County seeks answers on governance review request
Councillors Pat Hagman (left) and Glen Wilcox during Mayerthorpe Town Council on Nov. 14. During the meeting, council discussed a requested meeting by Lac Ste. Anne County to talk about the request Mayerthorpe and other urban municipalities made to the province to conduct a corporate and governance review of the county
By Joseph Quigley
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 4:19:25 MST PM
Lac Ste. Anne County is in dispute with its urban municipalities about whether a meeting regarding a prior request for a governance review of the County should be publicly accessible.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 4:19:25 MST PM
Lac Ste. Anne County is in dispute with its urban municipalities about whether a meeting regarding a prior request for a governance review of the County should be publicly accessible.
The County is attempting to arrange separate meetings with Mayerthorpe, Onoway and Alberta Beach to discuss a request the urban municipalities made in April for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to conduct a corporate and governance review of the County. The request was denied by the ministry last month.
However, the four mayors representing the urban municipalities that made that request have sought a joint meeting with the County and for the meeting to be closed to the public, something the County has refused.
Bill Hegy, mayor of Lac Ste. Anne County, said the topic should not be closed to the public, or “in-camera,” because the issue was made public in April when the two sides made press releases on the matter.
"It's not an option. It cannot be in-camera. They've made it a public issue, it has to be discussed in public,” Hegy said. “Generally, if there's any discussions between municipalities, the public has the right to know what's being discussed."
Kate Patrick, mayor of Mayerthorpe, said there are aspects of any meeting on the governance review request that have to be in-camera
“We just want to keep confidential. We want to have a discussion with Lac Ste. Anne County and certain aspects of the meeting should be in-camera. There are other aspects that do not have to be in-camera,” Patrick said.
During the Mayerthorpe Town Council meeting on Nov. 14, council discussed the county's request for a meeting and the county's position on it being open to the public.
Coun. Glen Wilcox said he did not have a problem with a public meeting as Mayerthorpe should be prepared to back up any of their claims against the County.
“I really see no reason for that to be in-camera,” Wilcox said. “When we wrote that letter, we felt we could back up everything that was put in that letter.”
But Kate Patrick, mayor of Mayerthorpe, said their could be challenge to the issues they bring forward – including legal ones.
“I think that we could be challenged,” Patrick said. “But in court. It could get to that.”
Patrick then made a motion to place the agenda item in-camera, barring the public and media from the discussion. The motion received unanimous approval, though Wilcox said he had some issue with how the council is using in-camera.
“I personally feel we're starting to use in-camera a lot and I'm not sure that's a good idea,” Wilcox said.
After the meeting, Patrick said Mayerthorpe Town Council will discuss the matter further on their Nov. 28 regular meeting.
Dale Krasnow, mayor of Onoway, said Onoway is willing to meet with the County, but not to discuss the issue of the governance review. He added the urban municipality mayors are still trying to work out a meeting with the County, but remain committed to it being in-camera.
"I would say the initial meeting with the mayors should be in-camera,” Krasnow said, adding if a meeting could not be arranged, then the urban municipalities would just have to wait for the next election to see their issues with the County addressed. "We simply wait until there's an election and we get a new county council."
Both Krasnow and Patrick said the request of the urban municipalities for a governance review of the County was denied by the province during a meeting with Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal Affairs, on Oct. 6.
“The issue of the governance review is not happening,” Krasnow said.
Shannon Greer, press secretary for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, said for such a request to be fulfilled, it would have to come from the ratepayers.
“We cannot initiate a governance review at the request of a neighbouring municipality,” Greer said in an emailed statement.. “However, we want Albertans to have confidence that their municipal governments are working with their best interests in mind. That's why the petition process exists, so residents can ask for an audit or inquiry into their local governments.”
Christine Yeoman, president of the Lac Ste. Anne Ratepayers Association, said a group of county residents petitioned the province last year to intervene when the County pushed forward on a new administrative building despite the protest of many residents.
However, Yeoman said the province delayed for several months and rebuffed the petition on the grounds of not meeting certain signature requirements.
