Lac La Biche County councillors had more to discuss out of the public eye than in, during Tuesday's regular council meeting
Council was discussing seven in-camera items at the July 12 meeting. Only five items on the short meeting agenda were discussed in public.
The "closed session" items included the Transitional Housing Project, a delegation from Incite Strategy about an on-going brand strategy plan following recent resident surveys, "Intergovernmental Relations," tax write-offs, two items relating to "land surplus" and one closed session agenda item listed only as "NE 28-66-14-W4M." The area is north of Missiwawi Lake.
Each of the items were put into closed session by either "advice from officials" or because the "disclosure harmful to personal privacy." Both reasons are part of sections of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The "closed sessions" are a common and accepted practice of elected officials who often deal with issues and projects in their initial stages that need to be discussed privately in case there are delicate matters or possible private or economic connections that could be favourable or un-favourable to residents.
Council is only supposed to enter "closed sessions" or go "in-camera" to discuss matters relating to legal, land or staffing.
On Tuesday, Council went into closed session at 10:30 am after finishing the five public items on their agenda in half an hour. Mayor Paul Reutov was not in the council room for the meeting, with deputy-mayor Colette Borgun running the meeting.
Transitional housing locations
An hour into the private discussions, councillors did come back into a public session to announce their formal decision to have the Transitional Housing Task Force bring three possible project locations to the next council meeting for further discussion. The Transitional Housing Task Force includes municipal officials and community members looking to create steps forward in relation to the area's homeless and vulnerable population concerns. Part of that project includes a possible facility with accommodations and services for the community's vulnerable residents. Although council has yet to release public details of any of the possible locations related to the project, at least one of the options expected to be discussed by the task force and council is the former school division property located directly west of Aurora Middle School on 105 Street.
The discussion of the "top three" locations for the project is expected to be held in public during council's next regular meeting.
Council must come out of the closed session to ratify any formal motions made while behind closed doors. Councillors went back into their closed session after making the Transitional Housing Task Force announcement. It's was not known how long the in-camera session would last.
In the approved minutes from the June 28 and July 5 Lac La Biche County council meetings, two closed session items were on each agenda. During the July 5 closed sessions, both councillors Lorin Tkachuk and Mayor Paul Reutov left portions of the discussions due to pecuniary interests relating to business interests. Tkachuk left for the discussion on "building connectivity" and Reutov left for a discussion on "delegation followup". There was no delegation on the agenda of that meeting, but the previous meeting on June 28 had delegations speaking to council in closed sessions about land purchases and recreation opportunities.
The next Lac La Biche County Council regular meeting is on July 26.
