You won't believe what your council is letting slide

It’s another clear morning, the kind where the North Shore mountains just pop against the blue, almost making you forget the complicated stuff happening down here. We’re looking at some fresh data from City Hall, and one item jumps out — that Special Council vote on April 21st. It was about a short-term rental business licence at 1801-1788 Columbia Street.

Now, Vancouver has some pretty clear rules about short-term rentals, meant to keep our precious housing stock from becoming just tourist pads. So, you'd expect a tough stance, right?

* Councillor B. Montague voted In Favour.

* Councillor L. Zhou voted In Favour.

* Councillor S. Orr voted In Favour.

The decision was "Carried Unanimously." What really caught my eye, though, was Councillor R. Bligh. Bligh was marked "Absent" for that vote. And not just for that one. They were also absent for the Public Hearing on April 14th regarding the CD-1 (363) Text Amendment for Canada Place and West Waterfront Road, which also "Carried."

It leaves you wondering, doesn't it? These are important discussions shaping the city, and a pattern of absence, especially on something as contentious as short-term rentals, feels… significant. Especially with how hard it is to find a place to live here. It’s a quiet detail in the minutes, but it speaks volumes about who’s showing up to bat for residents.

Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.

Kenji Nakashima, MiTL Vancouver.

The crew on the Morning Wire dives into this every day — you can catch them live at mornings.live.