Council Highlights February 9th, 2017

MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87

COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS February 8, 2017

Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!

 

October 16 is Election Day – There will be a Municipal Election in Alberta on October 16. Nomination Day has been set as September 18. Candidates wishing to collect donations for their campaigns, must complete a form from Municipal Affairs, which can be found on the ministry’s website at www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca. Candidate packages for anyone wishing to run for a position on Council in the M.D. will be available in April or May.

Council appointed Esther Quiambao as Returning Officer for the M.D. Council also agreed to move to an electronic voting system, which should improve efficiency of voting, as well as fewer spoiled ballots.

 

Kinosoo Ridge Update – February is officially the month of celebration of Kinosoo’s 35^th season. So far, the hill has hosted the two-day Blizzard Blast – a Nancy Greene Race Series and Ride & Slide – a free event hosted by the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing. The main event – SnöJuhla – will be held February 18-20. It will include live music, DJs, ice slide and sculptures, and friendly on-hill competitions. Tickets are available online at www.kinosoo.ca.

 

Ag and Waste Update – The Coyote and Wolf program has seen 609 coyotes and 15 wolves brought in during the last four months. Director Matt Janz said there was one case of cattle predation at the end of January, with the farmer choosing to set snares to protect the rest of the herd. The program ends March 31. The Bonnyville Seed Cleaning Plant AGM will be held February 16 – location to be announced. The bin site at Birch Grove has been removed after continual abuse by its users. Janz said the site will continue to be monitored.

 

Public Safety Update – School Resource Officers continue to be busy with drop-ins, school visits and 28 program sessions, including Right Choices at Nelson Heights, Pine Meadows, and Cold Lake Middle School, and CSI at St. Dominic’s. Officers dealt with a number of dog complaints, particularly in Wards 1 and 6. Peace Officers also manned five roadblocks while School Resource Officers did a sweep of schools during an investigation of a reported child abduction in Bonnyville. The incident ended up being a misunderstanding.

 

Transportation and Utilities Update – Council agreed to award the tender for the Gurneyville Road Surface project to E-Construction for a project total of $6,365,370.75 including surveying, engineering and contingencies. The project had been budgeted at $8 million in the 2017 Interim Budget. Council agreed to award the tender for the Ardmore Phase 5 Surface Works to Knelsen Sand and Gravel Ltd. for a project total of $2,119,028.25 including surveying, engineering and contingencies. The project was budgeted at $3 million in the 2017 Interim Budget. Council agreed to pay up to $255,000 to replace 121 metres of underground services in Ardmore before the scheduled base paving this spring. Brushing crews are continuing to clean up sight lines around intersections throughout the M.D. Director Darcy Zelisko said the winter gravel haul is going well, with about 133,000 tonnes in the yard so far. The Franchere Bridge repairs have been put on hold due to the delay in receiving materials for the repairs.

 

q#6 Planning and Development Update – Council defeated Bylaw 1655 to close and lease a government road allowance west of SW-18-59-7-W4M after receiving three letters of opposition from residents who use the road allowance to look after fence lines and leased lands. Council gave first reading to Bylaw 1656, renewing leases for a number of parcels by various ratepayers. However, they held off on second and third readings, as they requested a review of the $5 per acre cost to lease the land. The month-end value of development permits for January is $158,950. There were no new housing starts in the first month of the year. However, the department did receive 10 development permits (nine residential and one industrial), 48 plumbing, gas, sewer and electrical permits and five applications for subdivision.

 

Fire Guardians for 2017 – Council agreed to appoint Brian McEvoy, Jay Melvin, Irene Welecki, George Kostiniuk, Bob Highberg, Rollie Inman and Dwight Retzlaff as Fire Guardians for 2017. The following Station Chiefs have also been appointed as Fire Guardians: Walter Smyl, Dan Amalia, Gordon Graves, Darryl Shyian, Dana Swigart, Cordell Ackert and Al Donald. Keep an eye on www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca for Fire Guardian contact information in advance of the start of Wildfire Season on March 1.

 

Funding Support – Council passed a motion to provide the Bonnyville Ag Society with its 2017 operating grant of $20,000.

 

Briefly – Council agreed to sponsor two teams in the March 11 Pyrogy Bonspiel in Glendon at $100 each. Public Safety is waiting to hear back from the provincial government about a grant for a Rural Community Crime Watch program. The grant announcement will not be made until after the provincial budget is passed in April. The March 22 Council meeting will be cancelled due to the spring AAMDC (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties) conference.

 

For more information, contact Diane Jenkinson, Marketing and Communications Manager at 780-826-3171. Our website is a useful way to get the information you need. Visit: www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @MDBville.