OMB Appeals The decision by the OMB to decide in favor of the South End Tower is the sixth appeal

decided by the OMB since 2007 in which the Planning Committee and City Council had rejected the application, even though city staff and the Planning Department had recommended the application be approved. In all 6 instances the OMB has decided the appeal in favor of the applicant and against the city. In the last 5 years the City of Greater Sudbury has spent $519,534.69 in defending appeals to the OMB. City planning decisions should not be political decisions. Planning decisions should be made based on conformance or lack thereof to the official plan as supported by the recommendations of the planning staff. If council would use these criteria instead of how many residents show up at a planning committee meeting to make their decisions, taxpayers would not have to watch in frustration as more tax dollars are wasted on defending appeals of planning decisions made by council for purely political reasons. Dan Melanson President Greater Sudbury Taxpayers Association