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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-20 Council (Regular) Minutes COUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL February 20, 2020 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office on Thursday, February 20, 2020 commencing at 11:03 a.m. MEMBERS M. Douglass, Reeve PRESENT: COUNCILLORS: C. Amulung H. Kallen A.M. Philipsen W. Hammergren T. Fyfe K. Christman E. Unruh B, de Jong L. Juss STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services M. Jackson, Supervisor of Planning & Development L. Kuiper, County Planner- ORRSC G. Tiffin, Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering J. Nesbitt, Municipal Enforcement Supervisor M. Fenske, Manager of Finance T. Schroeder, Manager of Operations A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: Sgt. B. McDonald, RCMP - Brooks Cpl. S. Andrews, RCMP - Bassano K. Sieben, Safe Communities Coordinator C. Sturgeon, Brooks Rotary Club R. Gette, Brooks Rotary Club 1. CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 11:03 a.m. 2. EXCUSED FROM MEETING All members were in attendance at this meeting. 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (February 6, 2020) � C-40/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR HUBY KALLEN that the February 6, 2020 Council Meeting minutes be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED Regular Council February 20,2020 4. CALL FOR POST AGENDA ITEMS Reeve M. Douglass called for post agenda items. - 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA C-41/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the agenda be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED 6. QUESTION PERIOD/NOTICE OF MOTION A question period and notice of motion was held. No County Ratepayers were in attendance. 8. DELEGATIONS 8.1 RCMP Quarterly Reports 8.1.4 Safe Communities Committee (K. Sieben) K. Sieben presented the Safe Communities Committee report to Council, providing an overview of initiatives and events. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. It was suggested that K. Sieben contact Grass/ands Regional FCSS and Bassano FCSS to identify opportunities for collaboration. 8.1.2 RCMP - Brooks (Sgt. B. McDonald) Sgt. 8. McDonald presented the Brooks RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. He indicated that the focus for the first quarter of 2020 will be on property crime and that he would be speaking to the ChiefAdministrative Officerregarding the Brooks RCMP Annual Performance Plan. A community consultation session is planned for Brooks at the end of March and another is being considered for the rural area. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Sgt. 8. McDonald responded to questions regarding efforts to prevent copper wire theft. 8.1.3 RCMP - Bassano (Cpl. S. Andrews) Cpl. S. Andrews presented the Bassano RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. He reported that a series of town hall meetings are planned for 2020. The Bassano RCMP is looking to partner with other organizations to focus on mental health awareness and providing information on available services. Cpl. S. Andrews provided an overview of the Bassano RCMP's � priorities for 2020, which are community engagement, safe roads, and rural property crime. Council agreed with the priorities. Cpl. S. Andrews and Sgt. 8. McDonald responded to questions regarding regular patrols and � � how they are recorded. - Page 2 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 8.1.1 Municipal Enforcement(J. Nesbitt) The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor presented the County of Newell Enforcement Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor H. Kallen reported that a motion was passed during the Rural Crime Watch Annual General Meeting requiring memberships to be renewed annually. LEFT THE MEETING Sgt. B. McDonald, Cpl. S. Andrews, J. Nesbitt, and K. Sieben left the meeting at 11:43 a.m. 7. BYLAWS 7.1 Bylaw 1970-20 20 LUA 001 (Ptns. of NW & SE 3-19-14-W4— FR to RI) The County Planner provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-42/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that Bylaw 1970-20, being a bylaw to amend Land Use Bylaw 1892-17 by redesignating approximately 237.59 acres (96.15 hectares) in portions of NW&SE 3-19-14-W4 from FR-Fringe District to RI - Rural Industrial District expressly for the purpose of a commercial solar energy development, be given FIRST reading. MOTION CARRIED C-43/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Bylaw 1970-20 be given SECOND reading. MOTION CARRIED C-44/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that consent be given for Bylaw 1970-20 to receive third reading this 20th day of February, 2020. