Residents in south Stittsville may be getting a new city councillor.
On Tuesday, the city’s corporate services committee will consider ordering a report on redistributing the Fernbank lands from the rural ward of Rideau-Goulbourn into one of the neighbouring suburban wards of Kanata West or South.
The Fernbank lands were added to the city’s urban boundary in 2005 and part of the area is surrounded by land within the urban area.
If the motion is passed, city staff would return a report to the committee on June 16. City council would vote on it June 24.
For the ward boundary change to be effective by the next election, the bylaw must be enforced by the end of the year.
If the change is challenged, the Ontario Municipal Board would have to hold a hearing and issue any order prior to the end of 2009.
If the OMB is to have sufficient time to deal with an appeal, city staff advises that a decision must be made by council before July 8.
The councillors in the affected wards must hold at least one public meeting prior to June 16, to provide an opportunity for the public to consider and respond to any proposed changes to those existing wards.
Any changes to the ward boundaries could also affect the school board’s electoral boundaries, which would need to be implemented in time for the 2010 municipal election.
