Mayor Leo Facio took a few minutes at Monday’s council meeting to shoot down allegations that the Village of Harrison is pushing through a zoning bylaw illegally.
“Statements were made about the public hearing being illegal,” he stated. “They were not illegal.”
He stated that the allotted seven minute time frame for speaking during a public hearing conforms to the Village’s procedural bylaw, based on Section 890 of the Local Government Act.
Speakers have three chances to address an issue at a public hearing, at seven minutes each time, totaling 21 minutes.
During a public hearing on Nov. 19 at Harrison Memorial Hall, the mayor and John Allen, a resident, business owner and former mayor, volleyed back and forth about the time allowed, with Allen saying it was not enough time to address his concerns.
The Village was also questioned about why each and every household wasn’t individually informed about the public hearing. The B.C. LGA (section 892.7) states that if more than 10 owners of land are affected, the mail outs are not required.
“Our planning department is very capable,” Facio concluded. “We do not run anything illegal in this community and I take offense when people say we should use an outside source.”
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