A Sundre councillor created quite a stir after he recently tabled a notice of motion to discuss whether to engage a municipal sustainability review. Coun.
A Sundre councillor created quite a stir after he recently tabled a notice of motion to discuss whether to engage a municipal sustainability review.
Coun. Myron Thompson told his colleagues as well as members of the public that he sought to demonstrably prove the municipality's viability and hoped the sustainability review process could provide a means to that end.
"I believe in my heart that we are viable. But I want to be able to firmly convince the public that we are," he said during council's Jan. 23 workshop, attended by about two dozen residents who had heard the councillor introduced the notice of motion on Jan. 16 during the previous week's regular meeting and wanted to know why.
"Nothing but good can come out this kind of review. We're not doing this to chase anybody away, I hope we're doing it to invite people closer," the veteran councillor said.
However, if that's not an objective fellow councillors agree with, he encouraged his colleagues to vote against his motion. Click here for a story detailing Thompson's reasons for introducing that notice of motion.
"If you see something wrong with that, please correct me. But have a decent discussion about it."
Coun. Paul Isaac was first to share his concerns.
"We don't do the viability study. Municipal Affairs comes in and does it," he said.
"So whatever Municipal Affairs decides is what's going to be the outcome — we have no control over it. So can you explain to me why you thought this was the right approach?"
Thompson said his understanding of such a review is that the process determines whether the municipality is sustainable.
"I believe we are, and I would hope such a review would show that," he said.
Although Isaac did not disagree with Thompson's points, the councillor expressed reservations about initiating a review process that is completely out of the municipality's hands.
Thompson remained firm in his stance, and said he wanted to prove to himself that Sundre is sustainable.
But council is already convinced that the municipality is viable, said Isaac.
"Including you," he told Thompson.
"So I'm really struggling with understanding what it is you really want."
Thompson said that's why he wanted to discuss the matter.
"If there's a better way to approach it, I'm open," he said, inviting his colleagues to suggest a better approach to involve the public and assure residents the municipality is sustainable.
"Convince me that it's not a wise thing to do and I'm all ears," said Thompson about initiating the viability review.
Being involved in a very serious and major decision that council will ultimately have no control over but the result of which could potential affect 3,000 residents as well as local businesses is dangerous, said Isaac.
"What is getting to be very dangerous in this whole area is the number of people that do not live in town that depend on our services a great deal and they don't pay any money towards that," said Thompson.
"But this study doesn't address that," said Isaac.
"Well, if it doesn't, then come up with an idea that will address that, because I thought that might be a process to do it, and I couldn't come up with anything better," said Thompson.
Coun. Chris Vardas said viability studies are usually initiated by municipalities that are struggling to succeed and stay afloat.
"This community can survive. We've fought worse and bigger problems than what we're facing today," he said.
Calling for such a review reveals a lack of confidence in council, he said.
"I have total confidence in every decision we make. Sometimes we're right, sometimes we're wrong — it's hit and miss based on the information we get."
However, pursuing a viability review with the provincial government could result in a slew of unintended consequences such as local affairs slowing down to accommodate the process as well as the potential to lose grant funding depending on the outcome, the councillor cautioned.
"A viability study can be done in our own house," he said, adding it would be a matter of council sitting with administrative staff.
"But to do a sustainability study so they (Municipal Affairs) can come in and tear apart our community? I can't agree to that."
Thompson said he had heard from sources he has confidence in that such reviews have in some instances benefited other municipalities, but that he was still open to other options.
"Give me a better idea and I'll withdraw the motion," he said.
Coun. Cheri Funke said she researched other communities that had undergone viability reviews and that most of them dissolved into their respective counties or municipal districts.
"There is a possibility that we could be found not viable and be forced to dissolve," said Funke, who was opposed to Thompson's motion.
Mayor Terry Leslie offered some background on viability reviews, stating such a process can be initiated by public petition, council request, or by Municipal Affairs officials if they've determined a municipality needs to be investigated.
"At this point, there has been no indication from Municipal Affairs that a viability review is needed," said the mayor.
Regardless, keeping in mind the community's sustainability is never a bad idea, he said.
Sundre resident and homeowner Jim Hall was among several members of the public to address council.
"I've invested in Sundre. I want to retire in Sundre. That house and that investment are not to be tampered with," he said.
"I have full faith in my council."
Yet he cautioned against starting to gamble with throwing around terms such as viability study.
Providing additional food for thought, Vic Pirie, director of finance and administration, informed council that the municipality is standing in a solid fiscal position.
From a strictly financial perspective, the Town of Sundre has many "yardsticks" upon which to measure its sustainability, said Pirie.
"Auditors come in every year and review our operations and identify any weaknesses in our financial structure. You have a debt service level that is extremely low. You do not run operational deficits. You provide the services as best as you can," he said.
"There are always going to be stresses on the system — always demands greater than we can respond to. Find me a municipality in this province that can meet all the demands of their citizens — both on the operational and capital sides — and you'd be living in paradise."
Thompson's motion will be up for discussion and council will make its decision at the regular Jan. 30 meeting.
"My intention is not to make things worse," said the councillor, adding his goal has always been to consider ways to improve Sundre's situation.
"I'm open to ideas and if withdrawing this motion would make it better, I'd do it in a minute, but I'm not convinced."
But even if nothing comes of the motion, it at the very least produced an important discussion, he said.
