Development Appeal Board members a secret
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Walt Humphries, the man behind the appeal against the demolition of the Robertson Headframe, says he has no idea who exactly he will be dealing with when he appears before the city's Development Appeal Board in the coming weeks.
Walt Humphries says he doesn't know who he will be dealing with when he appears before the city's appeal board. - NNSL file photo |
The president of the NWT Mine Heritage Society said he was told by city spokesperson Nalini Naidoo that he is not allowed to know who sits on the appeal board ahead of time because he might contact them.
Indeed, when Yellowknifer asked the same question of Naidoo, it too was told that the board members' names would not be released.
"Members of the Development Appeal Board (DAB) are appointed by council. There are six members of the public and one member of council (with one council alternate)," Naidoo stated in an e-mail.
"For the purpose of a media inquiry, the position of the members (public/council) are important, not their contact names/information as members of the board must not be contacted by the media. Each of the six members are appointed for three-year terms (up to a max of six years). Council appointments are reviewed annually."
Naidoo added the appeal board meeting itself will be open to the public.
The city's website states that the Development Appeal Board hears appeals regarding the decisions of a development officer. The board acts as a quasi-judicial tribunal in accordance with established procedures, and its mandate comes from the Community Planning and Development Act of the NWT. A decision of the Development Appeal Board is final and binding on all parties and is not subject to appeal.
The city clerk acts as the Secretary to the Development Appeal Board. Currently, there are a total of seven members, of whom three must be in attendance in order to hold a hearing.
