Chatham-Kent will be moving forward with a third-party facilitator to oversee the woodlot strategy despite an attempt to take another direction.
On Monday, councillors voted 11-7 in favour of hiring a consultant to determine what more information and engagement is needed on a tree-cutting by-law.
After a recommendation by Councillor Aaron Hall to split the initial motion, the council also voted 13-5 in favour of postponing all meetings and activities of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole until the consultant is retained.
This means that submissions that were to go before the committee on April 11 and May 16, 2022, will not be heard.
Earlier in the meeting, Councillor Hall entered an unsuccessful motion to continue the process without hiring a consultant and direct administration to open a 30-day comment period for another report with recommendations for a new draft woodlot preservation framework.
The motion failed 9-9.
Hall said he felt strongly that was the direction council needed to take, adding that hiring a consultant would push the issue into the next term of council.
"Hiring a consultant at this point is redundant," said Hall. "Seeking a third party to take over is a message to the community that we are choosing to remain indifferent, that we're not willing to make a tough decision and that we're choosing not to fulfil our responsibility to the public."
After a long discussion, Councillor Doug Sulman entered a successful motion to extend the temporary by-law until council makes a final decision with respect to the preservation of woodlots.
"It makes logical sense to keep this in place until we make a decision," said Sulman.
The motion passed 16-2.
