Albury councillor Henk van de Ven has fired back at claims he was the ringleader of a move to make the next stage of works in Wagga Road take more than five months.
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"It appears that this group of traders were given information that was totally incorrect, and that also breached Albury Council's code of conduct, in that some of the information circulated was confidential," Cr van de Ven said in the letter he also sent to The Border Mail.
"In the email I have that was circulating among the Wagga Road traders, they were all exhorted to 'surprise these clowns by turning up in large numbers to oppose the motion and make sure they understand their jobs are at risk if they continue along this path'.
"As it turned out, the extraordinary council meeting was not required."
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Cr van de Ven also confirmed, in his open letter, he would be standing in the council election next year and queried how many of the Wagga Road traders who would benefit from the $4.3 million facelift would also be seeking a spot on the council.
He said he had empathy for the traders and the disruption caused by roadworks and cited his own personal experience in the early 1990s when Young Street was upgraded.
"The RTA, in their pre works consultation with businesses and residents around minimising disruption, committed to staging the works one block at a time, six blocks in all," he said.
"I arrived at work one Monday morning to see that there was one excavator on each block, already ripping up the pavement on each block.
"The following eight months were a nightmare."
Cr van de Ven said "extensive consultation" between council staff, traders and successful contractor Excell Gray Bruni would take place in the new year about minimising disruption during the works period.
"Council staff acknowledge that the previous stage of the Wagga Road beautification could have been better handled, as far as consulting with affected businesses and residents was concerned, and they are determined to make sure that those lessons have been learned," he said.
