WESTLOCK - A request from Westlock County Coun. Dennis Primeau for additional documentation regarding a safety infraction at the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill over the summer was postponed to Feb. 11 and will be discussed in-camera, after council found his written request did not match his stated demands at the Jan. 20 council meeting.
Primeau submitted a notice of motion at council’s Dec. 17 meeting, asking for documentation of the incident at the ski hill, but council felt he was looking for a vote on the validity of the report itself.
In his notice of motion, Primeau asked “that the CAO provide the actual incident report as well as copies of any emails, correspondence, investigations and inquiries pertaining to the alleged safety infraction at the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill on August 28, 2019.”
For its part, administration deemed the infraction to be actual, not alleged — the details of the incident had already been provided to council in a summary report.
But discussions on the matter, in council’s opinion, diverted from a vote on providing the background documentation to a vote on whether or not the summary report was factual.
“Right now, you’re wanting us to make a commitment that we as a council, including yourself, believe that there may be some question as to everything that’s in (the report),” said reeve Lou Hall.
CAO Leo Ludwig extended the matter, adding that “what councillor Primeau is saying verbally is that council is voting on if they trust the CAO. This is a whole different issue.”
Coun. Jared Stitsen asked to have the matter moved in-camera at the next council meeting, with Coun. Isaac Skuban adding “I honestly don’t even know what I’m voting on.”
“Allegations were made against a councillor and they proceeded to prosecution. No hearing, nothing … I’m going to suggest that there needs to be a hearing,” said Primeau. “I’m only looking for facts.”
“(Coun. Primeau) wanted a copy of an incident report, but he refocused that to wanting us to agree that everything was not accurate in that summary report. That’s not what he asked for and there will be some discussion about that,” said Hall after the meeting.
As for the move to take it in-camera, she clarified council considers this to be an “ongoing sensitive issue.”
The incident is referred to in a report from planning and community services presented at the Sept. 10, 2019 council meeting, when administration was awaiting a completed report. No mention is made of a resolution in any public documents since.
