OSHAWA — Details of a confidential agreement between the City and the federal government on the Oshawa waterfront are expected to be released to the public the week of July 12.

At council’s June 28 meeting, City manager Bob Duignan said the federal treasury board recently approved the agreement, paving the way for the information to go public.

He said City officials are now working with Transport Canada on a concrete date, time and location for a public meeting. It isn’t known whether the meeting will allow for questions or delegations from the public.

“The purpose of the meeting is to make the terms of the agreement public, but we don’t know much more than that right now,” Mr. Duignan said.

Councillor Brian Nicholson argued the meeting should be moved to September, accusing the feds of intentionally scheduling it for a time when many people are away on vacation.

“The federal government is famous for these summer meetings,” he said. “They wait until everyone goes on vacation, hold these quickie meetings, hope no one attends, then say ‘we did our part.’”

His colleagues didn’t support that suggestion, saying the issue has already faced countless delays.

However, an amendment from Coun. Nicholson, calling on the federal government to release as much information as possible about the agreement in advance of the July meeting, did get council approval.

In April, council voted 5-4 in favour of the deal, with Councillors Nester Pidwerbecki, Brian Nicholson, April Cullen and Joe Kolodzie in opposition, and Councillor Maryanne Sholdra absent.

Prior to voting on the agreement, councillors heard from residents who didn’t know the contents of the deal, but had very specific views on what council should not agree to — namely allowing an ethanol plant to be built at the waterfront.

City staff and Transport Canada officials started negotiating in July 2009 in an effort to put to rest an ongoing lawsuit relating to a rail spur, and end decades of dispute over land ownership, governance and land use at the harbour.

While he can’t go into details on the terms of the agreement, Mr. Duignan has repeatedly said this is the best deal the City could hope to negotiate with the federal government.