Tourist accommodation rezoning applications won’t be dealt with unless at least five council members are present, Whistler council decided Monday. Four applications for commercial accommodation in residential areas came to council for third reading Monday, but with councillors Kristi Wells and Dave Kirk absent and Mayor Hugh O’Reilly having to excuse himself because of a potential conflict of interest, that left only four councillors to decide the fate of the applications. Administrator Jim Godfrey advised the four that "given the significance of these issues to the community..." they should put off voting on third reading until more members of council were in attendance. The four councillors, Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, Ted Milner, Stephanie Sloan and acting mayor Ken Melamed, then adopted a policy that a minimum of five councillors be present before voting on tourist accommodation applications. The four rezoning applications up for third reading were villa accommodations at 8302 Rainbow Drive and 8147 Meadow Lane, as well as a bed and breakfast at 6170 Eagle Drive and a chalet operation at 7206 Spruce Grove Circle. All four were the subject of public hearings on Feb. 8. They will likely be brought back for third reading at council’s March 1 meeting.
