by Tristan Turner
After receiving correspondence from the Community Futures Tawatinaw Region Board that they will not be appointing Schaun Goodeve, Morinville’s Economic Development Manager, to their board, Deputy Mayor Dafoe noted he found the decision “distasteful.”
Community Futures’ chairperson, Peggy Laing, said in the letter that the decision to reject Goodeve was “in order to allow municipalities who have not been previously represented the opportunity to strengthen and expand our partnerships.”
Dafoe commented that Council has long served on the Board and that he is “completely shocked that there no longer is a place for Morinville at the table when we have given service to this organization for seven years, which pays zero toward the costs of us having someone there… to suddenly find that there is no more room at the inn is distasteful, frankly.”
After the letter was received, Dafoe made a motion arising to send a letter back to the board and Western Economic Diversification (Community Futures’ parent organization) noting Council’s disappointment at the decision. This motion passed unanimously, with Mayor Barry Turner noting that “as the largest urban municipality served by this board, we certainly deserve a seat at that table.”
Following response to Community Futures, Dafoe proposes Morinville develops their own business programs
Shortly afterwards, Dafoe presented an information request to get Goodeve to examine the possibility of Morinville developing their own “made in Morinville” business education courses in response to what local businesses have asked for in a recent Town of Morinville Business survey.
The Community Futures’ board currently serves Morinville in offering business courses for residents and business owners in Morinville, but Dafoe felt that Goodeve could potentially develop tailor-made courses to Morinville’s needs, potentially replacing the Tawatinaw courses.
Goodeve responded saying it would be possible, particularly after a recent economic development survey. Dafoe’s motion specifically requested that Goodeve come forward with a list of options for business courses to be offered in Morinville (both in-house and as contracted services), and until council can decide on these proposals, to not move ahead with any commitments to participate in Tawatinaw’s programming.
Dafoe’s motion passed unanimously.
