How can not following the planning process, submitting an application under a fake name and requiring ‘unforeseen’ zoning amendments—all actions taken by a professional planner at the City of Ottawa—not be considered a conflict of interest?

The comments Peter Hume made in David Reevely’s article entitled ‘Planning Chair defends planner’, prove once again that Mr. Hume is out of touch with Ottawa residents and is no longer up to the challenge of being the Planning Chair for the City of Ottawa. The actions taken by City planner Bliss Edwards appear to be entirely self-serving, a manipulation of the planning process and simply out of line for a City-employed planner to be engaging in while in the employ of the City.

It is just as unacceptable for a bureaucrat to take advantage of their position for personal benefit as it is for an elected official. The public expects City employees to be above reproach when it comes to conflict situations. Submitting an application under a false name should be enough to void her application and apply penalties. The Committee of Adjustments would be wise to turn down her request for zoning amendments.

Further, Peter Hume’s statement that he doesn’t listen to Lorne Cutler, the long time President of the Iona-Hampton Community Association (Westboro-area) and Treasurer for the Federation of Citizens’ Associations in Ottawa, an umbrella organization for community associations and citizen groups, is mind boggling. Mr. Cutler is a well respected and extremely knowledgeable community volunteer, especially in the area of planning. Mr. Cutler is someone Peter Hume should be consulting with on a regular basis, as other councillors have in the past. He is not someone Mr. Hume should be dismissing out of hand as a person who is not worth his time.

While its clear Peter Hume doesn’t want to hear from the public, he can be equally sure that we no longer wish to hear from him.