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Municipal report met with mixed reviews

Unsurprised. Happy it's out. Too little, too late. Mixed reviews greeted the province's inspection report into the Town of Athabasca's affairs at its public presentation Aug. 28.
(L-R) Town of Athabasca Councillors Steve Schafer, Tim Verhaeghe, Tanu Evans, Shelly Gurba and Joanne Peckham and Mayor Roger Morrill listen as the municipal inspection
(L-R) Town of Athabasca Councillors Steve Schafer, Tim Verhaeghe, Tanu Evans, Shelly Gurba and Joanne Peckham and Mayor Roger Morrill listen as the municipal inspection report into the town’s affairs is released to the public.

Unsurprised. Happy it's out. Too little, too late. ;

Mixed reviews greeted the province's inspection report into the Town of Athabasca's affairs at its public presentation Aug. 28.

President of the consulting company Strategic Steps Ian McCormack and associate Shari-Anne Doolaege presented highlights from the report to an audience of nearly 100 at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.

Among the highlights, they confirmed town Coun. Tim Verhaeghe and Mayor Roger Morrill met the residence requirements of their positions, called council conduct “very unprofessional at times, with some outrageous name calling, ” and said council was within their rights to rezone Riverview Estates in 2015 despite protests from residents.

In an interview after the meeting, Town Coun. Tim Verhaeghe said he is happy that the report is out, that things have come to a head.

"We've got a roadmap now to work with," he said. "And hopefully it can benefit the greater good of the entire community."

He said he had not read the report in its entirety and could not comment on specific issues. That said, he said he was pleased to see the results of the inspection, and that the presentation confirmed his residency in the Town of Athabasca.

"Regarding the residency concerns that were brought up, I feel vindicated by the results of the report," he said. "I knew all along that there were no issues. I've tried explaining that in open council. I explained the MGA, the Local Authorities Elections Act, and the residency rules and requirements and how I satisfied those requirements, but ... some members on council, I should say, chose to - it fell on deaf ears, I guess."

Recap: Town municipal inspection report release

Former town mayor Lionel Cherniwchan was the powerhouse behind the petition that started the inspection process. In an interview, he said it would be interesting to go through the report.

He also said there were two things that he "really liked to hear" in the presentation.

"Number one. The residency issue came out very clear and strong. MGA - nothing there. Cease and desist, you guys," he said.

"Number two is what good shape we are financially in town. Some councillors gave us the impression that with this pool, we're out of borrowing (capacity). No, we're not. It says we're in good shape financially."

Town Coun. Shelly Gurba said she was “unsurprised ” by the report.

“Everyone was at fault in some way, shape or form for why council is so dysfunctional, so this just sort of solidifies that, ” she said.

“There's some certain things in here that I don't agree with now, that I'm going to go over more, ” she said, referencing a section on the community grant policy.

Gurba also said nothing in the report will prevent her from running in the next municipal election.

“I still think whatever I did - and I got called on for certain things - but I still think that what I did was for the betterment of the community, ” she said.

Town Coun. Steve Schafer said he will not comment until he has time to review the report, but also said he was unsurprised by the findings.

Community member Darlene Willcott said she was one of the forces behind a petition to stop council from rezoning Riverview Estates in 2015.

“They said they were within their right to rezone their land. Maybe they were within their right, but they didn't listen to the public. The whole community was against it and we told council over and over and over. And they screwed up so bad, ” she said.

“It was community spirit 100 per cent, and they didn't listen at all ... I lost respect for Town Council ... The only councillor to show support and professionalism throughout this process was Tim Verhaeghe. Our community will always appreciate what he did for us. ”

Athabasca Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Bonell called the presentation “not a surprise, but all very positive. ”

“I'm hoping that those sitting at that table take heart to it. But as many have said tonight it's too little, too late, ” she said. “What it may do now is for the new up and coming council that is going to be elected in in October, hopefully it will set a new bar for them, a new standard and do nothing but go up from here. ”

Bonell said she was especially concerned with reports on bad behavior in council.

“It's very concerning because as a business owner, a community member, I could go to Kindergarten and get better, ” she said.

Town resident Dan Bonell was upset with some of the councillors' stances during the meeting.

“Even through the meeting this evening, four or five of them were texting half-way through, ” he said. “They aren't listening to what's going on. ”

Editor's note: An addition was made to one of Darlene Willcott's quotations in this story after there was a misinterpretation. The Advocate apologies for the error. ;

For more on the report and the community's response, pick up next week's edition of the Athabasca Advocate.

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