I would suggest you verify information you obtain before presenting it as fact in your stories. I have always been under the impression that responsible reporting went beyond quoting anything that was told to a reporter, but included a requirement to at least verify the validity of a source. In your story in Friday’s issue, you included the following:
“‘This is far from the first time that there have been unusual dealings within the town offices,’ said Kvemo. ‘A similar thing happened three years ago, when the town sold a fourplex to the outgoing CAO for $10,000. It wasn’t in top shape, but great shape. Two of the units could have been moved into the next day. It was a fabulous parting gift. This has been going on for years.’”
I moved to Faro in April of 2005 as the finance officer for the town, and submitted a successful bid to purchase the property in question from Yukon Housing in December of 2005 after they had put it up for tender.
The tender was publicly advertised and available to everybody. I learned of it from the bulletin board at the store, and was never contacted at the town office by anyone from Yukon Housing soliciting bids or providing privileged information.
I did become the CAO for the town at the end of January, 2006, and remained there until June of 2008 when my wife and I returned to Alberta for family and professional reasons.
To say the units were in great shape is a stretch. All units required work, including hot water heater and appliance replacements, furnace and plumbing work, flooring replacement and interior painting.
They were not ready for occupancy until April 2006, when the first unit was rented out to my daughter and family who were moving to the Yukon at the time, and were the principle reason I purchased the units in the first place.
Yes, I got a good deal on the properties, but that deal was available to anyone that was interested in them and was willing to put in a bid.
I am highly disappointed in this display of shoddy and unprofessional reporting. Please get your facts straight the next time you prepare an article, and avoid telling a story based largely on quotes from a single individual.
Hermann Minderlein, corporate services manager
Clear Hills County, Alberta