OLDS — The first few minutes of the Town of Olds council’s first public meeting Aug. 25 in its new quarters on 70th Avenue were confrontational.
About 20 people upset about the municipality's program to repair or replace water meters with new, high-tech ones filled the council chambers gallery.
In fact, so many people showed up that staff brought in extra chairs.
The group, citing health and other concerns regarding the meters is calling on the Town of Olds to place a moratorium on smart meter installation until public consultation on the program is held.
Members of the group also say some have had their water shut off after refusing to have the new meters installed.
By the time the meeting began, about 30 people were in the gallery, some standing due to a lack of chairs (only about 14 chairs were in the gallery before the meeting began).
When the meeting got underway, a woman who declined to give her name to the Albertan approached the podium and asked to have the group’s concerns added to the agenda.
She said she had asked as far back as Aug. 11 to have the group’s concerns added to the agenda.
“As the correspondence back from council through Coun. Blatz came, council declined to add that item to the agenda, to reopen it at this time,” chief administrative officer Brent Williams said.
Williams said if the group has more information – for example, a petition they’re circulating – they should meet with municipal staff and submit the information for another meeting. He noted the next council meeting is Sept. 8.
“If I'm to understand you correctly, then my water will remain disconnected until next, September 5, is that what I'm hearing,” the woman asked.
Williams repeated his suggestion that she and/or others in the group should speak with town staff.
“I’ve sent out emails. The information back has not addressed long-term, chronic low level, level EMF exposure, smart meters,” she said.
At that point, Coun. James Cummings entered the discussion.
“This is not an open forum for public debate. We have not added it to the agenda. We are not going to add it to the agenda; that decision has been made,” he said.
“If you personally, or anyone else personally has an issue with it, there's an avenue for that.”
Cummings said council members should not be “wasting our time” discussing the issue when it’s not on the agenda.
“You’re wrong, you’re wrong,” a woman in the gallery said.
“You work for us, not the other way around,” a man said.
“We pay your wages,” another woman said.
At that point, the gavel came down a couple of times.
At Coun. Cummings’ suggestion, a recess was called so the group could leave the chamber “because there's no point in having a yelling match.”
Mayor Dahl echoed that thought.
“The information was received, council made the decision. It is not on the agenda,” she said.
“It’s not a public forum,” man asked.
He said council members could “show respect for the citizens who are here” by hearing their concerns “and you said ‘no, we’re not going to do that.’”
He was told it was a regular council meeting and “you do not have the right at this time to stand at the podium and ask these questions.”
“The people were informed that wrote the letters (that) it was not to be on the agenda, and that was made very clear, so it is not on this agenda. So we will take a recess for five minutes,” Dahl said as she brought down the gavel a couple of times.
She said those in the group who wished to stay for the meeting could do so. About a dozen did.
In an email, the Albertan asked Williams what the procedure is for residents to ensure they get on the council agenda and whether council or town staff are obligated to add a topic to the agenda presented by the public.
He responded with a link on the municipality's website regarding how to get on the agenda.
“Your written request to have an item placed on a council agenda must be received at (the) town office no later than 1p.m. at least five days before the scheduled council meeting,” the site says.
It says items or issues brought to council “may include petitions, delegations, or a variety of concerns.”
“Are all requests to have an item discussed at a council meeting granted,” a subhead in the site asks.
“Depending on the nature of the item you would like to discuss, administration may be able to handle your request and it may not need to proceed to a council meeting,” is the reply.
“Once your letter has been received and reviewed, administration will contact you, either by telephone, letter or email to provide information regarding your request to have your item placed before council,” the site says.
