Your Municipal Council would like to provide an update to the taxpayers of the Crowsnest Pass on the numerous challenges that we have encountered since being elected four months ago.
Between Oct. 21, 2013 through to the end of April 2014, our entire team of senior management (including CAO and all of the department heads) will be replaced. This has created numerous difficulties and challenges, but thanks to the tremendous efforts of all of our employees, we will move forward, it will just take longer than normal for some tasks to be completed, such as the budget.
Your present council has received a lot of criticism over a couple of issues including the entrance signs and the Crowsnest Centre site. During our short tenure on council we have inherited contractual agreements made by the previous administration that committed the community to these projects financially. Contractors were also permitted significant time delays and there will be an additional cost accrued of $55,000 that we have no option other than to pay.
You will have noticed that council has conducted a lot of business “In Camera”. This is a legal requirement in the Municipal Government Act of Alberta for issues that fall under the categories of “Land, Legal or Labour”.
Unfortunately, there were numerous issues left to this council that fall under these three categories that have required a lot of time, effort and energy on the part of both administration and council.
Land:
Crowsnest Mountain Resort
Crowsnest Centre Site
River Run
Sentinel property
Legal:
Chinook Pipeline
Blairmore Smoke Eaters
Labour:
CUPE 812-15-20 outstanding grievances
We are presently waiting for our 2013 financial year end to be completed and will be starting the budget process on Feb. 27. We are anticipating that the budget may create some additional challenges, which may require us to make some very difficult choices.
We, as your elected officials, do not wish to paint a negative picture of this community that has so much to offer, however, in the interest of transparency we wanted to fully inform the public of the issues that we have faced since the beginning of our term. We all understand that the issues listed above will take time to resolve, and would like to assure you that we are committed to resolving these issues and we continue to feel very optimistic about moving our community forward.
Thank you for your patience.
Crowsnest Pass Municipal Council
3 comments:
So you're planning to fire all of the current managers? who ever wrote that press release needs to go back to school. It says all the managers will be gone by the end of april
Thanks for the update. The mess is worse than I thought.
MGA 197 does not say "Land". These are the reasons (from the FOIPP Act) to go in camera:
Exceptions to Disclosure
16 Disclosure harmful to business interests of a third party
17 Disclosure harmful to personal privacy
18 Disclosure harmful to individual or public safety
19 Confidential evaluations
20 Disclosure harmful to law enforcement
21 Disclosure harmful to intergovernmental relations
22 Cabinet and Treasury Board confidences
23 Local public body confidences
24 Advice from officials
25 Disclosure harmful to economic and other interests of a public body
26 Testing procedures, tests and audits
27 Privileged information
28 Disclosure harmful to the conservation of heritage sites, etc.
29 Information that is or will be available to the public
Complying with FOIPP is an important legal responsibility of the municipality, like waterworks and emergency services. I hope one of the new Administration staff will be qualified to respect our rights to information. If they don't understand this FOIPP stuff, they just keep everything secret to be on the safe side, so we don't have any transparency.
I'm a bit concerned about what's happening with the Crowsnest Centre. There's a For Sale sign advertising parcels for development and the new website says:
"Crownsest Pass has recently been awarded the development of a World Class Hotel & Conference Centre staged for Crowsnest Crossing prime development site. The Alpine model hotel will be host to a 85 plus room and 150- 200 guest conference centre where the community is set to attract world class events, business forums, training & corporate business conferences which will attract world class tourism development opportunities! This project will attract interest of retailers, restaurants, and professional office buildings."
We should be careful not to make inaccurate claims - we don't need any more lawsuits.
Also, you say the two year BW franchise we paid Vachon $50,000 for turns out to expire in July. I think there should be some public explanation of this before CNP has any further dealings with him.
8:19
The release does not say all the administration will be gone by end of April it says they will all be replaced.
For your information the previous CAO resigned in November, the Director of Public Works is done March 28, the Director of Community Services started new on Nov 4 and the Director of Finance passed away.
So who in that list was fired?
Thanks Dean
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