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The Alberta government has extended the mandate of an arbitrator tasked with policing embattled Chestermere city council as provincial officials prepare to reveal the long-awaited results of a lengthy investigation into city government.
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Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz extended the term of official administrator Douglas Lagore, who has the power to overturn any council resolution, until March 31 “to ensure continued oversight of the municipality until after the public meeting to present the results of the inspection process,” said the minister’s chief of staff, Alex Puddifant.
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“This extension protects the public interest in good governance and supports the functionality of the council,” Puddifant said in a written statement to Postmedia.
The province installed Lagore in September until the end of January because of what then-minister Ric McIver called “growing dysfunction” within the council. The appointment came shortly after Mayor Jeff Colvin, backed by his majority voting bloc of himself, Deputy Mayor Mel Foat, and Councilmen Stephen Hanley and Blaine Funk, attempted to launch more than 100 investigations into the code of conduct of his political enemies, councilors Shannon Dean, Sandy Johal-Watt and Ritesh Narayan.
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Municipal inspection initially started in May 2022
The province was seeking the appointment as a stopgap measure until the end of the municipal inspection in Chestermere, the first investigation of its kind in Alberta since 2018. The inspection, launched in May 2022 and conducted by a third party, proved multiple claims of deficiencies. within the city government and was sparked by complaints from Dean, Johal-Watt and Narayan early last year.
The council and some city officials, including city manager Kim Wallace, a senior administrator recently charged with assault in connection with an alleged fight with an employee, met with Minister Schulz last week to discuss city inspection. The meeting came at Colvin’s request with the stated goal of “remediating the city’s inspection procedures” and followed a nearly 3,000-word rebuke written by city officials in December that disavowed and refused to respond to a draft version of the findings of the inspection that the province presented to the Cabildo in November.
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“We will continue to move forward with the next steps, which will involve updating Chestermere citizens on the status of the inspection in the coming weeks,” Puddifant said.
The findings are expected to be made public in early March.
Wallace continues to work in the city despite the assault charge, albeit remotely. She was banned from town hall when the charge was made public on February 3, but several sources told Postmedia that she was not put on leave and she continues to be involved in day-to-day operations. Municipal Affairs declined to comment on the charge against Wallace.
The province is expected to reveal the results of the municipal inspection at a public meeting in early March. At that time, Minister Schulz will provide direction to the city council and administration to address any issues found.
If those directives are not followed, the mayor, councilmembers or top city administrators could face further sanctions, including possible dismissal.
Neither the City of Chestermere nor Colvin responded to Postmedia’s requests for comment on Sunday.
Twitter: @miguelrdrguez