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY C-45/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that Bylaw 1970-20 be given THIRD and FINAL reading. MOTION CARRIED 7.2 Bylaw 1971-20 Intermunicipal Development Plan (Special Areas) The Supervisor of Planning & Development provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. She suggested removing the last sentence in the paragraph about Agriculture on page 7 to match the wording in the Intermunicipal Development Plan with Cypress County. Council agreed with this amendment. C-46/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Bylaw 1971-20, being a bylawto a an Intermunicipal Development Plan between the Special Areas Board and the Cou y f � Newell, be given FIRST reading as amended. -" MOTION CARRIED Page 3 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 7.3 Bylaw 1977-20 20 LUA 002 (NE 31-15-13-W4 -RB to A) The County Planner provided background information on this item, indicating that it is necessary to split the zoning to accommodate a second dwelling. Discussion on whether to allow a second dwelling on a parcel zoned RB - Rural Business District will be considered for the next round of amendments to the Land Use Bylaw. C-47/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that Bylaw 1977-20, being a bylaw to amend Land Use Bylaw 1892-17 by redesignating approximately 13.97 acres (5.65 hectares) in a portion of Lot 1, Block 1, Pian 9811171 within NE 31-15-13-W4 from RB - Rural Business District to A-Agricultural District, be given FIRST reading. MOTION CARRIED 7.4 Bylaw 1978-20 20 LUA 003 (NW 19-15-15-W4 -A to RB) The County Planner provided background information on this item and responded to guestions from Council. He responded to questions regarding the split zoning process, indicating that the landowner has provided the dividing lines that are appropriate to his use. The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering responded to questions regarding the road, indicating that County gravel roads are maintained for intensive operations. C-48/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that Bylaw 1978-20, being a bylaw to amend Land Use Bylaw 1892-17 by redesignating approximately 3.53 acres (1.43 hectares) in a portion of Lot 1, Block 2, Plan 1712141 within NW 19-15-15-W4 from A -Agricultural District to RB - Rural Business District, be given FIRST reading. MOTION CARRIED LUNCH Council RECESSED at 12:05 p.m. and RECONVENED at 12:57 p.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING C. Sturgeon and R. Gette arrived at 12:57 p.m. 8. DELEGATIONS —continued 8.2 Brooks Rotary Club - Los Amigos Project(C.Sturgeon & R. Gette) C. Sturgeon provided background on the Rotary Club and the Los Amigos project. In 2019, six vehicles were driven to Mexico. He provided an overview of annual statistics and expenses related to the project. The vehicles are donated, and the other expenses are funded through the Rotary Club, government grants, and private donations and sponsorships. The deca/s on the vehicles show the recipients where the vehicles are from. C. Sturgeon provided details of the 2019 trip, indicating that the communities that receive the vehicles are very grateful. The donated vehicles and equipment create a huge positive impact on the communities ' that receive them. C. Sturgeon asked Council to consider the Los Amigos Project when it is time to dispose of eguipment and vehicles. R. Gette provided further Page 4 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 information on equipment donations, such as fire department turnout gear, wheelchairs, and walkers. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. R. Gette responded to questions regarding equipment donations, indicating that the items are mostly emergency gear and items used for social services. He outlined the vehicle maintenance and inspection processes followed before and during delivery of the vehicles, indicating that the Rotary Club is liable until the vehicle is parked at the delivery location. LEFT THE MEETING C. Sturgeon and R. Gette left the meeting at 1:23 p.m. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 9.1 Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework(Special Areas Board) The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-49/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that Council APPROVES the Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework Agreement between the County of Newell and the Special Areas Board as presented. MOTION CARRIED 9.2 Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (Wheatland County) The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-50/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that Council APPROVES the Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework Agreement between the County of Newell and Wheatland County as presented. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING M. Fenske arrived at 1:27 p.m. 9.3 Draft 2019 Financial Statements & Financial Reports The Manager of Finance presented Council with a draft of the 2019 Financial Statements and Report, giving an overview of the highlights. He displayed a chart showing the County's net worth over the past ten years, including financial and non-financial assets. The restricted surplus allows the County to maintain stab/e tax rates over time and address priorities identified in the capital plan. The Manager of Finance noted that the allowance for doubtful accounts as bee increased as there is a risk of not being able to collect taxes from some o�and g i I companies. The Manager of Finance responded to questions from Cou i _ � indicating that the County's net worth has increased and our non-financia assets Page 5 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 provide the support for development to continue with reasonable tax rates. This item was accepted as information. LEFT THE MEETING M. Fenske left the meeting at 1:49 p.m. 9.4 Annual Report Preparation Councillor C. Amulung provided background information on this item, suggesting that staff prepare the departmental reports in the short version of the Annual Report Document. Discussion followed. The Executive Assistant provided further background information including the number of times each of the annual report documents have been accessed online. