November 30, 1994

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72 pages

REMIT
se

WEDNESDAY

FLATHER HEARING
North Vancouver murderer
was displaying symptoms of
serious mental iliness more
than 20 years before he saw
a psychiatrist, court told.

SOCCER

QUARREL

Four North

Shore girls oe
fight for the right to play on
Amazons’ under-19 squad.

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

GREAT GREEK restaurant owner Nick Vavaris raised concerns over the results of the neighborhood survey conducted to gather
public opinion on his bid to operate a neighborhood pub at his 107 West Esplanade location. A pub hearing has now been set.

Hearing set for controversial pub application

AN AUDITOR reviewing the process
behind a controversial community sur-

vey of the Great Greek restaurant’s pub
licence application has revealed that
nearly 2,200 residents eligible to vote in
the survey were missed.

The audit, carried out by KPMG Peat
Marwick Thome Chartered Accountants, sup-
ports the concerns of both Nick Vavaris, Great
Greek’s proprietor, and several councillors
regarding the validity of the survey's final results.

The results were presented to council on Nov.
7 and indicated that 58% of the survey’s respon-
dents were against the application’s approval.

The audit also indicated that the number of
potential voters missed represented 34% of the
survey's total eligible voters.

That number, the report stated, “could have an
impact on the results.”

Ina delegation before council, William Kessel
speaking on behalf of Vavaris called the whole
surveying process “a shambles.” and pointed out
that both property owners and residents were on
the mailing list.

“This gave a single person the opportamity, to
vote more than once,” said Kessel. “When a sin-
gie person has more than one vote, the survey will

vaapen ome Pr STEEL ETS SERS tne

NORTH VANCOUVER
CITY COUNCIL
By Robert Galster

not achieve a true reflection of the wishes of the
neighborhood.”

Kessel’s delegation also added that, in their
opinion, there was a contract between the city and
Vavaris to carry out the survey process by Szpt.
10.

On council’s recommendation, city stall
investigated the presence of such a contract and at
council’s Nov. 28 meeting reported that no con-
tract existed. The staff report also stated that the
dates Vavaris et al were referring to were used
only “to indicate a time frame which would be
given once the form was mailed out.”

In response to the auditor's
apologized “for this embarrassment.”

Staff later recommended that council proceed
with a survey of the 2,122 missed addresses with-
ina half-mile radius of 107 West Esplanade Ave.
sile of the Great Greek, “for the purpose of deter-
mining the communities’ (sic) preference or not
fora Neighborhood Public House.”

But council ignored the recommendation and

Das Se

is EVERY DOOR ON THE A ORTH SHOR

report, city staff

voted to move the lower Lonsdale pub applica-
tion to a Dee. 19 public hearing in the council
chambers.

Coun. Barbara Perrault, speaking in favor of
the public hearing solution, called the survey
flawed process. | would feel much more comfort.
able with a public hearing to see what people in
the neighborhood have to say.”

Coun, Stella Jo Dean also favored the public
hearing and reminded the other councillors that
she had been in favor of this approach from the
beginning.

“The survey actually put staff and council in
an awkward position,” said Dean. “This (public
hearing) is the only fair way to do this.”

Coun. Braithwaite cast the only vote against
proceeding to a public hearing.

During the Nov. 28 meeting Coun. Bill Bell
also excused himself from any further discussion
surrounding the pub application pending legal
advice regarding a possible conflict of interest.

The issue being investigated centres around
Bell's past involvement in an association of B.C.
pubs and his son’s employment at the Great
Greek restaurant.

Council expects a decision from the city’s
lawyers on Bell's possible conflict of interest
before the Dec. 19 public hearing.
een Mi

eras

E SINCE 1969