This time, council voted 6-1 to repeal its previous approval of the plans. Councilmembers Ryan Farmer, James Gorman, Greg Merkle, Tina Kelly, Brendan Bachman, and Mayor Mike Stevens voted in support of the repeal, with Councilman Kenny Henning the sole contrasting vote.
A second reading of the ordinance to repeal will be held during the Aug. 7 council meeting.
The Warner Village plans were initially rejected in January by a 4-3 vote before Kelly, who originally voted in opposition of the project, unexpectedly made a motion to reconsider on Feb. 6. Council approved the plans at that time, also by a 4-3 council vote, with Kelly switching her vote.
Council held a third vote on the issue just two weeks later at the Feb. 20 meeting, a response to residents’ frustration about the Feb. 6 reconsideration, which had not been listed on that meeting’s agenda.
The Feb. 20 vote affirmed the previous approval in another 4-3 tally.
In response, a group of residents lead a referendum petition effort, successfully collecting the required number of signatures and approval from the Montgomery County Board of Elections to have the issue placed on the November Election Day ballot.
But that effort and ballot measure is now moot, the city’s law director Martina Dillon said during the July 17 meeting, thanks to council’s vote to repeal approval of the housing project.
Henning said he questions the motive behind the most recent repeal.
“Tonight was a masterclass (in) government elected officials backstepping to keep their positions in hopes of reducing resident participation in November at the ballot booth,” Henning said as part of his councilmember comments after the vote. “They took the referendum off the ballot instead of listening to residents to begin with ... It was a huge waste of time for the meetings that we’ve had, and a huge waste of time for the thousand-plus signatures you all collected. It’s a prime example of why citizens are so frustrated with government.”
Clayton voters will decide on three at-large council spots and the role of mayor during the November election, as Stevens, Kelly, Bachman, and Merkle are all up for reelection.
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