Yellowknife (Oct 27/06) - Over the past several years, outgoing city council members Alan Woytiuk and Kevin O'Reilly have locked horns in many a memorable battle in council chambers.

But O'Reilly said his complaint that Woytuik broke conflict rules by expressing an interest in putting trailer units on Hordal Road was nothing personal.

"No. No personal reasons were involved whatsoever," he said. "It strictly dealt with what is in our rules of conduct and procedures."

On Oct. 25, the city's council review committee - which investigates conflict of interest complaints made against city councillors - ruled that Coun. Woytuik was not in a conflict when he made his expression of interest to develop land currently zoned as "nature preserve" on Hordal.

O'Reilly and Coun. Mark Heyck made the complaint against Woytuik in early September.

"Basically, the concern was that the councillor was part of the decision process for the rezoning of land in the Hordal area," said Heyck.

"Then the councillor submitted an expression of interest to develop the area."

O'Reilly pointed out that there has to be changes on how the review committee handles complaints - an opinion most councillors agreed with at a council meeting Monday.

"I consider it a closed matter," said O'Reilly.

"But I do think it is important that the newly elected council deal with how the committee goes about its work. There has to be changes."

Heyck echoed O'Reilly's opinion.

"The council review committee is weak in a number of areas," Heyck said.

"The number one issue is there has to be more clear rules on what council can and can't do."

The review committee's hearing took place behind closed doors at City Hall on Sept. 19.

Along with the three councillors involved in the complaint, the other attendees at the hearing were review committee members Couns. Blake Lyons and Bob Brooks, Eitan Dehtiar, Nicole Hayduk, and Calvin Yip.

The committee ruled that Woytuik was not in a conflict of interest, but the appearance of a conflict of interest was apparent.

Woytuik was asked to renege his expression of interest, which he did in writing.

"I didn't think it was a conflict of interest but I can see why it might be perceived that way, so I withdrew my expression of interest," said Woytuik.

A recommendation the council review committee made in its decision was "that the existing rules of conflict policy be enhanced or replaced to provide clearer guidelines governing the conduct of councillors and provide more effective authority and recourse options to the Conduct Review Committee."