BARRHEAD – Woodlands County Coun. Peter Kuelken received some criticism for his participation in a community meeting held in Fort Assiniboine two weeks ago from his fellow councillors during their March 15 meeting.
Kuelken reported that he was invited to the March 6 meeting at the Fort Assiniboine Friendship Centre and Museum, with roughly 50 people in attendance to answer questions regarding land-use and gravel truck hauling routes.
"It ended up being a complete disaster," he said. "There were allegations that the organizers (were part of the Oasis group), and it ended up being a knife-throwing contest, not at me as a community member, but me the councillor."
Even though Kuelken said the meeting degenerated into a disjointed affair — topics ranged from municipal planning and land use to provincial regulations, crime and the influx of several members of the previously-mentioned Oasis group into Fort Assiniboine — he believed the meeting worthwhile as a group of residents expressed interest in forming a committee to discuss their vision of the community should look like.
"I still believe planning within a community should come from the roots up, not from the top down," he said. "I received many positive comments for opening a can of worms."
Reeve John Burrows said he was concerned that because of Kuelken's involvement in the meeting, many people mistakenly perceived that it was organized or endorsed by the municipality.
Kuelken agreed the perception existed, but he said he is not sure why, noting the advertising posters put up in the hamlet and social media posts all stated that the organizers invited Woodlands County councillors to the event.
"I (also) said I was wearing my community hat, but unfortunately, the event turned into ‘you are a councillor, so you are responsible.’ I tried to deflect as much as I could," he said.
However, Whitecourt East Coun. Jeremy Wilhelm and Fort Assiniboine/Timeu Coun. Devin Williams said Kuelken seemed to be downplaying his involvement.
He added that when Kuelken told councillors about the meeting, he said that he was just helping in its organization.
"But what was reported in (the Town & Country This Week) and people I have spoken to, you were up at the front running the meeting," Wilhelm said, adding that two weeks prior, council had a discussion cautioning councillors not "make wide sweeping statements on behalf of the municipality".
"You are quoted talking about 'creating committees for land-use bylaws, and things coming down the pipe for Woodlands County'. That's not just participating in the meeting as a resident. That is you running it. And you said you were not doing that," Wilhelm added.
Kuelken said all he did was ask if the community wanted to be involved in land use planning.
"I never said council was asking for that. I asked if the community wanted to do that, saying it was their meeting," he said.
Wilhelm countered that by asking the audience how they wanted to interact with council, he was in fact, acting as a councillor.
"You lent legitimacy to the meeting and created a Woodlands County town hall without meaning to."
Williams, who attended the meeting as an observer, and stayed at the back of the room, said everyone who talked to him after the meeting perceived it as an official Woodlands County meeting due to the amount of Kuelken's involvement.
"I think it was a mistake and brought some bad press to us," he said. "And I think we really stepped on administration's toes because by us having (to hold the meeting) they (are perceived as not doing their jobs). I think they were thrown under the bus, albeit not on purpose."
