Athabasca town council may not be completely dysfunctional, but they have difficulty working together, according to the Municipal Corporate Review (MCR) released last week.
Although the review lists a number of recommendations to help improve the townís operations, it is not overly critical of how council and administration function.
ìIn general, council appears to have the ability to make decisions on behalf of the municipality,î the MCR states.
However, the report acknowledges that council has not worked well together.
ìIn the interviewerís opinion, councillors experience some challenges in working together collaboratively,î the MCR states. ìThe reviewers also heard the majority of councillors make reference to a ëdivided council.íî
Council voted last June to request the MCR from Alberta Municipal Affairs. Councillor Lionel Cherniwchan called the need for such a review ìself-evidentî after council cancelled a regular meeting because the agenda could not be agreed upon.
ìThe community will judge us like the bunch of dummies that we are,î Cherniwchan said at the time. ìIt just shows you that weíre not all on the same page.î
The MCR references this occurrence of events.
ìThrough the interview process, some councillors shared that they believed a perception exists in the community that council is dysfunctional and debate on some issues goes on too long,î it reports. ìThere is a belief that councilís credibility has been diminished due to certain events during council meetings.î
The report states that council would benefit from a Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships workshop.
The MCR noted that during the interview process, some councillors questioned the commitment level of other councillors, specifically the participation of councillors on town committees.
ìOther councillors indicated that their regular daytime employment prevented them from participating in certain committee meetings, especially those that occur during business hours,î the MCR reads.
The reviewers, however, discredited this argument.
ìIt is the duty of a councillor to participate not only in council meetings, but in council committee meeting and any other bodies to which they are appointed,î the MCR states.
The reviewers also recommended that the council agenda be available on the town website prior to the meeting.
An area to improve upon that was mentioned was in-camera sessions.
ìAs courtesy to the public, council may want to consider holding in-camera sessions after the public business is dealt with during council meetings,î the report suggested. ìÖ In-camera sessions should be placed on the agenda keeping public participation in mind where possible.î
Council can also improve upon their minutes and the wording of motions, the MCR stated.
It was recommended, ìthat all motions be structured to answer the ëwho, what, where, when and whyí questions and numbered sequentially in the minutes for reference and tracking, so that the minutes can be used for future reference,î the MCR states.
A key point of contention surrounding the cancelled council meeting was the regular addition of last-minute agenda items. The MCR says that adding last-minute items to the agenda for discussion is bad form.
ìWhen matters are brought forth at the last minute, it is unlikely that council is able to make an informed decision based on the appropriate research,î it states. ìIt is unfair to all parties, including the residents who have elected council to make decisions based on the facts and good information.î
The report stated that communication can be improved upon, but states that the town is aware of the importance of communication.
ìThe town communicates with residents in a number of ways, including the town website, newsletter, Facebook, open houses and the appointment of councillors to community groups,î the MCR states. ìThe reviewers commend the efforts of council to maintain and enhance communications with the public.î
However, the reviewers did state that the information on their website needed to be up-to-date, and monitored to ensure it is working properly.
It states that intermunicipal relationships are important, and that the town is doing well in that department.
ìBoth councillors and administration feels they have good relationships with neighboring municipalities,î the report states, ìThe town collaborates with Athabasca County on a number of projects.î
The MCR notes that in the past, council and administration have had communication issues.
ìThe lack of stable administrative leadership, according to those interviewed, contributed to growing mistrust between council and administration,î the report states.
