic process. I hope my efforts helped restore some level of justice to the citizens of Yellowknife."