NewRock Requests Retraction About Comments Made At Council

By Robert Thomas

A Medicine Hat based developer is not happy with comments made about it and reported about it from the October 24, 2022 Council meeting.

Comments NewRock said in a letter were one-sided, were not accurate, hurt the company's reputation and almost cost it sales at its development on South Hill.

NewRock's letter was written in response to an October 24, 2022 presentation to Council and media reports based upon it.

At the October 24, 2022 Council meeting David Paxton, president of the condo board The Estates At Creekstone, appeared at Council asking for help with a drainage problem inside their private condo development.

The Condo board had approached Council to allow them to solve a smelly drainage problem on the development by allowing the water from two sump pumps to be redirected down the sanitary sewer instead of onto the street.

A request which was denied.

Paxton painted a picture to Council that could be interpreted the developer, NewRock, had left the condo owners in a financial lurch and responsible for major costs to repair drainage problems in the private development.

NewRock felt the presentation to and comments made by Council were both one-sided, ill informed and did not paint an accurate picture of what had transpired.

NewRock had followed the rules and were prepared to work with residents to repair any problems, they wrote.

But given the length of time since NewRock had handed the property over to the condo board the repairs would not be for free.

NewRock claimed the subsequent “bad press” had harmed their reputation and demanded the City have two local media sources - Discover Moose Jaw and the Moose Jaw Express - publish a retraction to stories they wrote about Paxton's appearance at Council.

“Not only has the “bad press” damaged our reputation, it has created some panic amongst our clients and purchasers, and of note, 2 homeowners have since tried to cancel their new home purchases,” NewRock wrote in a letter to Council.

Representatives for NewRock did not attend Council.

NewRock's letter pointed out the development had been turned over to the condo board in 2017 and since then three condo boards had been elected.

NewRock had met with the first two condo boards about the issue and had worked to find a solution with them but the third elected condo board, chaired by Mr Paxton, had gone straight to Council without first speaking to the developer NewRock's letter claimed.

In their letter NewRock stated “a substantial amount of consultation has been done with the previous two condo boards to address issues to the active sump pumps and site water.”

NewRock stated they understood Council felt the emotion of the October 24, 2022 presentation but Council nevertheless needed to look at the other side of the issue - the total picture - and request story retraction from both the Moose Jaw Express and Discover Moose Jaw about what was reported as said at the meeting.

A full copy of the letter to Council is below.

Council Discussion

It was an apologetic Council on Monday evening compared to the October 24, 2022 meeting where the Condo Board appeared.

City manager Jim Puffalt told Council NewRock felt the information Council received at the October 24, 2022 meeting did not tell 100 percent of both sides of the story.

“They (NewRoçk) felt the information was not 100 percent on both sides so they wanted to share more of an explanation with us,” Puffalt said.

Director of planning Michell Sanson pointed out NewRock had claimed the present Condo Board had not approached NewRock prior to appearing at Council.

“They wanted to make it known they are willing to working with the condo owners. They worked with previous boards and came up with some solutions. And actually implemented one (solution) and paid for it out of their cost,” Sanson said.

She said NewRock would assist in a solution but it would be at the cost of the condo association.

Council was apologetic for comments they had made at the October 24, 2022 meeting about NewRock and the condo board's presentation.

Councillor Heather Eby apologized for comments she made at the October meeting.

“After reading the letter from NewRock I would like to apologize to NewRock for the negative press that they got following that meeting,” Councillor Eby said.

At the October 24, 2022 Council meeting she had stated the City should not be responsible for the drainage concerns but it should fall squarely on NewRock's shoulders.

Councillor Eby went on to state it was “a reminder to myself this is what happens when we get one side if the story only. And there is always two and sometimes three (sides to a story).”

She stated when she heard from a larger group of people she could “get caught up in the emotion of the presenters and forget there is another side (to the story).”

Councillor Eby said she appreciated NewRock's letter as it showed the steps the developer had taken to follow the rules and rectify problems Council or she was not 100 percent aware of.

Speaking after the motion to receive and file Councillor Crystal Froese said she had spoken prior to the meeting with members of the Condo Board and had thought they had already spoken to NewRock.

“When I went out to take a look at it they (said) they had spoken to the developer but obviously that was previous boards,” Councillor Froese said, adding “I think that is where maybe the mixup of communication came from. I was kind of assuming they had already talked to them (NewRock).”

Councillor Froese said she apologized to NewRock “I meant no disrespect whatsoever.”

As a motion to receive and file the letter was made - meaning no further action would be taken - Councillor Kim Robinson pointed out NewRock had wanted more than to tell their side of the story to Council.

NewRock had wanted the City to have local media retract their stories about what was said at the October 24, 2022 Council meeting.

“He’s asked us for a correction, comment or retraction from what he termed uninformed and irresponsible comments. Is that something we should consider putting in the local paper or asking our media to correct those comment?” Councillor Robinson asked.

City manager Puffalt said before such action was taken the tape of the Council meeting needed to be reviewed because the media may have gotten the story wrong.

“…to see what we did say at the City that may have been reported…and go from there…sometimes media will report and not have been 100 percent (on what was) said at the Council meeting. Not to disparage anybody…” he said.

Robinson then read a portion of the NewRock letter with direct quotes made at Council from local media reports about the October 24, 2022 presentation.

He said he felt something more needed to be done rather than “just let it go.”

It needs to be noted local media reported what was said at the October 24, 2022 meeting and the City has no control over an independent media outlet for simply reporting an event where both elected and unelected officials spoke.

Council voted unanimously to receive and file the letter.