Town of St. Paul council voted to give $5,000 to the St. Paul Childcare Society for building renovations at its meeting on Oct. 24.
In a letter signed by bookkeeper/administrator Lorette Andersen, Mayor Glenn Andersen’s wife, and agency coordinator Lori Stokes, the Childcare Society had asked for financial support.
The letter blamed many of the necessary renovations on “negligence” of the Boys and Girls Club, the previous tenant before moving the daycare to its 50 Avenue location, and listed windows, painting, broken light switches and covers, drywall damage and floor damage. A subsequent inspection indicated the society would need other upgrades to the outside deck and the electrical system, with the total estimated at around $26,000.
Coun. Ken Kwiatkowski made the motion to fund $5,000, the amount needed to keep the society out of its overdraft, supported by Coun. Danny White.
“The feedback I’m getting is, ‘why are you bailing them out’?” said Coun. Don Padlesky. “One guy said, ‘if my business starts to shrink, can I come see the town to help me out’?” Padlesky said he would support funding playground equipment, but, “anything to do with the building, people have a hard time digesting.”
“I don’t feel we should support in upkeeping a building,” said Coun. Pat Gratton, noting that the financial statement shows the society to be a viable business. Coun. Gary Ward said he did not support the motion.
Kwiatkowski said he did not see a difference between the society and other groups that have received funding from the town.
Andersen abstained, as required by the Municipal Government Act (MGA) when a pecuniary interest is present. After surveying council, the mayor advised councillors on the vote.
“I just want to caution you guys that this does impact a lot of people in the community, and it is young people and parents,” said Andersen. “Just so you know, this decision is going to come back … If that place closes down, it does impact all these people with day homes and daycare.
“I’m just advising you on this decision.”
Padlesky remained the lone councillor to stick to his guns among councillors who had stated they did not support it before the mayor’s advice. In a recorded vote, both Ward and Gratton voted in favour with White and Kwiatkowski.
The mayor’s speech helped put the request in perspective, said Ward after the meeting, calling the request “nothing out of the ordinary.” The donation went to a “good cause,” he added.
In her presentation to council at the previous meeting, society president Barb Buryn did not say the future of the society would be jeopardized by a denial of funding. The society could use its overdraft to cover the cost, she said.
The MGA says a councillor has a pecuniary interest if “the councillor knows or should know that the matter could monetarily affect the councillor’s family.” Many councils often have council members leave the room during a vote or discussion if a conflict of interest is noted, but is not required by the MGA.
According to the MGA, a council member with a pecuniary interest may partake in the discussion leading up to a vote as a taxpayer, a concerned citizen or an owner of a business, but not as a council member, said Jerry Ward, public affairs officer with Municipal Affairs, when contacted by the Journal.
After the meeting, Andersen said if the issue were contentious he would have left the room, but did not feel the conflict of interest was “that big” because his wife is “just a bookkeeper who works there.”
He said he advised council on the motion because “I wanted to make sure they think through it and make sure they make a good decision,” rather than have people come back with criticism after the decision. “I’m not trying to sway anybody’s vote.”
The Town has a total donation fund of $40,000 a year, which it parcels out to groups that request funding.
“The reason we put this aside is that … with the MSI being changed, MLA Ray Danyluk usually refers a lot of people to us when they come to look for funding” and do not qualify for other funding, said Boisvert.
Boisvert presented a list of donations made to date at a total of $28,940. The list includes $500 to the St. Paul Education scholarship program, $1,000 to Cystic Fibrosis and the Lakeland MS Society, $3,000 to the Community Garden Society, $5,000 to Racette Junior High School Students’ Union, $10,000 to Conseil Scolaire Centre-Est for playground equipment, $100 to P.A.R.T.Y., $500 to St. Paul Senior Citizens Club, $5,000 to Ukrainian Dance Club, $250 to the Food Bank, $500 for the Sunnyside handivan and $2,090 to Slave Lake disaster relief.
