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4 Tuesday, November 27, 2012 Vol. 7,Vol. No.8,2,No. Tuesday, November 8, 2011
MICHELLE PINON PHOTO
Members of the Lamont Pee Wee Hawks hockey team faced off against the Edmonton Eagles during game two of their home tournament Saturday afternoon at the Lamont Recreation Centre.Here they fire a shot during second period play. The Hawks downed the Eagles by a score of 5-3.
Ratepayers group sends clear message to council Michelle Pinon Editor
Alleged antics and inappropriate behaviour of a Lamont County employee were brought to the attention of council members during its Nov. 21 meeting. Representatives of the Lamont County Ratepayers Association (LCRPA) requested a closed meeting with council during the afternoon session. Reeve Woldanski denied the request to go behind closed doors, and then LCRPA chair Sharmon Holyk made the decision to proceed with the
group’s presentation. Members of council were given written copies of the presentation, and Holyk went on to read the presentation aloud. The presentation centred around recent events at Lamont County’s administration building in Lamont. Holyk said the LCRPA’s involvement was based on telephones calls and conversations, and also included copies of photos that were handed out to members of council during the presentation. Those photos and copies of the presentation were not, however, circulated to the press
(which was represented by the Lamont Leader); citing the Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) Act and regulations under Municipal Affairs. The “offensive” events in question centre around the defacing of public property, with Holyk referencing an offensive snow sculpture that was erected in front of the county building, decorating an office with posted notes, using council chambers as a party room, some Halloween hijinx, and tomfoolery at a photocopying machine. Holyk also referred to the employee taking numer-
ous coffee and telephone breaks, and inferring they were abusing privileges and wasting ratepayers’ time and money. “Is the CAO not responsible for this behaviour?” Holyk stated there was “universal disgust” expressed by not only members of the LCRPA, but other residents in Lamont County, and beyond the municipality’s borders, as these offensive photos had previously been posted on Twitter. While copies of these photographs were passed from one member of council to another, they maintained solemn
expressions on their faces, and did not verbally comment aloud. During the course of the presentation, Holyk spoke about requests for information and reports that had been requested by members of council that were not followed through or given to them by members of administration. “After two years of dealing with the county,” Holyk said blame lies with administration; not with council. Holyk said mere removal of the employee from the administration building was not enough, and said dismissal is required in this case.
Reeve Woldanski asked members of council if they had any questions following the presentation, and they responded no, so Woldanski thanked LCRPA for its presentation, and moved onto the corporate services report. A verbal request for a copy of the presentation was asked of both LCRPA chair Holyk, and Reeve Woldanski by the Lamont Leader, and were declined. A request for comment from CAO Allan Harvey was forthcoming following the meeting, and is contained in a separate story on page six.