Ratepayers Association to contact investigative reporter
Lindsay Goss photo
The Ratepayers Association has voted to contact a third party investigative media outlet to publicize recent events in the community.
LINDSAY GOSS
Pass Herald Reporter
A Ratepayers Association meeting held last week focussed on the lack of progress the Association is seeing regarding a municipal inspection and has decided to go to a source that may get the ball rolling a little faster.
At a Ratepayers meeting held at the Hillcrest Miners Club on Wednesday, February 20th, president of the Association Bill Kovach said, “enough is enough.”
Following a letter writtenby the Ratepayers to Municipal Affairs Officer Doug Griffiths requesting a municipal intervention of council and administration, a letter was received informing that an inspection will be take place. However, Kovach informed the Ratepayers Wednesday night that the people of the Pass would probably not see that inspection until summer at the earliest.
Kovach said, “2510 of us put in a petition. That was 92 per cent of the people who elected [council] in,” said Kovach.
“So therefore, even though they are still our elected officials, I don’t think they have the mandate to carry out these major decisions that are going to affect our community,” said Kovach, primarily referring to the decision to eliminate the Hillcrest fire hall, the removal of Fire Chief Jamie Margetak and the Regional Collaboration Grant.
The Regional Collaboration grant gave council $257,000 to upgrade the communication system to digital for the new firefighters, as well as for training and wages for the firemen.
The Ratepayers voted unanimously to take their concerns to media sources beyond the pens and papers of the local papers, including W5.
“Maybe it’s time we get an investigative reporter knocking on the Minister’s door,” Kovach said.
Although there is no guarantee that an outside media source will report on the recent events of the Crowsnest Pass, it was decided that Kovach and the Ratepayers would take “our story” to a third party media source.
