WHY ANOTHER PETITION? THIS IS WHY!

WHY ANOTHER PETITION?  THIS IS WHY!

• The Ratepayers Deserve Transparency, Accountability and Open Lines of Communication!
• People think their signature won’t matter!  It takes thousands of bricks to build a house.  One voice may seem weak, but banded together, our voices echo deeply.
• LSAC Councillors will never agree!  Remember that nobody likes to be the bad guy.  A petition with your vocal support can sway a council that is previously stubborn or a council that simply is unaware that their actions and policies are contrary to public desires.  LSARA knows change doesn’t happen overnight, and we have to be patient.  But the more we speak out, the closer we get. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

As more letters of support and questions that are unanswered are brought forth, LSARA will publish them on a daily basis. Thank you to all who have sent us their concerns.

This letter from Clifford B Cottingham sent to LSAC Council and CAO seems to bring a majority of the questions to light. Thanks to Mr. Cottingham for sharing his questions, thoughts and concerns that should of been clarified by LSAC to the Ratepayers prior to proceeding with this venture.

21 April, 2019

Council of Lac Ste Anne County
M Primeau, CAO; LSAC

Dear LSA County Council and Administration:

The Public Notices regarding borrowing bylaws 11 and 12 have resulted in many questions and concerns being raised. Please accept this letter from a concerned taxpayer outlining some of those questions. I look forward to a response to these questions.


Regarding the ORMC:

1. In the budget for the Medical Clinic, is the physician overhead the amount the physicians pay from their fee for service? That fee increases substantially in year 2020, what accounts for that increase, more doctors in practice? Is that realistic that there would be that increase in patient activity in one year?
2. What consultation has occurred with AHS in regards to services offered at this new clinic? Is laboratory and radiology services included? If to be included in the new building will staff for this service be provided by AHS? Who will pay for new equipment required, AHS or the corporation? 
3. What staff are included in the wages and benefits, office staff only?
4. Who or what are the contracted services in the budget?
5. What is the software and IT required? Budget seems relatively high.
6. What equipment is anticipated in the equipment loan repayment?
7. Where will the new clinic be physically located? Within the Town of Onoway boundary or somewhere else in the county? If somewhere else, what location is being considered?
8. In the governance model, it notes that 82.5% of the voting will be held by the LSAC, that is a monopoly and in fact then the county will have total say over all activity of the clinic, is that the intent? States as well that the county representative will serve as Board Chair, often the Board Chair has no vote except in a tie, will this be the case? 
9. The Executive Director is stated to be the county CAO or designate. Will this be a paid position? If filled by a current county employee, will that person’s salary be increased to compensate for this added responsibility? If the current employees have the time to add this role to their responsibilities, do their current responsibilities not fill their employment hours? Will any additional staff be added to the county to manage this additional workload?
10. The plan states that services will be increased. What services are contemplated? How will those service staff be paid for? Has any consultation occurred with AHS to increase services? A Primary Physician Network is mentioned. Has any consultation occurred with current physicians in this regard or with AHS?

Regarding the Legacy MCC:

1. Timeline notes that by now an architect has been hired with building design for the ORMM will be complete by 10 May. Is that a fact? It further states award tender by 30 May and start construction by 12 June. Those are very aggressive time lines, are they on track to meet those dates? If so, then a site must have been selected by now, where is that site?
2. Was the budget of $1M for the construction cost developed by the architect or someone else? Is there a construction contingency built into that number? If so how much? 
3. Is there a design team in place, and is there a representative from AHS on that team? If not, how is AHS having input into the design for any services that may be included in the building that are AHS responsibility, for example laboratory and diagnostic imaging?
4. Budget notes admin support in amount of $5000.00. Is that anticipated to be a current LSAC employee? The budget also does not indicate any increase in costs over 5 years, is that realistic that admin support, business insurance etc. won’t increase?
5. The Legacy MCC board will be the council members and the CAO or designate will be the executive director. There is no budget line to indicate that council members will be paid any fee for this service, but it also states that no cost will be incurred by the county in the Legacy MCC. Is it therefore a fact that the council members and CAO, for that matter, will have no financial gain for time spent on the Legacy MCC or the ORMC

General questions:

1. The Public Notices are confusing. Is there one borrowing bylaw for $1M or is there two for a total of $2M. Both say for the building of a medical office, so is that office costing $2M?
2. The timelines for this process is suspect in the fact that any poll must be demanded by end April but the public hearing is scheduled for 1 May. Why wasn’t the public hearing held prior to the deadline for a poll so that many of the questions that the electorate has could have been answered before that deadline?

As a taxpayer in the county, I have major concerns with the process and intent of the Legacy Corporation and the Borrowing Bylaws. As such, it is requested that I receive a written reply to the above questions prior to 1 May, 2019.

Thank you for your timely response.

Yours truly;

Clifford B Cottingham
Lac Ste Anne County taxpayer.

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!