Coun. Jeff Leiper eyeing planning committee chair position

Kitchissippi councillor Jeff Leiper is eye the position of planning committee chair after Coun. Jan Harder resigned from the role late last month.

Leiper says that he wants more of a public voice in the city’s decision making process and less influence from developers.

Despite feeling his interests and expertise best fall under planning, given his stance on many of Mayor Jim Watson’s decisions, Leiper tells the Rob Snow Show Friday he’s not confident he will land the position.

“It strikes me today as a little unlikely,” he said. “The way the mayor runs the city — he’s a powerful mayor, a smart mayor — he’s able to move his agenda through.”

Leiper adds that he wants the city to refocus on creating more walkable neighbourhoods in Ottawa that do not necessarily require a car to get around,

“As we build suburbs further and further afield from the downtown core, they’re entirely care-centric,” he said. “It’s really difficult to live in some of these subdivisions without a car.”

Harder stepped down from her position as chair of the planning committee after a report from the integrity commissioner concluded that he felt the councillor had engaged in conflicts of interests with some of her professional working relationships.