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Trevor Birtch Appeared at the Oxford County Council Meeting Last Night

Woodstock Mayor and Oxford County council made his first appearance at a council meeting in over a month last night and was active in the Tiny Homes debate.

Woodstock Mayor and Oxford County councillor Trevor Birtch was in attendance for the Oxford County council meeting on Wednesday night. 

Birtch has not been at a Woodstock or Oxford County council meeting since February when it was announced he would taking a step back from some of his mayoral duties in Woodstock. Acting Mayor Connie Lauder has been filling in for the Mayor at both Oxford County and Woodstock City council meetings since February 25th. 

The Mayor had stepped aside after being charged with assault, sexual assault and sexual assault with choking. Last week at Woodstock City council, Jennifer Dunn from the London Abused Women Centre made a delegation saying the City was not doing enough to support victims. 

Birtch was quite active in the debate over Tiny Homes in Woodstock. He raised concerns about the CAO meeting with the group ahead of the meeting.

"Regardless of recent information in the last few days is that you met with this group on several occasions, my concern is that you met with this group on several occasions, there is no staff report, you helped guide them in their presentation, you provide a recommendation in the agenda, published through the public to receive as information, which is basically to note an file and do nothing with it. Other organizations meet with you in the same essence of goodwill and we automatically receive a staff report and we receive different recommendations. I want to know how this happens and why this happens." 

Birtch also took issue with Deputy Warden Sandra Talbot bringing up Operation Sharing during the debate.

"I am specifically asking for clarification regarding comments made by Deputy Warden Talbot, regarding qualifications of individuals helping in this realm, and references that were made to an existing organization that has a contract with the County."

Councillor Marcus Ryan was quick to point out this isn't an Operation Sharing project.

"What is the relevance of the qualifications of some other organization that is not involved in the delegation that is under consideration. I mean we might as well ask for the credentials of the water treatment staff of Middlesex County, I don't understand I guess, what the relevance here is of the credentials of another organization that is not part of this debate." 

Ryan says this should be an easy decision for council to support this project in principle. 

"To me it's clear the resolution on the floor is to support in principle, I don't how we couldn't support this in principle, it is a private endeavour on private land, if there are zoning requirements, they are going to have to go through the area municipality to get those approvals. Is it imperfect, absolutely, every single housing solution we have is imperfect. What is needed, my understanding is a spectrum of different ideas and different solutions and this is one of them. A group of people have come forward here with their own money, their own time, their own property and proposed a solution that is going to help some people in our community. I don't understand how we could not support this in principle, they are not asking us for time or money, they're just asking for support." 

Birtch did agree to support the project and council voted 8-2 in favour of support the transitional shelter community.

You can read more about that project proposal online here. 
 

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