SUNDRE — A town councillor’s resignation comes close enough to the upcoming October municipal election that there will be no need for a byelection.
Coun. Charlene Preston officially submitted her resignation letter to Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, who then presented the correspondence to the rest of council as per the procedure outlined in the Municipal Government Act.
“Yesterday morning, I received in writing a resignation from councillor Charlene Preston,” Nelson said on Tuesday, Aug. 17 during a phone interview.
While there are certain conditions wherein in a byelection would not be required, Nelson said, “in this case, there’s only really two months left (before the general election), so no byelection is required.”
Until then, the remaining members of council will step up to fill in as alternative appointments any seats on committees that Preston was previously involved with as the municipality’s representative.
In the two-page resignation letter addressed to Nelson and dated Aug. 16, Preston wrote in part, “The last four years have been nothing that someone could prepare for. I am grateful to the residents of Sundre for the opportunity to be their councillor.
"I want to thank those who voted for me and had the confidence in me. The past four years have given me, and all of this council, some real challenges. But in reality, many of those challenges were faced by every governing body around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The former councillor also said she is, “thrilled to know that the roundabouts are staying and will become permanent. They were put in to make pedestrian safety a priority and slow traffic down going through town, and they have effectively done both of these things.”
She went on to express enthusiasm for the work council accomplished toward the wastewater treatment facility’s upgrades in coordination with administration and the provincial government.
“Much of the funding was granted to Sundre for this project. This will give the town an opportunity to expand, Sundre will have leading edge technology, and we saved money by not pursuing traditional lagoon upgrades.”
Other projects she was proud to have gotten a chance to be involved with include the push for broadband high speed internet, which has become an increasingly necessary utility throughout the pandemic, as well as developments such as the three-metre wide asphalt walking path on the west side of town.
Preston also praised the Sundre & District Aquatic Society’s board for bringing “several positive changes in a very short period of time” at the Aquaplex, including a 24-hour key fob access service as requested by patrons and no further interest in having the municipality take over operations of the indoor pool and fitness centre, which she hailed as “fantastic news for the Sundre taxpayer.”
Additionally, she applauded the ongoing efforts of the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee, the S.P.R.U.C.E (Seniors Protected and Respected Under Community Engagement) committee, the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society, as well as the community’s unwavering support for those community organizations.
During a follow-up interview with The Albertan, Preston said she was offered a new opportunity to become the secretary for the Youngstown Greenhouse School of Excellence that she simply could not turn down.
“I have been talking to the principal for several months,” she said.
Boasting a post-secondary education background that includes a certificate in commercial forestry, a diploma in greenhouse management, and a degree in horticulture, Preston said the proverbial pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place when the school’s secretary of 12 years recently retired.
“There was an opening there for me to both help out with the greenhouse and help out with filling a position they needed filled,” she said.
So, much as she enjoyed her time serving the community as a councillor, Preston said, “it was time to move on for me.”
Initially intending to seek re-election, she had not yet officially submitted nomination papers.
Not only was she glad to find a career path that meshed with her area of expertise, but she’s also looking forward to moving closer to her home area.
“I’m from Hanna, and Youngstown is right down the road from that,” she said.
After being offered and subsequently accepting the position, Preston said she approached Nelson to discuss the next steps.
Her formal letter of resignation was presented to council on Aug. 16 during the first regular meeting following the summer hiatus.
