The RM of Ritchot held a regularly scheduled council meeting on April 5, 2022. Mayor Chris Ewen was not in attendance as he was in Regina on business with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.
A first and second reading was given to bylaw 3-2022, governing the use of municipal resources in an election. This bylaw is required by the Municipal Act in order to establish the rules and procedures for the use of municipal resources during the 42-day period before a general election or by-election.
CAO Mitch Duval explained to council that this bylaw is intended “to ensure that all candidates, not only the incumbents, have a fair and equal playing field when campaigning.”
Duval further explained that he had a concern regarding how the bylaw should be enforced, as it might require a staff member to reprimand the person who may well become their boss after the election.
He reached out to the province on this matter but was not given information that he considered to be helpful. He then contacted Ritchot’s legal counsel, who drafted a document setting out in more detail the rules candidates must follow and the consequences if they do not.
Duval says that he would like to see the Provincial Offenses Act used to enforce this bylaw.
“That way if somebody does something wrong and is subject to a fine, any appeals would have to go to the provincial courts,” Duval said. “It takes the responsibility out of the hands of employees and staff and doesn’t leave us in that precarious position.”
The bylaw was approved by all four councillors.
Next on the agenda was a conditional use permit for the development of nine lots at 1181 Habitant Road in Ile-des-Chênes. The permit was unanimously approved, pending some standard conditions. Among the conditions was a stipulation that the shed on the property be removed before construction begins. The developer requested some leeway on the timing of this and council agreed to allow the developer to begin construction as long as they removed the shed by August 31.
Council then discussed a $7,500 contribution given to the municipality by the Association des Municipalites Bilingues (Association of Bilingual Municipalities). According to the letter sent to Duval, this annual contribution is to be used to “support the gradual improvement of its organizational infrastructure for the delivery of municipal services in both official languages.”
Duval says that anyone coming into the municipality’s administration office in St. Adolphe can already be served in either language, but he hopes to use these funds to ensure that all materials, both paper and online, are available in French and English.