Graham Long, Free Press
Drayton Valley and Brazeau County look to be moving toward arbitration to resolve outstanding issues between the two municipalities.
The Town and the County were engaged in a mediation process throughout March in an attempt to come to a mutually agreeable resolution which would lead to the creation of an Intermunicipal Development Plan and an Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework, both of which are required by the province.
A joint press release on the issue was sent out at 5:44 p.m. April 1. The timing of the release, at a point when both municipal offices had closed for the four-day Easter weekend, has often been used by government and other organizations as an attempt to bury what might be considered negative news. However, the wording of the press release is upbeat.
“Brazeau County and the Town of Drayton Valley have agreed to move forward in a collaborative and productive manner that will best serve the greater community,” it reads. “The County and the Town have agreed it may be necessary to engage an arbitrator with respect to any questions outstanding between the municipalities.”
According to Alberta Municipal Affairs, a mediator “helps the parties communicate and negotiate more efficiently and … resolve their issue of come to a mutually agreeable solution.”
Arbitration, on the other hand, takes things considerably further and removes any need for agreement between the two municipalities.
“Arbitration is a quasi-judicial process in which a third party renders a decision after hearing evidence from all involved. The decision is binding on all parties,” according to Municipal Affairs
Last month’s mediation sessions were held in private and the minutes are not publicly available. However, the County’s records show that its council held eight special meetings in March to receive mediation updates and to discuss progress.
In last week’s media release Reeve Bart Guyon said “County council looks forward to the next step in this process to arrive at a fair resolution in the interests of all residents. The progress we’ve made together so far is a positive sign for the future.”
Drayton Valley Mayor Michael Doerksen took a similarity positive viewpoint.
“The Town of Drayton Valley looks forward to a collaborative solution that will best serve our residents,” he said. “The interest of our community is top of mind, and making use of an arbitrator will ensure we are moving forward in the most constructive way possible.”
There is no indication which areas progress has been made in and which issues are still outstanding. One major point of contention between the County and the Town has been the funding of joint recreation facilities, the majority of which are operated by the Town but funded by both municipalities. The County recently moved to cut its share of funding by more than 50 percent.
