LETHBRIDGE -- A group of Coaldale, Alta. residents is seeking a plebiscite and a public meeting over that town council’s plan to build a new town office.
Members of a group called Citizens for a Better Coaldale said they’re concerned about what they call a continuing lack of transparency and public consultation for major capital projects.
“Residents just want to be in the know. Residents want a say in where their taxpayer dollars are going,” said Jason Beekman, a spokesperson for the group.
“All we are asking for is transparency, and better public interaction.”
Concerned residents say it appears the town has been working on the project — described as a two-storey commercial building and outdoor space — since 2018 but information isn’t being shared with the public.
Residents have learned about scattered details through a variety of unofficial sources, including longtime business owners who are being displaced by the Civic Square Project, which is slated to be built downtown, on the south side of Main Street.
Coaldale is about 20 kilometres east of Lethbridge in southern Alberta.
Adam Parker, another member of the citizens group, said they have requested a public meeting so taxpayers can learn more about the project.
“Why is this council so afraid to talk about what they are actually doing?” he said.
The group said figures included in Coaldale’s 2019-2021 capital budget list the cost of the project at just over $8.6 million dollars. At a council meeting on Monday, town officials claimed the project had been downsized to approximately $3.5 million. But Beekman said that figure doesn’t include land acquisition or site beautification.
Mayor Kim Craig was away and unavailable for comment.
Coaldale’s chief administrative officer, Kalen Hastings, provided information by email. He said town council passed a resolution Monday inviting the group to meet with council in September to discuss their concerns and share information about the Civic Square Project.
He added the project will be undertaken by a private development group, but until an agreement has been finalized and ratified, the town can’t provide details.
Hastings did provide several pages of information the mayor and town staff provided to the local newspaper, the Sunny South News.
Beekman said residents are questioning whether a new town office is a higher priority for the community than a new swimming pool or another sheet of ice at the arena. The group also points out the town will have more office space when the RCMP relocate to their new detachment building, which is currently under construction.
Beekman said a meeting in September, after the deal is done, is not meaningful consultation, “They’re getting the details finalized and having the project move forward, before they turn to us and say, okay, this is what we’re doing, whether you like it or not.”
