The Homestead Project has likely been killed, after Town Council voted in favour of a motion stating they do not intend to hold a plebiscite at their August 19 meeting.

A petition against the Homestead Project was deemed sufficient last week, with over 2,900 signatures validated by Town administration. The petition left Council with a choice between accepting the wording of the petition to remove ratepayer funds from the project, or seeking public approval for the project by triggering a plebiscite of community members.

This motion signals Council’s intent to move on from the Homestead Project, which included the Tiny Homes ecovillage.

Council chambers were packed by members of the Okotoks Community Ratepayers Group, the group who collected signatures for the petition. Members in the gallery cheered the announcement that Council would not be seeking a plebiscite.

After Council passed the first reading of the bylaw arising from the petition unanimously, Coun. Tanya Thorn put forward the motion against a plebiscite, to indicate to community members where Council stood ahead of the second and third reading. Those readings are expected at the next meeting in September.

Though a plebiscite could not be formally voted on tonight, in passing Coun. Thorn’s motion, Council indicated that they intend to move on from the Homestead Project, starting over in their search for affordable housing options in Okotoks. 

The motion passed by a vote of five to two, with Councillors Ken Heemeryck, Matt Rockley, Ray Watrin, Florence Christophers, and Thorn voting in favour. 

Mayor Bill Robertson and Coun. Ed Sands voted against the motion, which would have left the door open to debating a plebiscite at the next Council meeting when the second and third readings of the bylaw arising from the petition are expected to be held.

Coun. Thorn cited the unlikelihood that residents would vote to continue with the Homestead Project, given the support of the petition, relative to the turnout of the last municipal election. She also cited the expected cost $70,000 to hold a plebiscite as an unnecessary cost to taxpayers.

Council members opposed to the motion were not necessarily voting in favour of a plebiscite, but to leave the option available at their next meeting. Coun. Sands indicated that the Municipal Government Act doesn't allow all three readings of a bylaw arising from a petition to prevent Council from voting emotionally or being coerced. 

Concerns were raised again by council members of the way signatures had been solicited by the group, this time by Coun. Christophers, who said she knew of three community members who had been given misinformation about the project's costs to taxpayers. Her account was similar to previous statements by Coun. Rockley and Coun. Sands.

Despite the doubt cast on the moral accuracy of the petition, Council still felt that 2,900 signatures indicated wide-spread distaste for the project among community members.

The end of the Homestead Project had previously been signalled by a statement from the developer Thomas Grenier.

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