Elnora village council is experiencing a surge of tension as residents express their frustration over council’s lack of transparency and consultation.
During their Aug. 8 meeting, Lee Staats addressed council on concerns that some of the community has been having.
The issues, stemming from what some residents describe as a “don’t need to know attitude,” have reached a boiling point, leaving the community divided.
At the heart of the matter is a recent decision made by council that has left many citizens feeling unheard and excluded from a significant expenditure.
The public outcry centers around why the community was not consulted before the council’s decision to allocate funds for what is described as a “large expenditure.”
“The first question was, and the most popular question was, why was the public not consulted for such a large expenditure?” questioned Staats regarding the village’s recent purchase of the old Jewell’s Grocery building.
In response to these concerns, Mayor Jul Bissell defended the council’s decision, emphasizing that it wasn’t a hasty one.
“We talked about it and decided it wasn’t really an overnight decision. We looked at all our options. We went through a lot of options for different buildings to use, new construction, and all that. It wasn’t just about money,” Bissell explained. “But when the opportunity came up, we jumped at it because it was a good opportunity.”
When asked about the funding for the purchase of the building, Chief Administrative Officer Sharon Wesgate explained that the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding needed to be committed to projects. Initially, the money would go towards pumphouse repairs; however, in May, the village was notified that they would receive funding covering 75 per cent of the cost.
Staats also questioned the council on how the building was purchased, as some residents believed the building should have been advertised before the village could buy it.
“We probably should have listed it,” said Wesgate. “But we’ve had the opportunity to sell it and we wanted it to happen fairly quickly. So it’s not worth waiting on a pullback of the sale and assuming liability. It’s just not worth the wait.”
While only some people agreed with the response, it was accepted as an answer.
Bissell expressed that he was happy with the way things have turned out but wished that people would have called him if they had concerns.
To rectify the situation and foster better communication, Bissell announced that the council would be taking measures to ensure that emails from residents are documented and entered into the record so that important information doesn’t fall through the cracks in the future.
“The underlying issue is that they feel we’re treated as people who don’t need to know things. And so any chance that you get to not give us information you will take it,” said Staats.
“You have certain powers as a council. But when you don’t tell us, the people that would normally support you in those decisions are a little bit more upset because you didn’t ask their opinion.”
Bissell responded to the comment by explaining it’s not that you don’t need to know; it’s how detailed or a response you need. He also said they would ensure their answers are clear and concise.
Jessica Campbell
ECA Review
