Coun. Marty Morantz to call audit into Sterling Lyon Parkway extension

The Winnipeg city councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo plans to call for an audit of a project that would have seen a freeway run through a semi-rural neighbourhood south of Wilkes Avenue.

Mayor Brian Bowman said Thursday thatCoun. MartyMorantzwill call for a project audit of the extension of the William Clement Parkway and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

Bowman made this statementafterCBC News revealed senior city staff were told of plans one year earlier than previously thought to partly or fully expropriate nearly 100 homes as part of that project.

On Thursday morning, CBCNews reported details from confidential briefing notes that show former public works director Lester Deanetold current chief administrative officer DougMcNeil about plans to expropriate properties in the fall of 2016.

Some or all of 92 homes and buildings affected were in the way of extensions proposed for the Sterling Lyon Parkway and William Clement Parkway.

Property owners were notified of plans to expropriate homes this fall. Several homeownerslocated south of Wilkes Avenue were concerned about a freeway running through their properties.

Homeowners were also upset bythe announcement because the project design was different from three other options made public in January 2016.The uproarled city council to place the western extension of Sterling Lyon on hold.

At the time, McNeil and Morantzsaid they only learned about the plans as ofOctober 2017, but briefing notes dated Nov. 28, 2016, show Deaneurged McNeilto reveal expropriation plans to the public as soon as possible. The note also suggests Morantzwas "kept in the loop" on the project.

On Thursday, Coun. JaniceLukes(South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) said she has "grave and serious concerns" about McNeilas CAO in light of the CBC News story. Shecalled for an emergency, in-camera, closed-doorcouncil meeting on Friday to discuss McNeil's performance, in light of the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension.

"We have theCAOsaying to council,givinginformation to council that he did not know about this. And yet we see this in the report that he did. How am I going to make decisionsonany report that I get, going forward?" she said in an interview.

"I and members of council have questions that must be answered to determine if the CAO should remain in his position."

Bowman said Morantz will callfor an audit of the Sterling Lyon project at the next executive policy council meeting, in January 2018.

In the mean time, Bowman saidMcNeil willhold a council seminar to address those concerns. Council seminars are more informal than the in camera meeting Lukes had hoped forcouncil can't vote on the performance of senior staff at seminars.

Pastcriticism of McNeil

Councillors havebeen critical of McNeilbefore.

In September of this year, the city lost out on a chance to recover $20 million ina lawsuit over Winnipeg's water-treatment plant because of a misseddeadline to take legal action. Lukesand others tabled a motion to in October demanding accountability and asked for a review of where things went wrong under McNeil's watch.

Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt called on McNeil, who has run the city's public service since 2015,to resignin March. He citedaccountability concerns and the CAO'sinvolvement in city real-estate deals, among other issues.

It isn't clear whether Bowman will grant Lukes' request for an emergency meeting.

The city wants to extend Sterling Lyon Parkway as a means of easingtraffic on Wilkes Avenue.

City CAO told about Sterling Lyon expropriations a year ago, confidential briefing note says

7 years ago

Duration 3:33

A confidential briefing note obtained by CBC News casts doubt on claims that senior city officials didn't know about a plan to run a freeway through a southwest Winnipeg neighbourhood.