Andrew Village employee apologizes for conduct during Feb. council meeting

BY JANA SEMENIUK

During the Mar. 8 Andrew Village Council meeting, village staff member and wife of Village Councillor Benny Dubitz, Carol Dubitz, read a letter of apology to the council and gallery stemming from an incident during the Feb. 8 council meeting where a public altercation occurred between her and a resident.

In her apology letter, Dubitz, who mans the counter for the Duck Stop in the village office, described helping the council set up on Feb. 8 to move the council meeting from their chambers into the multipurpose room. The move was to accommodate a large number of residents who came to sit in the gallery.

She said one of the res- idents told her where she was supposed to be and what she was supposed to be doing. The resident said it was because ‘they are a resident and they pay Dubitz’ wages’.

Dubitz said a confrontation ensued and she went outside to calm down and avoid another confrontation when the resident followed her.

“I got upset and told (the resident) off which I know is wrong but I had lost my temper,” she said, adding another resident commented that Dubitz’s behaviour was disrespectful.

“In conclusion, I did lose my temper and I apologize for my actions.”

Dubitz said the next day she spoke with Chief Administrative Officer Tim Melnyk to explain what happened.

“I explained to Tim that I believe people in this village don't have the right to approach workers or belittle them in the public, or to take advantage because they live in the village,” she said. “But this is harassment to the village worker, and needs to be dealt with.”

Meanwhile, CAO Melnyk added to the list of bullying infractions by commenting on more harassment he said he has received from a resident.

“We have an anti-bullying bylaw that states that (the resident) can’t come in here and do what they did. They not only bullied my employees, but they bullied the mayor, bullied me and bullied a lot of people here in that meeting (Feb. 8),” he said, adding the resident emailed 21 separate complaints to him in the space of one day.

“I’ve been defending myself and I’m up to my neck,” he said.

“I now have a (personal) lawyer and if they are going to continue harassing it won’t be a good outcome for them.”

As Melnyk concluded, one by one the residents in the gallery held their hands up to show him their support.

“You have our support,” said one.

“Absolutely,” chimed in another while yet one more resident said, “I think you are doing an excellent job.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Merwin Haight said a planned municipal inspection will be addressing issues such as their meeting minutes, meeting procedures in addition to their outdated bylaws.

A date has not yet been scheduled for the upcoming inspection.

Drahomanow Literary Society urges County to reconsider recreation area funding

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Members of the Drahomanow Literary Society (which includes the Moscow Hall and the recreation area) President Jim Zuk, along with members Virginia Budinsky and John Chomiak, made a passionate plea to the Lamont County Council, during the council’s regular meeting Mar. 14.

The group wanted Council to reinstate $8,000 in annual donation funding for upkeep of the recreation area.

The board still receives $2,000 per year in grant funding for the hall but was cut off from the recreation area donation funding in 2022 without explanation.

In an addendum submitted to the county council, Chomiak reiterated a portion of the council’s letter advising them of the decision to deny the donation funding.

“(On) Sept. 20, 2022, (the) letter to Drahomanow, to no one’s attention, from Mr. Rodney Boyko (Lamont County Chief Financial Officer) stated, ‘As a result of Council’s resolution, please be advised that Drahomanow Literary Society will not be receiving the $8,000 donation for the year 2022’.

The norm in a professional setting is to pro- vide a reason for the decline, however this was not the case,” said Chomiak.

The council’s motion was made during the Sept. 13, 2022 council meeting where, in a recorded vote, the only councillor against the motion to remove Drahomanow from the 2022 donation funding was Councillor Daniel Warawa.

Deputy Reeve Neil Woitas said, in a later interview, removing Drahomanow’s donation funding was a decision made according to feedback from ratepayers in addition to financial pressure from oil and gas companies who have not