Coun. Blake Edwards (left) and Ted Zurakowski during a February council meeting. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

COVID-19

Councillors explain meeting walk-out

Mar 24, 2020 | 6:01 PM

The two Prince Albert city councillors who walked out of a council meeting Monday while discussing a local COVID-19 response, are sharing their reasoning.

Their early departures led to the meeting having to be abandoned as there were not enough council members to proceed. A further three councillors did not attend the meeting.

Speaking on Tuesday, Coun. Blake Edwards told paNOW during the closed in-camera council session held before the public meeting on Monday night, councillors were briefed that city administration was researching the impact of COVID-19 on the city and residents.

“What we all should have taken from that in-camera discussion is that any decision that may impact the finances of the city should not be made immediatly,” he explained.

Edwards said as he watched one councillor bring various motions to the floor, all of which failed to get a seconder, he felt it amounted to grandstanding.

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“I left in frustration because those motions should not have been forwarded at that time. Could we discuss some of those ideas at a later date when we know the impact COVID-19 is having on our city? But last night was not the time,” he said.

Edwards said it was not his intention to force the meeting to stop, he simply wanted to leave “prior to [him] saying anything that could have negatively hurt the council itself.”

paNOW also reached out to Coun. Ted Zurakowski, who left the meeting before Edwards.

“I had to step out and make a family phonecall,” he said.

He stressed citizens should be assured councillors will do the hard work needed to deal with the pandemic.

“It’s important that people understand that this city council will be there to deal with the issues that impact them on COVID-19,” he said.

Zurakowski posted a statement on Facebook.

At time of publishing Edwards did not post a public statement.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom