Council voted unanimously Sept. 6 to send Mayor Dennis Fenske and city manager Gary Ceppetelli to a meeting of Northern Manitoba mayors in The Pas Sept. 12 but not before some questions about attendance costs and whether the other mayors would return the favour by attending a meeting in Thompson down the line.
The cost for Fenske and Ceppetelli to attend was $260.
“I’d like to see our mayor invite the rest of the mayors from other cities to come discuss with us as well,” said Coun. Duncan Wong. “We have an industry closure so I’d like to see them coming here to help us, too. Secondly, is Gary Ceppetelli going to charge overtime for going?”
Fenske said he was the one who called for the meeting and that the location was chosen because The Pas has been hit hard lately by the Tolko’s announcement that it would be closing its sawmill and paper-making operations in the town, followed by news that the casino on Opaskwayak Cree Nation is looking to relocate in a couple of years.
“As leaders of our individual communities and as the leader of the largest community in the north I took the initiative to ask the mayors and also Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson from MKO (Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak) who made comment in regard to the Tolko closure and also to Reg Meade, who’s the chair of the Northern Association of Community Councils, to attend the meeting with the intent of discussing the strategy that the six of us would work together with our councils in asking for a meeting with Premier [Brian] Pallister to discuss the economic future of the north.”
The mayor added Ceppetelli would be paid under the same terms that any other non-unionized city employee would if required to work outside of normal working hours.
“The thing is, the port [of Churchill] closure, it cost us thousands of dollars to support that,” said Wong. “Here is another $260 plus overtime, whatever it costs, I don’t know, it’s not written here. We are going out to support others with the taxpayers’ money.”
“The location was based on the most recent announcement and the effect of the Tolko closure and the pending movement of the casino on OCN out of the Pas,” Fenske said. “In supporting a fellow community and council and mayor it was appropriate to meet in that location. I would assume that as we move forward with our economic impact that we will be having meetings in Thompson to deal with the northern economic development in our region so I would believe that the meetings will move around.”
Wong said he accepted Fenske’s explanation and went on to vote in favour of the mayor and city manager attending as did all the other councillors present.
