Katasa Group's offices in Gatineau, Que.
Ottawa city council has a decision to make on one of the most contentious issues at city hall this term — the question of how or if councillors should negotiate voluntary donations from developers to benefit their wards.A now-pulled $300,000 voluntary contribution agreement between Groupe Katasa and Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard sparked a heated debate at council early this year.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe came out against these donations, but says he feels staff have come up with guardrails that will address many public concerns. An agreement between Capital Coun. Shawn Menard and Groupe Katasa for the developer to provide $200,000 for affordable housing and another $100,000 for traffic calming kicked off a firestorm of debate earlier this year.
"I think these types of discussions are important for counselors to be able to raise issues that community are raising and for us to come to conclusions and get more housing built," he said. "At the same time, to me this has always been a potential for win-wins, and I think part of the staff recommendations would allow for that."
Jason Burggraaf, the executive director of the Greater Ottawa Homebuilders' Association, says the proposed blackout period would help address the perception that developers are vying for influence. But many others questioned whether money could flow from beneficiaries to city decision-makers without raising the spectre of "corruption."
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