Under a barrage of questions, both written and verbal, Rimbey town council and mayoralty candidates talked the talk at the public forum held last Wednesday.
The future will ascertain if they will, in fact, walk the walk.
Sheldon Ibbotson and Rick Pankiw, both running for mayor, incumbents Gayle Rondeel, Paul Payson and Jack Webb and newcomers Einar Olsen, Dave Karroll and Matt Jaycox attended the event held Oct. 16.
The forum, held at a packed Rimbey Community Centre auditorium, was chaired by David Cartledge of Toastmasters International (Red Deer) and sponsored by Rimbey Chamber of Commerce and Servus Credit Union.
It was a lively forum, with many past grievances and complaints which seem to have never been resolved, dredged up by former town officials and disgruntled citizens.
The candidates were peppered with questions during the question and answer period, and, occasionally, the answers did not appease the crowd.
Statements about an ethanol plant, which never did come to fruition, by Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson raised the ire of former mayor Dale Barr.
“There is no bio plant,” said Ibbotson. “We couldn’t find any signed agreements or resolutions (about it) on the town books.”
“Keep your facts straight,” retorted Barr. “It could have moved forward.”
A visibly angry Jean Keetch, the Rimbey librarian accused candidate Dave Karroll of relying more on coffee shop gossip than on facts when he disputed the number of patrons who visited the library.
However, Karroll said he had merely suggested a nose count might be a more effect way to track the numbers than a door counter.
Karroll was also brought to task for his statement that library board members should be made up primarily of Rimbey residents.
“The county of Ponoka is a significant funder,” said Coun. Paul Payson, defending the library’s right to have county representatives sit on its board.
The present council also came under fire for not keeping on top of a proposal submitted to municipal affairs for a new seniors lodge in Rimbey. To solidify this complaint, candidate Rick Pankiw read e-mails he said he had received from MLA Joe Anglin and a representative from municipal affairs. The e-mail from Anglin said the application had expired.
“I feel that to go forward we need to work closely with our MLA and the government and we need to follow up on a daily basis. We need it (the lodge). And you deserve it. It should not have been allowed to sit for a year.”
Mayor Ibbotson retaliated by pointing out it is Rimoka Housing, not town council who is the lead agency looking after the proposal.
Ibbotson said MLA Joe Anglin encouraged council to be more active when he attended a meeting in September of last year.
“After he told us that we spoke with Doug Griffith at the AUMA convention the next month. But he told us we should wait and see what would come back from the beauricrats and simply let the process unfold. He said any issues would be communicated to the Rimoka Housing Foundation.”
Council was questioned about demolishing a skateboard park without setting up a new one.
Pankiw said the skateboard park issues was brought often while he was out campaigning and, if elected, he would take action to ensure one was set up.
“Our youth are our future,” he said. “I would utilize stakeholders such as the Lions and the Kinsmen to help make it happen.”
But Coun. Gayle Rondeel said the recreation board is discussing the issue.
“The skateboarders themselves are awesome, but nobody wants a skateboard park in their neighborhood.”
The town’s sale of effluent to EnCana for $400,000 was questioned, but candidate Jaycox said he had no problem with it.
“I don’t see a reason for not getting rid of effluent.”
But Karroll criticized the practice saying referring to the water in the fourth cell of the lagoon as effluent is no different than saying the water in the Blindman River is effluent.
Coun. Paul Payson defended the snow removal in Rimbey, noting it was satisfactory.
“In Edmonton where I used to live, snow removal was called spring,” he joked.
Enar Olsen, the youngest candidate in the forum, appeared to have no trouble thinking on his feet when asked to come up with three things he would do to improve the town, if elected.
“More youth (programs) and store fronts filled,” he said, immediately. After some hesitation, he added “(improved) snow removal.”
Coun. Jack Webb listed maintaining infrastructure, a new seniors’ lodge and youth programs as his three top priorities.
Accusations disguised as questions about the past which still seems to be littered with anger and distrust were often brought to the floor during the two-hour forum.
“When will this deep distrust be over? questioned someone in the audience. “When will you bury the hatchet?”
“I don’t find deep distrust in this community,” said Coun. Gayle Rondeel. “Communication is a two-way street. I am always at coffee with council where we are all there to discuss things. Yes, we really need to address issues, but it takes two to make it work. Do we have room for improvement? Yes, we do, but together we can make it work.”