'Disrespectful and patently untrue': City Manager blasts comment by Coun. Stevenson

Long simmering tensions boiled over during a marathon committee meeting at city hall.

About five hours into Tuesday’s meeting of the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, debate turned to the frequency of staff reports meant to update council about the Whole of Community Response to Homelessness.

Initially, a motion by Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis and Coun. Skylar Franke sought to switch from monthly reports to twice per year.

They asserted that preparing the monthly reports is pulling staff away from work that actually addresses the homelessness crisis.

“We want to see less talk and more action — not necessary from staff, but from council,” Franke told colleagues.

Coun. Anna Hopkins suggested a compromise that would amend the frequency to quarterly reports.

After that amendment debate went off the rails.

“I’m open to a change of dates, but there has got to be a direction from council about the meaningfulness [of the reports],” said Coun. Susan Stevenson. “From a governance and oversight perspective, how many homeless do we have in our city? Is it going up? Or down? Who are they? That information is very important and for some reason it isn't being provided.”

City Manager Lynne Livingstone pushed back.

“To suggest that we are hiding something is disrespectful and patently untrue,” Livingstone said defending the work of civic administration.

She added that if a councillor has questions or wants additional information they can pass a motion or ask questions during a committee meeting.

“I resent the implication, it is disparaging of staff. I ask that you intervene in the discussion,” Livingstone told the mayor in an unwavering tone.

Mayor Josh Morgan warned Stevenson against making assumptions about what staff are, or are not, doing.

However, Stevenson then urged council colleagues to increase the flow of information during the rollout of the city’s homelessness strategy.

“I ask questions every time, and I can see the eye rolls around the council horseshoe,” Stevenson said, acknowledging the growing frustration with her extensive questioning of staff each month when the update report arrives at committee.

“It saddens me that the most important thing to Londoners [homelessness], by far, nobody has an interest in,” she said to a chorus of objections from her council colleagues.

“We all care about homelessness!” Franke shot back. “I would like the member to withdraw those statements.”

“Okay, okay, I take that back,” Stevenson conceded.

Several more councillors seized upon the opportunity to rebuke Stevenson’s monthly questioning of city staff about operational details of the homelessness strategy.

“I think they have been treated very poorly with these reports,” said Coun. Hadleigh McAlister. “I think we need to show a modicum of respect in this chamber.”

Stevenson was the only member of the committee that did not support moving from monthly to quarterly updates (14-1).

Council will make a final decision on Dec. 19.