“We don't believe the minister was going to entertain any governance review whatsoever,” Yeoman said.
She further said the association does support the idea of a governance review of the county and though they would not try to petition again, the association might try other means as a formalized society.
“If we find ourselves in a situation where the County is not acting in the best interests of the ratepayers, we have the ability to fundraise and we would seek a court injunction,” Yeoman said.
The Mayerthorpe Freelancer will followup on this story once the proposed meetings between the County and its urban municipalities are confirmed or denied.
However, the four mayors representing the urban municipalities that made that request have sought a joint meeting with the County and for the meeting to be closed to the public, something the County has refused.
Bill Hegy, mayor of Lac Ste. Anne County, said the topic should not be closed to the public, or “in-camera,” because the issue was made public in April when the two sides made press releases on the matter.
"It's not an option. It cannot be in-camera. They've made it a public issue, it has to be discussed in public,” Hegy said. “Generally, if there's any discussions between municipalities, the public has the right to know what's being discussed."
Kate Patrick, mayor of Mayerthorpe, said there are aspects of any meeting on the governance review request that have to be in-camera
“We just want to keep confidential. We want to have a discussion with Lac Ste. Anne County and certain aspects of the meeting should be in-camera. There are other aspects that do not have to be in-camera,” Patrick said.
During the Mayerthorpe Town Council meeting on Nov. 14, council discussed the county's request for a meeting and the county's position on it being open to the public.
Coun. Glen Wilcox said he did not have a problem with a public meeting as Mayerthorpe should be prepared to back up any of their claims against the County.
“I really see no reason for that to be in-camera,” Wilcox said. “When we wrote that letter, we felt we could back up everything that was put in that letter.”
But Kate Patrick, mayor of Mayerthorpe, said their could be challenge to the issues they bring forward – including legal ones.
“I think that we could be challenged,” Patrick said. “But in court. It could get to that.”
Patrick then made a motion to place the agenda item in-camera, barring the public and media from the discussion. The motion received unanimous approval, though Wilcox said he had some issue with how the council is using in-camera.
“I personally feel we're starting to use in-camera a lot and I'm not sure that's a good idea,” Wilcox said.
After the meeting, Patrick said Mayerthorpe Town Council will discuss the matter further on their Nov. 28 regular meeting.
Dale Krasnow, mayor of Onoway, said Onoway is willing to meet with the County, but not to discuss the issue of the governance review. He added the urban municipality mayors are still trying to work out a meeting with the County, but remain committed to it being in-camera.
"I would say the initial meeting with the mayors should be in-camera,” Krasnow said, adding if a meeting could not be arranged, then the urban municipalities would just have to wait for the next election to see their issues with the County addressed. "We simply wait until there's an election and we get a new county council."
Both Krasnow and Patrick said the request of the urban municipalities for a governance review of the County was denied by the province during a meeting with Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal Affairs, on Oct. 6.
“The issue of the governance review is not happening,” Krasnow said.
Shannon Greer, press secretary for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, said for such a request to be fulfilled, it would have to come from the ratepayers.
“We cannot initiate a governance review at the request of a neighbouring municipality,” Greer said in an emailed statement.. “However, we want Albertans to have confidence that their municipal governments are working with their best interests in mind. That's why the petition process exists, so residents can ask for an audit or inquiry into their local governments.”
Christine Yeoman, president of the Lac Ste. Anne Ratepayers Association, said a group of county residents petitioned the province last year to intervene when the County pushed forward on a new administrative building despite the protest of many residents.
However, Yeoman said the province delayed for several months and rebuffed the petition on the grounds of not meeting certain signature requirements.
“We don't believe the minister was going to entertain any governance review whatsoever,” Yeoman said.
She further said the association does support the idea of a governance review of the county and though they would not try to petition again, the association might try other means as a formalized society.
“If we find ourselves in a situation where the County is not acting in the best interests of the ratepayers, we have the ability to fundraise and we would seek a court injunction,” Yeoman said.
The Mayerthorpe Freelancer will followup on this story once the proposed meetings between the County and its urban municipalities are confirmed or denied.
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