PENHOLD – The head of the Penhold & District Library board says Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD) has been unwilling to negotiate and meet face to face to find a mutually agreeable solution to the increasingly testy dispute over a new agreement for joint library space.
"We could not get anywhere. Even after contacting our trustee," said library chair Lisa Newton.
But the chair of the school division's Board of Trustees, Allan Tarnocz, has warned the town in a Jan. 20 letter that the impasse could lead to separate libraries at the Penhold Regional Multiplex and Penhold Crossing Secondary School.
"The board is disappointed with the town's decision to not accept the offer presented to council," said Tarnoczi in his Jan. 20 letter to the Town of Penhold. "If the town turns down the counter proposal, the board believes that the next steps are to separate the two libraries."
In the meantime, Newton said there is no movement after months of negotiations between the town and the school board.
“CESD is not willing to negotiate. They have declined mediation. They have not been willing to get together and even discuss, let alone (pursue) mediation,” added Newton. “We have been trying to review the agreement since 2016. However, CESD has refused to meet.”
The original joint service agreement was created in August of 2014 when the adjoining Penhold Crossing Secondary School was built. It continues to be in place today but is set to expire on June 30, 2020. Newton said the original agreement was designed to be reviewed after one year. Newton added a review has never occurred because the school board never agreed to meet to do so.
As for the school board's plan to create a separate library if no agreement can be reached, Newton said it would have a negative impact on both students and the school community.
“We are a community and we are trying to build community and that was one of the main reasons (for) attaching the school to the community multiplex," said Newton.
Shawn Russell, the CESD associate superintendent of corporate services, disputes the new allegations from Newton, adding both sides have been engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Town of Penhold over shared space with the Penhold library.“I’m sure (the library's) been kept abreast of conversations we’ve had with the town,” said Russell. “Between administration at both Chinook’s Edge School Division and the town level and between elected officials at both levels we have been in ongoing negotiations and we are still in ongoing negotiations.
“Chinook’s Edge has a position that we do not negotiate in a public venue. We negotiate with the people in an appropriate setting,” he added. “We don’t negotiate through media."
Russell did confirm the joint library space is the only library Penhold Crossing Secondary School has and uses. He declined to elaborate on how or at what cost a separation would occur, if it came to that.“At this point, we’re not prepared to comment on that because Chinook’s Edge School Division has not heard back (from the town),” he said. “So like I said, Chinook’s Edge's position is that we do not negotiate through media in a public format.
“It’s our hope that we’re going to be able to work something out in the negotiation process,” said Russell.
Penhold mayor Mike Yargeau confirmed the original agreement was between the library board and school division. He said the library board asked the town for assistance because the school board was not meeting with them.
“We’re still looking at trying to come up with an agreement,” he added, noting he has reached out to Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen for help to resolve the issue.
"We're just waiting to set up a formal meeting with either Minister Dreeshen or Education Minister (Adriana) LaGrange," said Yargeau.
"We're on two different wavelengths for what the decision needs to look like. The town is looking for a decision that reflects how every other arrangement like this works in the province and the school board is looking for a decision that doesn't fit for the town and library board," he added.
"At this point, the province needs to get involved and take some ownership in this, because they essentially made us join up when they put that school there," explained Yargeau. "I think it's important that both parties know that we joined up for life, not just six years."
