Jason Beekman (left) & Jack Van Rijn with 2,334 petition signatures (Photo credit: Clive Schaupmeyer)

By Justin Goulet

Citizens for a Better Coaldale

Petition asking for municipal inspection in Coaldale receives over 2,300 signatures

Dec 15, 2020 | 11:32 AM

COALDALE, AB – It appears a concerned group of citizens in Coaldale has received enough signatures on a petition to potentially trigger a municipal inspection in the town.

Citizens for a Better Coaldale has been asking for more transparency from the Town of Coaldale’s government. In October, it was reported that the Coaldale Council denied a request from the group to sponsor a council-led municipal inspection. This would have seen the provincial government investigate a range of concerns from residents and how the municipal government operates.

Instead, the town hired an independent external investigator to look into accusations that current and former employees at the town have been “bullied, harassed, and intimidated by management”.

READ MORE: Coaldale Council to investigate only a portion of community complaints

In order to trigger a municipal inspection, Citizens for a Better Coaldale put forth a petition. An inspection can be launched by having at least 20 percent of the town’s population sign petitions. That equates to about 1,850 residents in Coaldale.

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On Tuesday morning, the group confirmed that it had received 2,334 signatures on the petition, noting that it more people than how many voted in Coaldale’s municipal election in 2017.

“We met thousands of residents and most people had lots to say,” said group spokesperson Jack Van Rijn.

“Taxpayers are unhappy with Town communication and major decisions such as the new Town Office/Civic [Square] project and the Northwest location choice for the proposed high school and recreation centre.”

READ MORE: Coaldale mayor addresses concerns on administrative transparency

Van Rijn added that many residents feel major decisions are being made without proper public consultation.

“We want to make it clear…we are not against main street improvements, the new recreation centre or the new high school. We support them,” Van Rijn said.

“What we are against is the way Town Council ignores public input and manipulates the project outcome of these major decisions, often against the know preferences of town residents.”

Van Rijn pointed out some of the more pressing issues the town should address, including a new pool and the maintenance of roads, sidewalks and alleyways. He said these should take precedence over something like the Civic Square project.

“While the council cannot consult with residents on everything, they should consult with taxpayers for the larger capital and discretionary public projects,” he stated.

“The choice of a northside location for the proposed high school rec centre is another example. Residents clearly wanted this project to be located on the southside of Highway 3, closer to where most residents live and in a safer, more accessible site, especially by children.”

He added another concern heard from residents revolves around future property taxes.

“Especially from seniors on fixed incomes. People told us many times they chose to live here because they like Coaldale as a small town, we already pay too much in taxes for what the Town of Coaldale delivers.”

NEXT STEPS

With the petition now having over 2,300 signatures, it will be sent to the office of the Honourable Tracy Allard, Alberta’s Minister for Municipal Affairs.

“Many residents feel Town Council and administration have completely gone off the rails, and I agree [that] there is a serious disconnect between Coaldale Town Council and Coaldale residents,” said Jason Beekman, another spokesperson for the group.

“Town Council should utilize public input to decide which major projects to pursue and not forcing decisions upon town taxpayers that most people disagree with.”

A statement from the group said they feel confident that there are enough valid signatures for the petition itself to be validated.

“Jack and Jason hope this will lead to a lasting positive change for the community, instead of the current constant adversarial relationship many taxpayers feel,” read the statement.

Another hope, according to the group, is that a municipal inspection will create a more meaningful dialogue between the Town of Coaldale and its residents, with council and administration guided by the input of residents, particularly when it comes to larger-scale projects.

READ MORE: Coaldale signs developer for Civic Square, lots of project details released

Coaldale mayor Kim Craig provided the following statement in response to the petition signatures.

“Citizens are welcome to make that request of the province; we as a Council considered the matter, and decided that given the lack of evidence provided to justify such a significant expense, that pursuing an inspection simply wasn’t a responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

“We as a Council are committed to using the time, we have left this Council term to fulfill our strategic mandate and to serve the citizens who elected us to office. We are in receipt of the final report of the workplace culture audit and plan to release the results in short order.”