Councillors got their Standing Policy Committee (SPC) assignments on Monday, and there’s a decidedly anti-rezoning contingent on the Infrastructure and Planning Committee.

But don’t make too much of it, both councillors and the mayor said.

During the Organizational Meeting of Council on Nov. 3, councillors slogged through the appointments to not only the Infrastructure and Planning and the Community Development Committees, but all of the other boards, committees and commissions that city councillors sit on.

On the Community Development Committee, the following councillors will sit:

Coun. Myke Atkinson

Coun. Harrison Clark

Coun. Raj Dhaliwal

Coun. Landon Johnston

Coun. DJ Kelly

Coun. Kim Tyers

Coun. Andrew Yule

For Infrastructure and Planning Committee (IPC), the following councillors will sit:

Coun. Andre Chabot

Coun. Mike Jamieson

Coun. Dan McLean

Coun. John Pantazopoulos

Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt

Coun. Rob Ward

Coun. Jennifer Wyness

The latter committee sports five councillors who campaigned strongly against Calgary’s citywide rezoning policy, with at least four of the members having a repeal of the policy as one of their primary campaign goals.

The IPC does get first crack at planning-related policy before a recommendation is made to council, and they influence how that policy is shaped at committee.

But Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt said he wouldn’t read too much into the appointments.

“I think that (citywide rezoning) discussion is a very complex one as far as paths forward, and that by having at least maybe one viewpoint that took a slightly more middle ground view on, that could be a worthy contribution as far as mine is concerned,” he said Monday.

“My experience with all of my colleagues is they’re enthusiastic to have discussions and to learn from one another. That’s ultimately what I’m hoping for serving on that committee.”

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said that while these councillors were appointed to the IPC, any councillor can attend and have voting rights on items. According to the City of Calgary procedure bylaw, non-members attending committee meetings cannot nominate or vote for chair or vice chair or count towards a meeting quorum.

“You can show up, you can make debates, you can place amendments, you can vote; you’re full participating members,” Farkas said.

“As a member of council, when I was new eight years ago, I showed up to all the council meetings, and it was a good way to be able to engage in that discussion, so I wouldn’t read too much into the specific appointments.”

Farkas said that there’s a great group of councillors ready to work together as a team and share in the workload.

“There’s a lot of work to go around, not just on planning or development, but all across the board,” he said.