Petition against eco-village heading to council

The Town of Okotoks has accepted a petition against an eco-village project.

The Okotoks Ratepayers Association has been collecting signatures since May in opposition to the municipal government’s “Homestead Project.” The project would see the town south of Calgary build a village of eco-friendly tiny homes to supplement the need for affordable housing in the town.

After a review, Okotoks administration verified 2,981 of the 3,167 signatures collected as town residents, meaning the association met the Municipal Government Act’s criteria. The group needed at least 2,900 signatures — representing 10 per cent of the population — to meet the criteria.

“Because petitions have authority to direct council’s actions on municipal bylaws, administration is required to review them to ensure they meet all the MGA requirements for sufficiency,” town CAO Elaine Vincent said in a statement.

The petition also consists of a valid statement that can be written into a new bylaw and is related to matters within the municipal jurisdiction. It must also be free from requests relating to a handful of off-limit items, such as taxation.

When the report is presented to council, they will have the choice to pass the bylaw stated in the petition or wait to vote within a 90-day window of time.

A report with details about the administration’s review will be presented at the next council meeting on Monday.