When a family makes a major decision that affects everyone, each member should have a chance to provide some feedback.
This was the sentiment expressed by Sundre councillor Paul Isaac, who during an Oct. 18 public open house held at council chambers to discuss capital plans for the town's future recounted the tale of his own family that years back had to weigh out the pros and cons of relocating to Alberta from Manitoba.
“When I moved to Sundre, I sat my wife and my three young kids down at the kitchen table and I said ‘Hey. You guys, I have a chance to take a job,'” the councillor told a group of roughly one dozen residents.
Everybody was given a chance to share their thoughts, and although there was no immediate consensus, Isaac said their middle child suggested, “You know what, that might be a good thing!”
The youngest was still too little to fully grasp the concept of moving, he said with a chuckle.
“We as a family shared our concerns,” he said, going on to add, “and we made the decision to move here.
“Well tonight, as a council, we have a 24-million-dollar question we're going to face in the next couple of weeks. We're going to spend 24 million dollars roughly in the next five years. It ain't our money — it's yours.”
So officials will gladly allocate dollars to fix and upgrade infrastructure, but council needs the community's input to act confidently when it directs administrative staff, he said.
“How do you want your money spent? You need to really help us out. We want to make the right decisions.”
Administrative staff certainly play a pivotal role in keeping tabs on crucial infrastructure, recommending priorities and outlining detailed plans, but any additional input from the community also provides council with the confidence to act decisively, knowing it has the community's support, he said.
Coun. Myron Thompson agreed residents should get involved as well as informed about major projects that affect the whole town and bluntly said that community engagement is lacklustre.
“The turnout for public meetings on these kinds of information sessions is absolutely sickening in Sundre — you get a lot of complaining but when you get an opportunity to really come in and get the big picture, where are these complainers?” he asked.
“They're waiting for their coffee tomorrow morning to meet Myron Thompson at A&W so he can get an earful. That's the sad part.”
Plans for the community, its vision for the future as well as how taxpayers' money will be spent to achieve those goals should be homegrown, facilitated by the expert knowledge of trained staff. That process can only be improved as more residents get involved, Isaac said.
When he spoke with his family about their big move, the father and councillor said his intention was to include his family to get their opinions and to make the right judgment call as a dad. Their decision to move to Sundre would not prove to be a choice he or his family would ever come to regret.
“This community is unique,” he said, praising the strong, vibrant spirit of volunteerism that exists in Sundre.
“I love living here.”
