Province to reveal findings of Chestermere investigation Wednesday

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The findings and proposals of a prolonged provincial inquiry into the Metropolis of Chestermere’s beleaguered native authorities shall be outlined at a gathering hosted by the province on Wednesday.

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Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz and third-party inspector George Cuff shall be in Chestermere on Wednesday night for a public data session on the Chestermere Leisure Centre, the place the long-awaited investigation report shall be offered to the city’s residents.

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Chestermere’s controversial council has been beneath the provincial microscope for greater than a yr – most of its present tenure. On March 10, 2022, then Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver launched a preliminary evaluate into the town following complaints from councilors Shannon Dean, Sandy Johal-Watt and Ritesh Narayan concerning the actions of their colleagues – Mayor Jeff Colvin, Deputy Mayor Mel Foat and Councilors Stephen Hanley and Blaine Funk. That evaluate prompted a municipal inspection, the primary of its type in Alberta since 2018.

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The inspection, led by Cuff, a long-time municipal adviser incessantly requested by the province for all these investigations, came about from Might to September 2022 and centered on, however was not restricted to, the next allegations:

The draft inspection report has been within the province’s arms since September and metropolis officers acquired their first take a look at the findings in November. Town has since rejected the draft report and refused to reply to it, citing bias, procedural points and a scarcity of proof, whereas asking the county to rescind or restart the inspection.

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The province went forward regardless of the town’s reservations and Wednesday’s assembly will mark the finalization of the inspection report.

Chestermere mayor, council and senior municipal officers shall be in attendance

After the presentation, Schulz has the authority to order the board and administration to do no matter she deems essential to right any issues discovered. If her orders usually are not adopted, the mayor, council members or the town’s chief directors may face additional sanctions, together with dismissal.

Whereas Schulz is anticipated to be on the assembly, her spokesman, Alex Puddifant, wouldn’t affirm whether or not the minister would make any official orders on Wednesday.

“As a part of the session, the municipal inspector will present a abstract of the municipal inspection report, together with the findings and proposals,” Puddifant mentioned. “Key departmental officers can even be current to supply a timeline of the Chestermere inspection in addition to subsequent steps.”

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The province will publish the report on its web site through the session, Puddifant mentioned.

Within the wake of and surrounding the municipal inspection, the town has handled a number of controversies over the previous yr, together with the county putting in an official administrator to supervise what McIver known as on the time “growing dysfunction” inside the council; launched quite a few mayoral investigations into his personal councilors’ conduct and alleged metropolis monetary points, a few of which have been later dismissed by the official administrator; alleged privateness issues raised by residents and officers; butting heads with one of many world’s largest accounting companies, KPMG, over the town’s nonetheless incomplete 2021 audit; and a senior metropolis official charged with assault.

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Neither the town nor Colvin responded to a number of requests for remark from Postmedia, however in accordance with the town’s social media posts, the mayor, council and senior municipal officers will attend the assembly.

Colvin beforehand advised Postmedia that this month the town will “disinformation and misinformation associated to the municipal inspection, our authorized dispute with KPMG over their resignation from the audit, and the distorted declare towards Kim Wallace, a senior chief on the audit. Metropolis of Chestermere.” (Wallace is charged with assault in reference to a January incident by which she allegedly assaulted an worker inside metropolis workplaces; she made her first look in provincial courtroom in Strathmore on March 3 and her subsequent look is scheduled for March 21).

The assembly is scheduled to happen on the Chestermere Recreation Middle at 201 West Chestermere Drive from 6:00 pm to eight:00 pm Wednesday. Seating on the venue is restricted and doorways open at 5.45pm. The province can even stay stream the assembly, particulars of which shall be accessible on its municipal inspection webpage.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

Twitter: @michaelrdrguez