Letter to the Ratepayers Chris Yeoman

Letter to the Ratepayers Chris Yeoman

I want to share a brief synopsis of what “Life within LSARA” means. To those of you who may be new to us, our Executive and our Directors have remained pretty consistent since 2016.  That is the year we FORMALLY structured the Lac Ste. Anne and Communities Ratepayers Association. What you may not know is that the Association was as a direct result, an evolution of the way Ratepayers of the County of Lac Ste Anne have been forced to organize.

In the beginning, folks like Dale Johnson put some serious effort along with his own money to keep all of us, the Ratepayers, informed.  People joined him as they too were not happy with the responses or lack of, that they received from County Administration and indeed council .  A number of petitions were born from this frustration.  The good people of the County wanted an opportunity to decide whether or not a $12 million dollar administration building should be built.  They wanted to have input on how a new building would be paid for.  The first petition hit a wall as it was late.  That was the one that potentially had the ability to allow the Ratepayers a choice in location, not the dollars yet as they weren’t revealed.  Then the big ask for a 10 million dollar building with only a portion having been set aside to pay for it.  We were on the hook for a lot of money.  Dale once again gathered supporters and sent out other County residents to help gather names. The petition was successful to stop the borrowing.  That was very short lived however as Council and Administration simply ignored the petition by rescinding the borrowing bylaw and creating a new one for short term borrowing which cannot be petitioned.

 
This would be about the time that LSARA came to life.  Many of us decided that we were not prepared to accept having any additional debt collecting on our behalf.  We wanted accountability, transparency and an open willingness to work together with the Administration and Council.  We knew then that there were many irregularities that had already occurred so we sought guidance from the Municipal Affairs Act.  What that showed us was that we, the people, had a right to a voice.  We had a right to ask for an inquiry into the affairs of the Municipality.  This was executed immediately after the short term borrowing was announced.  We went to work with an army of volunteers and gathered more than 20% of the populations signatures as required in order to present to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.  We double checked and triple checked our documentation prior to presentation to the Deputy Minister.  Where we failed was not understanding that Municipal Affairs had no intention of working for you, the Ratepayers.  It took them nine months to review and reject the petition as insufficient.  Suffice it to say, LSARA went to work and not only did we validate the rejected signatures, we also identified they have no process and didn’t use the avenues available to them to validate.  Some subdivisions have two legal addresses which we were able to prove, but it fell on deaf ears. 

They told us to elect a new council that was how we could make changes.  The people of Lac Ste. Anne County did that too.  LSARA ran two public forums for the Ratepayers to have an opportunity to meet the candidates vying for your vote and to ask questions.  They ALL campaigned on the very things some of the current council hears by sitting at our table meeting with our executive and directors.  So, what has changed?  The pack mentality remains.  What do we know about packs?  They are generally very well organized.  The ones out in front are the usually leaders, the elders.  The middle are usually the strongest, they protect the pack leaders.  The ones in the rear are also among the strongest.  They protect the backside.  The last wolf is the LEADER.  He ensures no one is left behind.  He keeps everyone tight and on the same path.  He is ready to run in any direction to protect his pack.  Being a leader is not about being up front.  It is about taking care of your team .  What appears to be happening here is the pack leader isn’t the leader but the weaker ones that are out in front are driving the team. 

Here we are a year and a half post election.  We as Ratepayers are faced with most of the same challenges we faced before.  Topics that really matter to you and I, borrowing money, lending money and starting corporations are the Hot Topics of the day.  Why are they hot topics?  Because this is yet another borrowing bylaw where public input is not an option.  It is not an option for you, the Ratepayer to seek consultation in a hearing until the borrowing Bylaws cannot be petitioned anymore as the deadlines will have come and gone.  This is not an opportunity for reviews of the plans, how the corporation will be structured, information on the “players” in the structure and what the risk is, if any.  These dates are not a mistake.  The petitions will be due on the 30th of April. The “hearings” have been slotted for 15 minutes each.  Then they plan to pass both the borrowing bylaw for a million at no more than 4.5% and then lend it for no more than 4.0%.  Why are WE on the hook for .5% to start with and why is there no desire for public consultation? 

