Town of Athabasca will be getting its own community peace officer (CPO) after council shot down administration’s recommendation to contract services from Athabasca County.
At their Aug. 22 meeting, town councillors voted for their administration to hire a peace officer.
The town has been without a CPO for nearly eight months, after former town CPO Shaun Woloschuk was fired May 18. Prior to his dismissal, he had been on stress leave since December.
Administration’s recommendation was to contract out services from Athabasca County for up to 32 hours per month or on an as-needed basis, and Coun. Tim Verhaeghe made a motion following the recommendation.
“I say we give it a shot as a trial run, try it for a year, whatever the case may be. If we don’t like it we can go back, but this would further promote the idea of regional collaboration,” Verhaeghe said.
Coun. Shelly Gurba said her concern with the contract is the amount of hours for the contract position would not be enough.
Verhaeghe pointed out the contract also said “on an as needed basis.”
Coun. Steve Schafer said he believed there is a much greater need than what the contract would offer.
“I think the need is much greater certainly than eight hours per week in a four-week month,” he said. “I would much prefer to see (the) Town of Athabasca have its own peace officer and presence in the area, (as) has been the practice in the area up to some time ago. I would speak in favour of our own.”
Coun. Joanne Peckham said she would not be “at all comfortable putting the control of our community in another body.” She added council had previously decided the town needed a second CPO, and encouraged fire chief Travis Shalapay to take courses for the position.
“We recognized a need, and I won’t be voting with your motion Coun. Verhaeghe,” she said.
Schafer noted some areas the position would have “significant impact on,” including beautification, traffic, school zones, parking and bylaw enforcement.
“Things are all over the place and the longer we go I think the more bylaw infringements and the awareness is going to be lessened,” he said.
Coun. Tanu Evans said that during council’s original strategic planning session they identified outreach rather than enforcement policy, when it came to town bylaws.
“These are jobs for a member of the community, not a job for a department of the county and I just can’t echo that enough,” he said.
Mayor Roger Morrill agreed bylaw enforcement in lacking, and said contracting out from the county is “a step in the right direction.” He added regional collaboration has worked effectively in “every aspect.”
“We are not relinquishing control of our community, but simply supplementing control of our community, and other options will still exist,” he said. “I have no problem voting in favour of this motion.”
Morrill called the vote, and it was defeated with Verhaeghe and Morrill voting in favour.
Morrill attempted to move onto the next agenda item, but Evans said he would make a motion to direct administration to proceed with the hiring and advertising for a full time CPO for the town.
“Does council feel they have the information before them? Because that was not on the agenda,” Morrill said.
Evans said “yes,” and Schafer asked if Evans would amend his motion to say “up to full-time.”
Evans responded because council is not agreeing on a contract, the CPO position is outside council’s mandate.
“If (chief administrative officer Robert) Jorgensen believes he only needs a part-time CPO, it is within his rights to decide that. It is not council’s decision or within our mandate,” he said.
After Gurba asked if he would amend the motion to remove “full time” Evans agreed.
A recorded vote was called for by Morrill and the motion passed with Morrill and Verhaeghe opposed.
The province’s municipal inspection report into the Town of Athabasca’s affairs handed down a recommendation “That council establish peace officer program priorities and service levels; and that the CAO provide guidance and oversight to ensure that a robust peace officer program exists in the community.”
The report – which was presented to the community in a public meeting Aug. 28 – said the town’s peace officer program struggled from a lack of clearly defined and consistent priorities.
“Some confusion appeared to stem from multiple CAO changes over the past two years where each CAO brought a slightly different vision for the peace officer program,” it states.
Jorgensen said in an interview that once he gets the person in place, they will go through all of our bylaws
“He will be my employee,” he said. “He’s not going to be council’s employee. Council can only have one staff; that is me. So. And, he’s going to be doing education – on bylaws, on traffic – and anything else, but I want to educate the public before we start ticketing.
– With files from Allendria Brunjes
