oilandlandowner.ca
*Note* Letters to
Welcome and thank you for visiting this site. I hope to provide an insight into what really goes on within the Municipal Government and Administration of the Ponoka County. Information is posted without prejudice and reflects my personal experience with the Ponoka County Government and Administration. Letters may be edited for propriety.
My name is Aubrey and I have been a resident of the Ponoka County for nearly 30 years.
Before I get into a very serious issue about the way the
Ponoka County has handled a development permit in my neighbourhood, I must show
you the latest. The Ponoka County has decided that my “Happy Face” windmill is a
sign and is in contravention of County Bylaw 7-08-LU. (most recent land use
bylaw). The County has chosen to sic the
lawyers upon me and threaten a fine of up to 500.00 dollars plus 200.00 dollars
per day for non-compliance if I do not remove my (sign??). Is my “sign” that
degrading to the neighbourhood or could this be a vindictive response to my
speaking out against what I believe to possibly be an illegal development
permit?
Comments: Contact aubrey@oilandlandowner.ca
Decorative, Ornamental
Windmill. Turns in the wind.
One side is blue. The other
side is yellow.
They don’t like these either
******************************************************
December 2008
It has been brought to my attention
that at the September 9, 2008 Ponoka County Council meeting, a request was made
to Council and agreed to unanimously
by Council to redirect my
correspondence away from the County
CAO. I was never notified or ever given any reason for this Council decision.
Note: Copy of Ponoka County Council minutes as follows:
On November
17, 2008 (I had only recently become aware of Ponoka Council’s decision of
September 9, 2008.) I sent letters to each
individual councillor asking them to explain their reasons for their decisions.
As of October 1, 2009, I have had
not had a reply from any of them. I shall assume after this time that a reply
from any of the councilors is not forthcoming.
Ostracized?
Could this be more of a vindictive
response to my speaking out against what I believe to possibly be an illegal
development permit?
********************************************
APPEAL BOARD
Kangaroo Court?
I have been a participant of a
Ponoka County Appeal Board hearing and I speak from first hand experience.
It is the duty and responsibility of
any Appeal Board to provide a totally unbiased view of the circumstances
surrounding the issues they are to make judgment upon.
In the case of the Ponoka County, an
appeal is generally triggered by ratepayer(s) who have concerns over a
development or subdivision decision that has been made by the Ponoka County.
Sometimes, as in my case, I was railroaded into an appeal hearing about a
development in my area that a County decision had not been made upon. I
understand that this does not sound like it makes sense. The issue is so
ludicrous it shall take a little explaining. Hopefully as we proceed you will
understand the fiasco.
The following is the makeup of the
Appeal Board that I experienced.
The Board was made up of three (3)
members.
a) The first member was a current
Ponoka County Councillor.
b) The second member was a former Ponoka
County Councillor and Agricultural Field Man (pensioned) from the Ponoka
County.
c) The third member of the Board was
a “citizen at large” related to a former Ponoka County Councillor.
By Alberta Municipal law, the Appeal
Board has fourteen (14) days to make their decision. This sounds reasonable.
The duty of the Appeal Board is to make their decision solely on facts and
statements brought before the Board at the time of the hearing. They need time to check out and verify the facts.
I was made aware of the Appeal Board
decision within two (2) hours of the hearing. Maybe the decision was made in
thirty (30) minutes or maybe ten (10) minutes or could the decision have been
made before the hearing and the hearing was only a formality?
Reasonable apprehension of
bias?
*****************************************
To all Ponoka
County and surrounding area residents. The following picture and information
are posted without prejudice and are intended to bring attention to how some of
us are treated by our local Municipal Government. In the interest of better
Government and an awareness of what really goes on within our Local County
please forward this message.
Thanks
“WALL OF IGNORANCE”
between its people.
NOTE THE HIDEOUS,
UNSIGHTLY, ILL-CONCEIVED, DIRT BERM COVERED WITH NOXIOUS WEEDS, PLACED (WITH THE BLESSING OF THE PONOKA COUNTY)
NEAR THE END OF A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY LESS THAN 200 FEET FROM THE COUNTY
RESIDENT’S HOME, THEREBY RESTRICTING THE LANDOWNERS WESTERN VIEW AND HIS
ABILITY TO MONITOR HIS OWN FENCELINE AND CATTLE FROM HIS HOME.
MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING aubrey@oilandlandowner.ca
***********************************************
The following letters will give a more in depth version of
some of the carry on that goes on within the Ponoka County that is not
necessarily made readily available to the Public Ratepayers of the County.
As a note of interest the Ponoka County’s
latest posting of Ponoka County Council meeting minutes on the Ponoka County
website was back on May 12, 2009. It is
now January 2010. Why the delay?
The following section is set up in
a format that gives a brief outline or description of the letter or article
that can be viewed by following the link (click on date). Posting shall be for
the most part in order of date with the most recent posting at top.
NOTE: Excepting for a couple of
erroneous letter from the County solicitor, (example being my letter of
November 30, 2009 as noted below) the County has not responded to my
concerns.
Questions or comments: Contact aubrey@oilandlandowner.ca
November
30, 2009 Letter to
November
16, 2009 CC Letter to
November 16R, 2009 C Reminder letter appeal request to Secretary, Development Appeal Board. Note date of original letter.
November 16R, 2009 W Reminder letter development permit to
Development Officer of Ponoka County. Note date of original letter.
May 25, 2009
March 3, 2009 Rescind Development Permit D-08-114.
January 19, 2009 Ratepayers right to know.
August 15, 2008 Denied rights.
Much more to come
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Back to oilandlandowner homepage Contact: aubrey@oilandlandowner.ca