The community's pent up anger over the dismissal of fire chief Dean Clark burst out into the open this week, with an overflowing crowd of citizens at town hall asking elected officials to call in the province to conduct an inquiry into the conduct of embattled chief administrative officer Helen Dietz.
“There is definitely a problem here in town. There is a lot of very, very bad morale,” said Mary Flemming, one of two citizen spokespersons who addressed town council on Nov. 28. “We really want to know why the two fire chiefs were gone, without causes – absolutely not satisfactory. (It's) unethical and immoral when the town's people want to know.”
However, following the five-minute presentation by Flemming and Jim Carroll, some council members were quick to passionately defend Dietz.
“I will truly say and honestly from my heart that what is happening in this town is what we have hired her (Dietz) to do,” said Coun. Patt Churchill, adding the town has grown and matured since she was first elected to council in 1995. “One of the things I pointed out to council when we knew the wagons were going to be circled is that the town was small and it was treated small. We are not small anymore. We are not in Kansas. And now our town is being organized like a business.”
Flemming and Carroll, spokespersons for a 10-citizen delegation and up to 20 supporters, addressed 14 questions to council over the Sept. 7 firing of Clark, including council's role in his dismissal, policies on staff dismissals and the direction Dietz wants the Innisfail Fire Department to take.
The letter read by Flemming and Carroll also requested council formally request the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs probe the performance of Dietz. Council was told the delegation wanted written answers within 14 days or by the next council meeting on Dec. 12.
“Collectively we have spoken with no fewer than 17 former town employees. Most of these have left voluntarily and of those, many have cited health and stress related reasons,” council was told through the letter presentation. “But the common theme among these good people as to why this has happened is not the amount of level of work expected but the poor and debilitating working atmosphere at the town office.”
When Flemming and Carroll were finished their presentation, Coun. Doug Bos rose to counter that any perceived problem with staff turnover and morale isn't going to go away with a new CAO.
“It's just going to be another change. Stuff is going to happen and people are not going to like it, whether it's worse or less but it's not going to go away,” said Bos. It just always happens. It's something you can never ever get away from.”
A call was made to Dietz's office Tuesday (Nov. 29) for comment on the Nov. 28 delegation presentation but it was not immediately returned.
Meanwhile, Churchill and Coun. Gavin Bates both expressed frustration that before citizens addressed council on Nov. 28 they vented their anger by writing letters to the editor in the newspaper.
“When you see this negativity in the newspaper week after week none of us win as a community. If things come to that there is a way and a means for somebody to address. Please don't do it through the papers,” said Churchill.
Bates added council members are legally bound not to discuss or correct issues raised by letters in the newspaper, noting members face the risk of “huge” liability of citizen tax dollars.
When the 25-minute discussion ended, deputy mayor Mark Kemball, filling in for the vacationing Mayor Brian Spiller, told the delegation that answers to their questions could not be answered by Dec. 12 as that is the day the 2017 town budget will be brought to council for discussion and a vote. Council and delegation members then agreed to an early January deadline.
“This small group that got together is quite resolved, maybe not the petition yet but that definitely hinges on our next meeting,” said Flemming after the meeting of a possible drive to collect signatures for a petition that might be sent to the provincial government.
“I appreciate the council speaking up. I really feel that was the first time,” she added more optimistically. “And I think we are all feeling a little better that we had this exchange. Let's hope for more dialogue.”
Mary Flemming
"There is definitely a problem here in town. There is a lot of very, very bad morale. We really want to know why the two fire chiefs were gone, without causes – absolutely not satisfactory. (It's) unethical and immoral when the town's people want to know."
