Council Grants Mayor’s Legal Fees, Takes 1st Step On New Rec Facilities

Council candidates (from L to R) Micheal Reid, Pamela Kunz and Donald Knudsen take in Monday’s council meeting. (Photo Alex McCuaig)

At least nine council hopefuls sitting in the city hall chambers joined the incumbents as the 2021-2025 council term was poised to end Monday.

But that’s not quite what happened.

Council will be adding another meeting on Friday.

But outgoing Coun. Darren Hirsch took the opportunity to question just what council is doing at its supposed last meeting with a 691-page council package that appears to be, “lobbing a grenade at the next council.”

Monday’s meeting shoehorned in several issues both big and small over a four-hour long session. Those included a more than $100,000 budget amendment to cover councillor raises to nearly $4 million to start the process towards developing an aquatic park as well as sports field.

Hirsch drew a line on city spending at the idea of establishing a non-profit operating grant program, noting there is “zero budget allocation” for such an initiative.

“I’m concerned that we’re already not meeting our financial budget,” stated Hirsch to council. “We’re in an operational deficit right now to the tune of $9 million and we’re asking to be in the deficit to $10- or $13 million if this goes through.”

Hirsch said he’d prefer to keep the status quo which has allowed council to assist when appropriate on an ad hoc basis and not sign cheques the next council will need to tax.

“(A future council) can certainly bring this forward in one month’s time and say let’s go. But for me, I’m not supportive.”

The motion for the program failed with Mayor Linnsie Clark and Coun. Cassi Hider voting in favour.

On the issue of new recreational facilities, Hirsch once again raised the issue of the next council being sworn in within the next month. However, he was more placated on the topic considering significant community support.

But the issue of where to get the nearly $4 million to just start the initial design work of what could be a more than $150 million buildout of rec facilities was an issue.

Coun. Shila Sharps suggested taking the better than estimated municipal investment returns to help pay for the project.

But she was informed the operational deficit would balloon to more than $11 million if that was done as those funds were earmarked to tackle the budget shortfall.

In the end, council voted unanimously to pull the initial funds for design from its capital reserves.

Discussion on council pay raises voted on previously didn’t garner much comment from council.

Monday was a repeat.

The more than $100,000 budget amendment required which will come from the city’s operating reserves saw only Hirsch and McGrogan voting against the raise.

The nearly $60,000 reimbursement of the Mayor Clark’s legal fees connected to her judicial review of sanctions placed against her may have been the least costly expense facing council Monday, but it’s been one of the most contentious.

And despite the amount sought being a fraction of others, it was an item which took the longest to deal with while witnessing a rare moment of contrition from a council which has been fractious.

Calling the sanctions laid against her “unlawful’ and solely due to, “the actions of council, not a private dispute,” Clark once again laid bare her case.

She described council having its legal funds covered and not hers as unfair as the judicial review found councillors acted overwhelmingly disproportionate in their levelling of sanctions.

Sharps defended Clark’s request, noting “she won” the judicial review and council broke confidences which soured the mayor’s relationship with city manager Ann Mitchell.

“I’m going to 100 per cent support this,” stated Sharps.

McGrogan also threw his support for reimbursing the mayor, stating, “I agreed last time, and I agree this time.”

Coun. Hirsch defended council’s actions, stating the substantive allegation that Clark treated Mitchell with disrespect during an August 2023 meeting led to the sanctions.

While Coun. Robert Dumanowski had been one of the staunchest critics of the mayor’s claim, he relented.

“I think this is the ultimate expression that I can give if this is my last council meeting,” he said.

At the end, only Coun. Allison Knodel voted against the reimbursement.

The next council meeting will be held virtually on Friday Oct. 10 at 7am.