For the past year I’ve been involved in specific issues, which in turn led me to have attended every town council meeting since November 2020.
Most people are not aware that council meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. These meetings are open to the public, and with rare exceptions I have been the only person sitting as an observer.
I encourage every citizen to come to at least one or two meetings a year to see your elected town councillors conduct business on your behalf. Almost no one I’ve talked to in Rockglen is even aware of the coming byelection.
For some reason there was no mention of this in the June 29 newsletter nor any posting on the Town Facebook page and the Town has not had a website since the end of January, 2021.
Councillor Tini Loiselle submitted her resignation at the end of the May 12, 2021 meeting because she was moving away from Rockglen.
Council set the date for a byelection to fill the vacant council position at the June 9, 2021 meeting. That date was set for November 17, 2021.
In the minutes of the June 9 council meeting only the byelection date is mentioned. At the meeting, however, it was stated that nomination day would be October 13 and advertising for nominations would be September 28.
The dates could have been earlier but Council took the longest time allowed under the Provincial Election regulations. For more information I refer residents to the Saskatchewan Local Government Election Guide online.
I now encourage people of Rockglen to consider the upcoming byelection.
Last November the two council vacancies were filled by acclamation.
Another example of council actions that will affect every town resident: At the meeting of August 11, 2021, council repealed Bylaw 3-11: Nuisance Abatement Bylaw and Bylaw 4-08: The Noise Bylaw.
Then with all three readings, immediately passed: Bylaw 04-2021 A BYLAW TO PROMOTE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND PREVENT UNSIGHTLY CONDITIONS and Bylaw 05-2021 NOISE ABATEMENT BYLAW.
Historically these two issues have been among the most contentious for Rockglen residents. While council was legally entitled to pass these new bylaws by having all three readings at the same meeting, they should have recognized that citizens would wish to provide input after the first or second readings and hold off third reading to a following Council meeting to allow that input to happen.
If you have questions or concerns about the November 17 byelection and/or the new bylaws I suggest you contact the town office. Residents can obtain copies of council meeting minutes, past or present bylaws and much more information than they might expect.
Finally, I would have hoped council would have been tooting their own horns about the rink upgrades and many other improvements around town. There are so many great things happening or will be happening of which virtually no one is aware unless they go to a council meeting.
Rockglen is a great place to live and many new arrivals in town from Vancouver area, Calgary and other regions are here because they think so too!
