Newly-elected Coun. Bob Russell made his debut at city hall on Monday night, giving the public a taste of what they can expect from St. Albert’s newest councillor.
Russell campaigned on transparency, a desire to implement a new hiring policy and as an opponent to the city’s downtown redevelopment plan. Those promises seemed to guide his actions, for the most part, on Monday.
He voted against the Amacon proposal to increase building heights on the Grandin site to five storeys from the original four. The amendment was approved regardless. He said his decision was not a reflection of his thoughts of the project as a whole but to support nearby residents who felt the height change would have a negative impact on their property.
He supported Coun. Sheena Hughes’ hiring policy that prevents councillors from seeking employment with the city while serving on council and for one year after. Russell also used the debate around the motion to grill city manager Patrick Draper on the hiring process of former councillor Gilles Prefontaine. His questions were pointed and designed to give the public the full picture of events that eventually led to the byelection.
Russell’s approach to the meeting was impressive in the sense that his comments and questions were well stated. He was firm without being combative or demeaning and, unlike other councillors, he is not fascinated by the sound of his own voice or playing it up for the cameras. Staying brief and concise, he was easier to listen to and easier to take seriously than other council members who believe long-winded pontificating rants make them seem intelligent and hardworking. He also avoided asking questions that had already been answered, another penchant of some members around the table.
While it is hard to get a true sense of how Russell will perform or what allegiances he will forge based on a single meeting, he sided with Hughes and Coun. Cam Mackay for every vote to kick off his return to council.
Some have predicted that, based on Mackay’s support for Russell during the campaign, Russell will tend to vote with the Hughes and Mackay side of the council table. During one debate Monday, we may have seen a demonstration that a part of Russell’s support for these colleagues may be more than a matter of principle. He may well be building for support from like-minded individuals for his own strategies further down the road.
During the meeting, Coun. Mackay floated the idea of sending more council decisions to plebiscite. He stated clearly the intent was to find more ways to put more power directly into the hands of the populace instead of council. During the ensuing debate, Russell said he believed many of the councillors against the idea were misinterpreting Mackay’s intent and that the direct democracy tools – as Mackay coined his proposal – would be primarily to better engage the public. It is difficult to understand how Russell came to that conclusion when Mackay repeatedly suggested he wanted to take decision-making powers away from council on most issues.
We hope Russell did not simply follow Mackay’s lead to show support, knowing full well the motion would fail. Overall, the veteran politician showed himself to be thoughtful and engaged without being dramatic and that’s something other councillors could learn from. Hopefully he will also be a voice of co-operation and reason, a person guided by principles over allegiances.
