DIDSBURY - A written complaint made by a resident against the mayor and chief administrative officer is without merit, according to a letter sent to the resident by deputy mayor Curt Engel on behalf of council.
Resident Fred Van Vliet filed a complaint with the town on March 14 following council meetings on Jan. 24, Feb. 14 and Feb. 28.
In the complaint, he says during the Jan. 24 meeting, “I objected informally about council behaviour. I interrupted the council meeting with my objection to what I perceived as Mayor (Rhonda) Hunter’s disrespect about councillor (Joyce) McCoy, regarding questions about administrative spending and accountability . . . I readily recognized that her questions were specific and important to the transparency of the Town of Didsbury’s financial responsibilities.”
In the complaint, Van Vliet said during the same meeting, the chief administrative officer approached him in a “hostile, intimidating and completely inappropriate” manner.
Prior to making his official complaint with the town on March 14, Van Vliet made a related written statement to the RCMP.
In that March 6 statement, he said, in part, that during the Jan. 24 council meeting, the CAO “arose from the council circle and rushed into the gallery to stand inches away and overtop of my seated position” and “in a loud voice he threatened to ‘I will have you (Van Vliet) thrown out for disruption of council’.”
As well, he said in the statement that at the Feb. 14 council meeting the mayor said, “Law officers would be present at next council to protect against disorder.”
Council recently reviewed Van Vliet’s complaint and issued a letter to him on April 11. The copy of the letter was obtained by the Albertan.
“We find no merit to your claims,” deputy mayor Curt Engel said in the letter. “Further, we find much of what you have laid out here to be a false account of events and a slanderous attack on the mayor and CAO. We were all witness to the event you reference and we strongly refute your account as they did not happen as you have related.”
The mayor is required to keep order and the CAO or any staff member so delegated is responsible for ensuring there are no disruptions or attempts to intimidate and manipulate the legislative process, the letter states.
“We find your attempts to intimidate and hassle these public servants for merely performing their duties, by making multiple, frivolous claims against them to be reprehensible and a type of harassment and we strongly rebuke you for this kind and uncivil behaviour.”
After receiving the April 11 letter, Van Vliet told the Albertan he and several other residents are planning to make a written submission to council about town taxes, finances and other outstanding issues.
“A number folks have questions that they are continuing to work on and to refine and research and we are going to collect those and put them on a summary sheet and bring them back to council,” Van Vliet said.