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Corporate Services indicated that it is important to ensure the information is available online and easy to locate. Discussion followed. C-51/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that Administration stop preparing the short version of the Annual Report document and include the Reeve's Report in the long version of the Annual Report document. MOTION CARRIED 9.5 Appointment of Fire Guardians C-52/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the following individuals be appointed as Fire Guardians: • All Divisions — Stewart Luchies • Rolling Hills — Bill Dickinson • Tilley — Patrick Fabian • Patricia — Ray Torkelson • Duchess —Gregory Witt • Scandia — Ryan Slenders • Brooks Rural — Kevin Swanson • Bassano — Cory Cochrane • Rosemary—Wilf Harder • Gem — Dwayne Klassen • Bow City —John Ketchmark and further that the Accounting Clerk, the Payroll & Finance Support Clerk, the Executive Assistant, the Administrative Assistant (Planning), the Administrative Assistant (Fire & Safety), the Executive Operations Administrative Assistant, the Records Management Technician, the IT Administrative Assistant, the Development Clerk, the Assessment & Taxation Clerk, Tax & Utilities Advisor and the Project/Administrative Assistant be appointed as Fire Guardians for the issuance of Fire Permits only. MOTION CARRIED 9.6 uitation to 2020 Citizen of the Year/Junior Citizen of the Year Gala & quest for Proclamation (National Volunteer Week) � ouncil was resented with back round information n h' " p g o t is item. Counc�llor C. Amulung indicated that the nomination deadline is March 5, 2020. Page 6 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 C-53/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that Council hereby proclaims April 19 - 25, 2020 as "National Volunteer Week" in the County of Newell. MOTION CARRIED 9.7 Councillor Payment Sheets (January 2020) Councillor C. Amulung reminded Council to make sure to include items that they are entitled to claim in their Councillor Payment Sheets rather than the Councillor Compensation Review Committee identifying items. ARRIVED AT MEETING T. Schroeder arrived at 2:06 p.m. C-54/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that the January 2020 Councillor Payment Sheets be accepted with the amendments recommended by the Councillor Compensation Review Committee. MOTION CARRIED 9.8 Cheques for Payment There were no cheques for payment to discuss at this meeting. 9.9 Payment Register C-55/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED 9.10 Requests for Functions of Council 9.10.1 Meeting with Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Alliance C-56/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that any Councillor be permitted to attend the meeting with the Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Alliance in Brooks, AB on February 28, 2020 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 9.10.2 Alberta Association of Police Governance Annual Conference C-57/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that Councillor H. Kallen be permitted to attend the Alberta Association of Police Governance Annual Conference in Brooks, AB on April 24-25, 2020 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 10. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS 10.1 2020 Proposed Dust Abatement(County Paid) Program � The Manager of Operations provided background information on this it � a�� responded to questions from Council. � �' —� Page 7 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 C-58/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Council APPROVES the 2020 Dust Abatement (County Paid) Program plans as presented. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING T. Schroeder left the meeting at 2:17 p.m. 11. COMMITTEE REPORTS 11.1 Bow River Basin Council Councillor 8. de Jong reported that M. Bennett has announced his retirement as Executive Director. 11.2 Newell 9-1-1 Dispatch Association Councillor 8. de Jong reported that the 9-1-1 dispatching contract with Red Deer expires this yearand the Newell 9-1-1 Dispatch Association will be waiting until the provincial budget is announced before retendering. Councillor 8. de Jong responded to questions from Council. He a/so reported that Vulcan County will be providing Alberta First Responders' Radio Communication System (AFRRCS) radios to HALO. 11.3 County of Newell Library Board Councillor K. Christman reported that annual reports are due February 21, 2020. The County of Newell Library Board now has a full complement of board members and M. These is the new chairperson. Councillor K. Christman provided an update on the Rosemary library. 