Council digest

The city has voted against a proposal to settle costs in a court battle with the Christian Heritage Party over controversial bus shelter ads. All but three councillors rejected the confidential settlement proposal, which was not related to the actual legal or constitutional rights dispute at issue. Both parties are still waiting for a divisional court ruling following a hearing earlier this month. The dispute resulted from a city decision to yank bus shelter advertisements that appeared to object to transgender women using female public washrooms. The ads were purchased by the Christian Heritage Party (CHP), which has argued in court the move violated freedom of speech provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The CHP has asked the courts to quash the decision, repost the ads and force the city to pay unspecified costs. Some residents have labelled both the ads and the court action an attack on the transgender community. Mayor Fred Eisenberger clarified Wednesday that the rejected settlement proposal was solely related to legal costs and "mitigating" potential future costs. "The court still has to rule on the (constitutional) issue," he said. Only councillors Maria Pearson, Tom Jackson and Doug Conley voted in favour of the confidential cost settlement proposal. The vote was a reversal of a previous 6-3 committee decision last week.