The Town of The Blue Mountains and the Blue Mountains Attainable Housing Corporation will meet on May 24 to discuss how to proceed in the wake of the resignation of the corporation’s executive director.
On May 9, housing corporation board chair Gavin Leitch announced the resignation of the corporation’s Executive Director Jennifer Bisley. The resignation takes effect on May 25.
“The corporation is focused on ensuring a smooth transition in the coming weeks and looks forward to working with the town and other key stakeholders on the options and opportunities to increase the supply of attainable housing in The Town of The Blue Mountains.” Leitch said in a news release announcing Bisley’s resignation.
“The Blue Mountains Attainable Housing Corporation Board would like to thank Jennifer for her leadership and efforts on behalf of our organization and the community as a whole and wish her well as she focuses on new opportunities ahead.”
Council will hold a special meeting on May 24 starting at 9:30 a.m. to receive a presentation from the corporation’s board of directors about the future of the organization. The corporation is recommending that its board of directors and senior town staff meet to prepare a final report to outline future options for council.
The future of the Gateway property located at 171 King Street will be part of the final report to council. The corporation’s presentation envisions two possibilities: adapting/changing the scope of the project and advancing through a revised/new agreement with the town or ending it all together and moving on with the possible sale of the land.
The relationship between the town and the housing corporation has been strained since the new council took office. At its first meeting, the new council requested changes to how the housing corporation interacts with the town. At the time, council also contemplated not appointing any council representatives to the corporation’s board, but later, after receiving advice from town staff, relented and Mayor Andrea Matrosovs and Coun. Shawn McKinlay were appointed council representatives on the board.
Additionally, on multiple occasions in recent weeks, a request from the housing corporation to draw money on its operating loan with the town was deferred by council and removed from meeting agendas. Council also held closed meeting sessions regarding the housing corporation.
The tension between the housing corporation and council was evident in March 2023, when the corporation announced its request for proposal process for the Gateway attainable housing project had failed. The corporation announced that the lone bid for the project had significantly exceeded budget.
Inflationary pressure on construction costs, a lack or reduction of upper-level government funding and rising interest rates contributed to the lack of bids on the project, the corporation said.
When Bisley appeared at a subsequent council meeting to discuss the Gateway situation, members of council expressed frustration about finding out through local media about the project’s failure to attract an acceptable bid.
At the meeting, council voted to have further funding requests from the housing corporation come directly to council for approval.
