Municipal inspection of Chestermere governance complete
A months-long provincial investigation into Chestermere city council has concluded, with the findings now in the hands of the Municipal Affairs Ministry for a decision.
The province launched a municipal inspection into Chestermere in May — its first probe of a local government in five years — following multiple complaints earlier in the year from city staffers, residents and sitting councillors about issues with the city's governance and newly elected council. The ministry appointed George Cuff, a longtime municipal adviser and consultant, to conduct the inspection.
“A draft of the Chestermere inspection report has been submitted to Alberta Municipal Affairs and is being reviewed. There will be an opportunity for Chestermere council to review the inspection report confidentially and provide feedback to (Minister Ric Mciver) before the report is finalized,” said Mciver's press secretary, Scott Johnston.
According to documents obtained by Postmedia through a freedom of information request to the ministry, the investigation was ultimately triggered by two complaints jointly penned by three councillors — Shannon Dean, Ritesh Narayan and Sandy Johal-watt — regarding the actions of the other four council members: Mayor Jeff Colvin, deputy mayor Mel Foat and councillors Stephen Hanley and Blaine Funk.
The letters alleged a variety of improprieties — many of which are repeated in complaints from staff and residents — stating the four had acted outside of council resolutions and overstepped into administrative duties, among other breaches of the Municipal Government Act.
Dean, Narayan and Johal-watt were eventually taken to task by their colleagues for those complaints, with a 4-1 vote launching a code of conduct investigation into the three councillors.
Council also recently initiated internal investigations into irregular payout packages for two employees upon their resignations and another into what officials called “missing millions” from its former arm'slength utility company. They are being carried out by a third party.
Before the inspection began, city staff unionized. Several city staffers told Postmedia at the time that there had been dozens of employee losses since the election of the current mayor and council due to an ongoing organizational restructure and multiple resignations.
The inspection report, following deliberation by the ministry, will be presented to council by Municipal Affairs officials in a closed session before being presented to the public in an open council meeting at a to-be-determined date. At that time, the minister will make his recommendations or orders as to how the situation should be remedied.