Chris Clegg
South Peace News

Less than two weeks after five members of High Prairie town council suspended two of their own for violations regarding Code of Conduct and proper council procedure, none are responding to an ongoing violation including the entire council of the 2012 Harold Johnsrude Report.

The Johnsrude Report was presented to council to advise them how to properly run municipal government after concerns were raised by the public regarding council conduct and procedure.

Mayor Brian Panasiuk and all six councillors: Donna Deynaka, John Dunn, Sacha Martens, Judy Stenhouse, James Waikle and Therese Yacychyn, were advised of violation of Recommendation 43 by

South Peace News June 11. None have provided an explanation for their actions as of press deadline June 16.

The violation regards the presentation of written reports at council meetings which council has clearly violated the entire term since the municipal election Oct. 18, 2021. Written reports are encouraged to provide accountability and transparency to the public.

Recommendation 43 reads as follows: “Reporting by councillors on events attended should address specific issues and be provided on the council agenda in written form for future reference. Clause 3.3 of the Councillor Honorarium Policy should be amended to specify ‘written’ reports.”

In the report, Johnsrude writes the reasons for the recommendation.

“Professional development is important and the key word is ‘development’; development of the councillor who attended the event to enhance the development of council and the Town. The (Town of High Prairie) Procedure Bylaw does not require councillors to provide written reports of their activities as a councillor between council meetings. If written reports are not provided, there should not be an expectation to have a record in the minutes. Attendance at events authorized by council should have an added responsibility. Councillors should provide a summary of the topics and issues in written form with references for councillors who did not attend to access at a later date.”

Written reports have almost been totally non-existent in the agenda package since the election as ordered by Johnsrude.

Mayor and council did not respond to the question why written reports are not provided and if they would be in the future.

In addition, on July 24, 2018, town council amended its Procedural Bylaw not requiring mayor and councillors to provide written reports. The bylaw suggested verbal and/or written reports are to be provided, in contravention to the Johnsrude Report which clearly orders written reports. Nothing has occurred since to comply with the report.

At the July 24, 2018 meeting, Councillor Donna Deynaka opposed only verbal reports. Yet, she does not regularly provide written reports at many meetings to this day. Deynaka was asked why. She did not respond.

Meanwhile, Panasiuk was quoted as follows: “I encourage everyone to send in written reports.”

But written reports from Panasiuk are also very rare, contrary to what he suggested in 2018.

Before the July 24, 2018 meeting, it was common for Deynaka, Panasiuk and Councillor Debbie Rose to provide written reports whereas the rest of council did not.

The SAGE report presented to council June 3 wrote the following on page 98: “Members shall respect the Town as an institution, its bylaws, policies and procedures and shall encourage public respect for the Town, its bylaws, policies and procedures.”

However, the procedural bylaw is against the recommendation in the Johnsrude Report deeming it improper and invalid in regard to providing regular written reports. Current members of council (Deynaka and Panasiuk) are not responding to why they chose to violate the report in 2018.

Council suspended Martens and Stenhouse June 3 from all committees until the end of the year for violating policy. Deynaka and Panasiuk were two of the five who voted in favor of an investigation (Dunn, Waikle and Yacyshyn were the others) and subsequent penalties. They also spent over $17,000 to date on the SAGE report to investigate the matter.

There was never an investigation in regard to violation of the Johnsrude Report.