LSARA wrote two letters.  We asked for time.  Don’t do second and third reading.  In the second one, we asked for the hearings to be on a day that people who work can have an opportunity to attend. ZERO response. 

LSARA then put out a call to ACTION just as we told you we felt was imminent.  If we don’t shut the door now, if we don’t stand up and make ourselves heard, in unison, then we fail. 

I don’t question the loyalty or dedication of many of you as you have been loyal supporters since the times when Dale started the ball rolling.  Personally, I can tell you that there is a core group of us that have worked our tails off.  We meet several times a week, we investigate, read, talk to people, write articles, publish blogs and Facebook posts.  We spend many hours writing, driving, printing....all of this on OUR time with OUR money.  We COMMUNICATE with one another several times a day.

I hope all of you had a great Easter Dinner with your families and friends.  I didn’t.  I am at work, sitting in my camp room, writing yet another article trying to get people motivated and clued in as to what is going on right under our noses!  I have to share with you the level of frustration we all feel.  When no one seems to be listening or when folks don’t want to commit because they say they don’t want to rock the boat, the County will come after them.  A few comments here.  The COUNTY CANNOT HURT YOU!!!  Any petition you sign can ONLY be in the hands of the CAO and is confidential.  Your name or LSARAS list of members is never published and as a registered Society, they cannot access it.  Secondly, if you cannot reach out and put your name to paper when it matters most, what the hell are we doing?  Why is the LSARA Executive and Directors spending our time, our money if YOU don’t care?  My family as well as the families of the rest of the Executive and the Directors matter.  That’s why we are here.  That’s why we exist. 

If you can’t help us, then we have to take a serious look at why we would consider continuing. LSARA has two petitions you can sign right now.  One asks for a Public Vote on the Borrowing Bylaw for a million dollars.  The second one asks for a Public vote on the loan to fund a Medical office for ORMC.  The Corporation, Legacy Corporation that hasn’t been registered.  The full meal deal that hasn’t had near enough scrutiny by anyone.  Not council, not administration and sure as hell not by me or you.  I’m not interested in paying for someone else’s personal claim to fame.  I want SOLID decisions that make sense for the good of the entire County.  You all know how to find LSARA.  You can pm us and we can direct you to who has the petitions available to sign.  I don’t have time is not an excuse any of us care to hear.  Most of us have full time jobs and put in full time hours.

 
On another related note, memberships are due. $10 a person, $20 a family.  The forms are available on our blog . We are now set up for electronic transfer.  Tight timelines here folks.  Need your voice to count with your signature before end of day April 29th.  We still have many challenges ahead with seriously deficient ground conditions affecting the Administration Building, contracts that are out of control, side businesses that are direct conflicts.  Only a few things that we have on our plates.

Let’s do this.
Chris Yeoman

LSARA
President

LET LSARA HELP YOU SIGN THE PETITION

THE FOLLOWING ARE CONTACTS AND LOCATIONS WHERE YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP THE BORROWING AND LOAN BYLAW UNTIL LSAC BECOMES TRANSPARENT AND PROVIDES PROPER PUBLIC CONSULTATION TO THE RATEPAYERS.

• Country Automotive Specialists Ltd. 5301 Ste. Anne Trail Onoway 780 967-2218
• Chris Yeoman    780  940-6790   Division 1 Onoway
• Alice Szybunka  780  785-2167   Division 4 Cherhill / Sangudo
• Leann Knysh      780  916-6919    Division 5 Alberta Beach / West Cove

We have contacts available in every division and if you contact anyone above we will have someone in your area contact you.  If you are able to help with the petition please contact us and we will set you up with a petition package.  We only have until April 28 to acquire 1100 signatures.  LSAC would not grant us an extension for proper public consultation so petition it is. We need your support now!