Town of St. Paul council has voted to essentially revert back to an older amended version of the Parks and Recreation Bylaw, which will bring back a position on the board specifically set aside for the St. Paul & District Agricultural Society.
When the previous town council made changes to the bylaw, it removed the Ag Society as a mandatory member on the board. At the time, Ag Society President Andre Chamberland spoke out about the change, which was not well-received by the organization.
Chamberland, along with other members of the St. Paul Ag Society, had approached council in February of 2017 to express their displeasure with the fact that the new bylaw removed the requirement for the Ag Society to have mandatory representation on the town’s Parks and Recreation board.
Council moved ahead with the change, and approved the changes to the bylaw at a March 2017 meeting, without further discussion.
The structure of the old bylaw also had four members at large from the town and two members at large from the count. One of those positions will held by an Ag Society member. It was noted that the Ag Society has members from both the town and county.
The board also includes two representatives from town council, and two representatives from county council, making for a total of 10 members. A portion of the bylaw that stated a person would be disqualified from the board if they became an employee of the town or county was also struck from the document.
At least week's council meeting, Coun. Nathan Taylor inquired about why the Ag Society would be guaranteed a position on the board.
In response, CAO Kim Heyman pointed to the "huge economic impact" that the Ag Society has on the community, along with the town having to coordinate with the Ag Society of large events, such as the Lakeland Rodeo Association (LRA) finals.
Having an Ag Society member on the Parks and Recreation board saves "a huge amount of time," and makes information readily available.
Following the discussions, Taylor made a motion to approve first reading of the bylaw. Second reading was also carried. The changes will now go before the County of St. Paul prior to a third reading being done.
In an unrelated item on the April 9 agenda, it was noted that negotiations have started for the next three-year commitment (2019, 2020, 2021) to host the LRA finals in St. Paul. A request for the use of the town's facilities during the September long weekend event was made by the Ag Society, and carried, as per previous years.
