The possibility of a referendum on the Catherwood Road annexation has been put to rest for the time being. Instead, council has opted to allow completion of a study which will look at diagnostic inventory of planning, service delivery, and governance in the south bench area of Revelstoke.
Council had planned to put an annexation request by the owners of two larger parcels to referendum, but in a surprise development last week, Peter Fassbender, the B.C. cabinet minister that oversees the municipal file, sent a letter denying a city request for a time extension to hold the referendum.
At the Feb. 28 council meeting, Revelstoke City Councillor Scott Duke put forth a motion asking for an additional extension from minister Fassbender. However, the motion received no seconder, and was therefore defeated.
Councillor Gary Sulz said that while this may be disappointing for some members of the community, he felt it was important to go through with the study as proposed by Fassbender.
“We should basically let this carry out and we can revisit this at a future date,” he said.
Allan Chabot, chief administrative officer with the city, said that the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, in consultation with the government, has determined it would be best for more public engagement and broader community input.
“Its complexity has changed,” he said.
The applicants of the annexation will be able to reapply once the study has been completed.
Councillor Connie Brothers and Mayor Mark McKee recused themselves from the discussion, and Councillor Aaron Orlando was not present at the meeting.
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