In response to the article headlined "Administration deems roundabout petition insufficient," which appeared in the April 9 edition of the Round Up, I would like to take a moment to clarify a few things.
First off, I am not opposed to the mini roundabouts.
Rather, I am a voice to have the Town of Sundre and Alberta Transportation listen to the people and follow proper laws and procedures. Highway 27 is a provincial highway that runs through the municipality of Sundre in which final decisions will be that of the province.
I would like to add that the Town of Sundre can only do so much in regards to the matter, but they certainly can begin by following their own bylaws set in place such as the Public Engagement and Procedures.
It states the town deemed the petition insufficient based on the grounds of only having a limited amount of town residents sign. The petition was executed in a manner in which there was a commissioned statement of representatives acting as public witness and more than 250 signatures were initialled as laws states. The people who signed are electors in the Province of Alberta which the petition was primarily intended for.
What the Town of Sundre and Alberta Transportation must remember is that the petition was only a small exhibit to a file in which multiple exhibits show improper procedures were followed and that they need to be held accountable to them.
The numerous information sessions the administration states were held were not properly advertised as per the Municipal Government Act, and were also mostly invite only. The consulting company the article speaks of did mention roundabouts as a possibility, but never did state mini roundabouts, which the Town of Sundre is home to the first trial in Canada.
It’s clear that the people’s voices are not being heard well, as Mayor Terry Leslie stated, “There needs to be a significant number of people that can be classified as being in opposition to this before that could be considered” in reference to having the mini roundabouts removed or a new solution looked at.
Well, some people have voiced their concerns and questions and many get a robotic response so they are frustrated and giving up talking about them to anyone due to the anger that arises.
It is asked by the people who signed that the Town of Sundre carefully review the file that was presented to them during the Feb. 19 meeting and to act according to their own bylaws.
As for meetings, I will be speaking with the town’s chief administrative officer as well as Alberta Transportation’s minister and the project’s infrastructure engineer, Stuart Richardson, to be sure that they are fully aware the people want a voice and we also want them to follow the proper laws in place.
As Richardson is quoted saying in a CBC interview in May 2017, Alberta Transportation would never put anything in place that the people did not want.
Until the provincial election is over and a new minister of transportation is appointed, this matter will be put on hold. But I will continue to be a voice for the people who have asked that they get a proper say in regards to the mini roundabouts.
I encourage everyone to voice his or her opinion very loudly to Alberta Transportation and the Town of Sundre together, and not just one or the other.
An update will follow soon as the meetings with Alberta Transportation and the town take place and everyone is invited to review the file that was presented at any time.
Melany Sealy,
Sundre
