Presentation to City Council November 16, 2015
COUNCIL CONDUCT
Good afternoon Mayor Crouse and city councillors. As you know I am Lynda Moffat, and I am here to speak on behalf of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce, representing over 940 members.
The topic that brings us in front of you today is, quite frankly, embarrassing to us and, we believe, to the residents of this great city. That is the conduct of this city council. We have no intention of singling out any individual or group of individuals … these statements are being made to each of you equally.
It has taken quite a time for us to finally step forward and share our views, but we have become increasingly aware of the toll this poor behaviour is taking on our business community, and our community at large.
What we need in St. Albert, more than anything, is a city council that is positive, progressive, stable, and forward-thinking. We need to see role models of best practices, and of respectful conduct towards each other and towards the civic employees. We need to see behaviour that makes others want to be part of this great city, to do business here, and to relocate here.
What we have seen, and it appears to be getting worse rather than better, is sarcasm and innuendo often targeting individuals rather than issues. We also seem to see an overall mistrust of staff, even though we believe that the St. Albert public service is second-to-none for being highly qualified and sincerely dedicated to the betterment of this community.
The waste of time that is seen because of an effort to focus on small issues while the critical big issues of running this city remain in the background, is ridiculous. Your job here is to be focused on the big picture of St. Albert today and into the future, for the long term. It appears that your focus has been lost, and from what we are hearing far too often now, the inability of this Council to work together for the long-term growth and viability of St. Albert, has become an embarrassment to those who live here and to those who have their businesses located here.
How in the world will we ever hope to attract the best and the finest to come and work for the City of St. Albert, or to put their names forward for the next civic election? We don’t understand how any of you can believe that the tactics and actions you are using are right or proper or acceptable to those who are entrusted with the government of this municipality. How can we be teaching our young people respect for others and respect for authority when you, who should be the most visible role models, are setting the poorest of examples.
We believe that there are procedures in place to see this city council succeed. There are Roberts Rules of Order, and there are the city’s own code of conduct. Either you are unaware of what the rules are, or you believe that your way is better and more effective. It gives the appearance of personal agendas driving debate rather than the betterment of the city. As a very recent Gazette letter to the editor pointed out, “Instead of backstabbing and posturing, everyone on council, and particularly our citizens, should show some class, figure out how to work within the mandate given our council and support them for forward thinking.”
What our business community truly needs is a city council that shows a good understanding of the needs of the community, and governs with respect and decorum for the long-term best interests of growth and vitality in this city.
Coming before you today to address this issue has not been taken lightly by this chamber of commerce, but the growing “chatter” from our business community has forced us to bring this important matter to your attention. Perhaps you do not realize the extent of humiliation and disbelief that is being expressed to us.
