SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - City councillor Bob Brooks wants reports written about business trips to be tabled immediately after being submitted, rather than months after their completion.

In a committee meeting Monday, three reports were tabled about conferences and meetings attended by councillors, dating back to February.

Reports are tabled by the mayor's office, and are not tabled until all the reports are submitted if multiple councillors attended a trip, according to city clerk Debbie Gillard.

"You'll note the date the report was submitted was February 13. It seems to me that if we don't table them until November, then the report itself and the recommendations that go forward and the lessons learned from that particular conference ... lose their effectiveness," said Brooks about a report he wrote after attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Conference in Ottawa.

Coun. Shelagh Montgomery spoke in support of Brooks' recommendation and suggested that there be harsher penalties for councillors who do not submit their travel reports within the allotted three weeks after their trip.

"Should adequate justification not be given for why the report can't be submitted within three weeks, the councillor (or) mayor agrees to forfeit their expenses."

The only late report found among those submitted by councillors was Lydia Bardak's on her trip to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in May. Her report was submitted Oct. 27.

Councillors concerned about lost variance authority

City councillors offered mixed reviews during a municipal services committee Monday on the recommendation to give development officers full variance authority over site coverage, building height, front, side and rear yard setbacks, landscaping, parking, lot depth and width, floor area and site area.

Currently development officers can allow variance up to 25 per cent.

City councillor Paul Falvo said although he agrees with streamlining and simplifying the process, he's concerned the pendulum is swinging to far in the opposite direction, suggesting development officers have authority up to 50 per cent, while anything in excess of 50 per cent needs council consideration and approval.

"To give full authority away gives a rise to some concern," he said.

Coun. Bob Brooks agreed with Falvo, while Couns. Cory Vanthuyne, Amanda Mallon, Lydia Bardak and Shelagh Montgomery said they were prepared to support the recommendation if there is a monthly summary of all of the variances over 25 per cent.

Council satisfied with affordability

After sending the document back to administration twice, city council unanimously passed a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of Niven Lake Phase VII on Nov. 8.

The first draft was sent back when council found the affordability section included nothing more than an incomplete sentence. It was returned to administration a second time to add 15 per cent for affordability in the proposal's evaluation criteria, a request made by Coun. Shelagh Montgomery and supported by Couns. Bob Brooks, David Wind, Mark Heyck and Amanda Mallon. In council on Nov. 8, Coun. Cory Vanthuyne said he was pleased to support the RFP, but suggested that administration also give greater consideration to a developers' ability to complete the project.

"It should have a higher rating than five per cent," he said.

The rating in the passed document is 25 per cent for offer to purchase, 25 per cent for methodology, 20 per cent for proponent's experience, 15 per cent for affordability, 10 per cent for quality of the proposal and five per cent for a schedule to complete the project.

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