11.4 Shortgrass Library System Councillor K. Christman reported that the Shortgrass Library Board continues to review and update policies. She provided information on two programs that are available to anyone with a library card. PressReader provides access to electronic newspapers from around the world and Gale Courses provides a variety of online courses. Councillor K. Christman responded to questions from Council. 11.5 Newell Foundation Co nci ,or A.M. Philipsen reported that MLA M. Glasgo received a tour of the 8 san Hospital and Playfair Lodge. The Minister of Health has provided as �, �ice that the Bassano Hospital will not be closed as recommended by the & Young report. The Siksika Nation has applied for their own hospital, which ould affect Bassano Hospital. Discussion followed on keeping MLAs informed on local matters. Councillor K. Christman provided an update on physicians in Bassano, indicating that their Physician Attraction & Retention Committee has , Page 8 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 been reactivated. The Bassano Health Centre will be hosting a skills day on May 8, 2020 through the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RPAP). 11.6 Newell Recycling Association Councillor L. Juss provided an update indicating that the current prices for recyclables are low. 11.7 Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Association Councillor L. Juss reported that it was announced at the SAEWA Board Meeting that the Newell Regional Landfill has been selected as the preferred site for the energy from waste facility. He provided an overview of the site selection process and indicated that the fact that JBS would receive some of the product was advantageous. SAEWA will be giving a presentation to the municipalities within the County of Newell on February 28, 2020. Councillor L. Juss responded to questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING E. Unruh left the meeting at 2:48 p.m. 11.8 Joint Services Committee Reeve M. Douglass provided some history on the Joint Services Committee, which has evolved to include Duchess, Rosemary, Bassano, the Eastern Irrigation District, Grasslands Schools, and RPAP. Each Council has provided ideas for what to include in the Terms of Reference. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that there should be a rotation among members so that no single municipality is responsible for hosting, chairing, and taking minutes for the meeting. Discussion followed regarding the makeup of the committee. Council agreed that rotating the membership and establishing a purpose and direction is important, but more authority is needed to obtain concrete results. Committee members will be required to report back to their respective Councils. The areas of focus should be those outlined in the Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework agreements, avoiding duplication where committees already exist. The Chief Administrative Officer suggested two separate committees - one committee would discuss matters exclusive to the County of Newell and Brooks and the other would focus on matters that affect all of the municipalities in the region. Discussion followed and it was suggested that the separate committees, such as Newell Regional Solid Waste Management Authority and Newell Foundation, should be meeting together. Discussion followed regarding the suggestion for each munici�lity to have an equal number of representatives. This item will be brought ba�k to t March 5, 2020 Council meeting for further discussion. 1/ Page 9 of 10 Regular Council February 20,2020 12. POST AGENDA ITEMS 12.1 Meetings with Provincial Government Representatives Discussion followed regarding the possibility of ineeting with the Premier of Alberta, the Minister of Energy, and the Chairman of the Treasury Board to discuss the impact that changes to the assessment model have on municipal government revenue and budgeting. Councillor 8. de Jong responded to questions, indicating that the goa/ is to help the provincial government understand how critical the energy sector is to our long-term budget and regional viability. The Chief Administrative Officer expressed concerns on how regulated assessments are set and suggested that the County would be a very valuable committee member in helping to determine changes to the provincial regulated assessment rates. The Executive Assistant was directed to check on the availability of the Premier, the Minister of Energy, and the President of the Treasury Board. 13. INFORMATION ITEMS 13.1 Mini Bus Monthly Report(January 2020) This item was accepted as information. 13.2 Strategic Priorities Chart This item was accepted as information. 13.3 Upcoming Community Events Council was provided a form to submit information for upcoming events in their community. 14. IN CAMERA There were no in camera items to discuss at this meeting. 15. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 3:38 p.m. � ' Signed this � day of �' � � , 2020 i Reeve t Administrator Page 10 of 10