Following the eight-month municipal inspection review into the affairs of the Town of Penhold, Mayor Dennis Cooper said that council would implement all directives given in the report.
“All the directives will be followed,” Cooper said. “We don't have a choice in that matter.”
The review, which was led by St. Albert consulting firm Russell Farmer and Associates (RFA) and administered by Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths, was made public on Aug. 14.
The review had three directives, which the town must carry through. The minister directed members of council to review their current roles as councillors to ensure they are not acting on matters that are the responsibility of administration.
Another directive made by Griffiths was to make the review public, which council has already done via its website, townofpenhold.ca.
Cooper said that council is also going to give the minister monthly updates on what progress council is making, which was another directive made by Griffiths.
“We haven't had the chance to make many changes yet, it's only been a week since we saw the report,” said Cooper, adding that an action plan for council will be followed soon on the 83 recommendations made in the report. While council is not obligated to implement recommendations, most municipalities that face municipal inspections do move forward with them, RFA told the community during its presentation on Aug. 14.
“There are going to be several things we change,” said Cooper, avoiding specifics.
Coun. Chad Hoffman was named specifically in the report regarding his negativity in the media about administration and his fellow elected colleagues.
It was recommended that Hoffman refrain from contact with administration, except through his work with council or Rick Binnendyk, the town's chief administrative officer.
Hoffman explained that he has not talked to any councillors yet regarding the report and as far as he knows, not much has changed.
“We haven't talked about the report much since it was released,” he said.
“I don't have much to say on this.”
The review was ordered by the province following a petition last year by Penhold resident Ken McCarthy who successfully collected the necessary number of signatures of more than 20 per cent of Penhold's population.
