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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-24 Council (Regular) MinutesCOUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL July 24, 2014 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office on Thursday, July 24, 2014 commencing at 10:43 a.m. MEMBERS M. Douglass, Reeve PRESENT: COUNCILLORS: C. Amulung G. Simpson A.M. Phillipsen W. Hammergren T. Fyfe E. Unruh L. Juss ABSENT: K. Christman B. de Jong STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services D. Horvath, Planner - ORRSC G. Scott, Planner - ORRSC \ T. Green, Director of Agricultural Services E. Hansen, Land Assessment/Taxation Clerk R. Fernell, Director of Information & Technology J. Nesbitt, Municipal Enforcement Supervisor M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: M. Dumont, Brooks & County Chronicle Sgt. R. Loo, RCMP - Brooks CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 10:43 a.m. 2. EXCUSED FROM MEETING C-245/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that Councillor K. Christman and Councillor (� B. de Jong be excused from the meeting. �( MOTION CARRIED 4. CALL FOR POST AGENDA ITEMS Reeve M. Douglass called for post agenda items. Regular Council July 24, 2014 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA I C-246114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the agenda be adopted as amended. MOTION CARRIED 8. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 8.1 Subdivision Extension Request - 2010-0-208 (Lot 1, 2 & 9; Block 9, Plan 0912908 - SW 10-19-14-W4) The County Planner provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-247114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that the request for a time extension to subdivision application 2010-0-208 be APPROVED for one month to August 24, 2014. MOTION CARRIED 8.2 Subdivision Extension Request - 2013-0-065 (SW 19-19-13-W4) The County Planner provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-248114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the request for a time extension to subdivision application 2013-0-065 be APPROVED for six months to December 6, 2014. MOTION CARRIED 8.3 Appointment to Rural IMDP Committee - Wheatland County The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-249114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that Reeve M. Douglass and Councillor K. Christman be appointed as representatives for the County of Newell to the Wheatland County Inter Municipal Development Plan Committee. MOTION CARRIED 7. AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BUSINESS 7.1 Agricultural Fieldman's Report (July 2014) The Director of Agricultural Services presented the Agricultural Fieldman's report for July 2014 and responded to questions from Council. 1 i Page 2 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 7.2 Responses to the 2014 ASB Resolutions The Director of Agricultural Services presented background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. He indicated that this item would be brought back to Council if further information is received. ARRIVED AT MEETING E. Hansen arrived at 11:02 a.m. LEFT THE MEETING T. Green left the meeting at 11:02 a.m. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS - CONTINUED 8.4 2014 Tax Sale by Public Auction The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. The Land Assessment/Taxation Clerk explained the Tax Sale & Public Auction process to Council. ARRIVED AT MEETING R. Fennell arrived at 11:07 a.m. The Director of Corporate Services and the Land Assessment/Taxation Clerk responded to further questions from Council. C-250/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that the 2014 Tax Sale by Public Auction be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in the County of Newell Building with cash or certified cheque only terms, and that the reserve bids for the 2014 Tax Sale properties be set as recommended by Administration. MOTION CARRIED 8.5 Letter from Brooks Bulletin re: Newsletter Format The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. A one page newsletter, including all legal advertising with the exception of employment advertising, is being published weekly in the Brooks & County Chronicle for a two-month trial period. At the end of this trial period, consideration would be given to continue this format and publishing in all County newspapers. The Director of Corporate Services and the Executive Assistant responded to questions from Council. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that, if the newsletter were to be published in all County newspapers for the remainder of the year, a budget adjustment would be required. An online survey has been created in an attempt to determine readership of the Newel Newsletter. Page 3 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 ARRIVED AT MEETING J. Nesbitt arrived at 11:22 a.m. Discussion followed. The Director of Corporate Services was directed to respond to the letter. LEFT THE MEETING Councillor L. Juss left the meeting at 11:24 a.m. 8.6 Policy Review - 2014 -PAD -070 (Employee Owned Electronic Devices) The Director of Information & Technology provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-251/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR GORDON SIMPSON that Policy 2014 -PAD -070 (Employee Owned Electronic Devices) be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED 8.7 Tablet Assessment Review The Director of Information & Technology provided an overview of the tablet assessment process, which included a needs assessment and evaluation of each tablet by selected individuals. ARRIVED AT MEETING Sgt. R. Loo arrived at 11:29 a.m. The Director of Information & Technology gave an overview of the decision making process and the specific features that were tested. The tablets selected are the Microsoft Surface Pro for Administrative use and the Lenovo ThinkPad for field use. ARRIVED AT MEETING Councillor L. Juss returned at 11:30 a.m. The Director of Information & Technology responded to questions from Council. C-252/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that Council APPROVES the reallocation of the remaining 2014 budget in Function 11 in the amount of $8,150.00 that was set for the purchase of new laptops and laptop accessories for the returning Councillors to the purchase and implementation of tablets; further, that Council APPROVES additional spending in the amount of $22,972.00 to complete the purchase and implementation of all the tablets as recommended by the Director of Information & Technology. MOTION CARRIED Page 4 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 LEFT THE MEETING l R. Ferrell left the meeting at 11:37 a.m. 6. DELEGATIONS 6.1 RCMP Quarterly Reports 6.1.1 Brooks RCMP Sgt. R. Loo presented the Brooks RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, giving an overview of the highlights. He provided an update on incidents of firearms damage to oil well sites, indicating that the investigation is ongoing and public assistance is required. 6.1.2 Bassano RCMP Sgt. R. Loo provided an update on the Bassano RCMP detachment. S. Sgt. J. McLaren is overseeing Bassano in the short term and the process has been started to fill the position of corporal. He presented the Bassano RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, giving an overview of the highlights. Sgt. R. Loo responded to questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING / Sgt. R. Loo left the meeting at 11:50 a.m. 6.1.3 Municipal Enforcement The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor presented the Municipal Enforcement Quarterly Report to Council, giving an overview of the highlights. He indicated that the hiring process has begun to replace the Municipal Enforcement Officer who has resigned. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Discussion followed regarding staffing levels and the Municipal Enforcement work load. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that, during a recent meeting, the CAOs of the other municipalities receiving shared CPO services are pleased with the service provided and that Municipal Enforcement staffing will be discussed during the upcoming budget process. The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor responded to further questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING J. Nesbitt left the meeting at 12:01 p.m. LUNCH Council RECESSED for lunch at 12:01 p.m. and RECONVENED at 12:59 p.m. 9 Page 5 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 ARRIVED AT MEETING M. Harbicht and G. Tiffin arrived at 12:59 p.m. 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (July 10, 2014) The following changes were made to the July 10, 2014 Council Meeting minutes: Page 4 - Item 6.1 - should read "The intent of this by law is to amend Land Use Bylaw..." Page 7 - Item 7.1 - should read "...they must make the final decision based on information gathered at the Public Hearing." C-253114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that the July 10, 2014 Council Meeting minutes be adopted as amended. MOTION CARRIED 9. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS 9.1 Request for Removal of the 4 -Way Stop North of Rosemary at the Intersection of TR 212 and RR 160 Councillor A.M. Philipsen provided background information on this item, indicating that she wanted to have a discussion and then see if Alberta Transportation would consider the request to remove the 4 -way stop. Councillor E. Unruh indicated that she had consulted the area residents, who were not in favor of removing the 4 -way stop. She provided history on the intersection and expressed concerns with visibility and a potential increase in accidents if the stop sign is removed. The Director of Municipal Services provided further background information and suggested that a letter be written identifying concerns and requesting a review of the intersection by Alberta Transportation. Discussion followed. C-254114 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that a letter be written to Alberta Transportation requesting a review and study of the intersection at TR 212 and RR 160 to determine whether a 2 -way stop north -south is adequate traffic control. Councillor E. Unruh requested a recorded vote. In Favor: Divisions 1, 3, 5, 9, 10 Opposed: Divisions 2, 4, 7 Absent: Divisions 6, 8 MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING Councillor T. Fyfe declared a pecuniary interest and left the meeting at 1:26 p.m. �J V Page 6 of 10 l i Regular Council July 24, 2014 \ 9.2 Tender Award - County of Newell Water Project Contract 8 i (Scandia/Rainier/Bow City) The Manager of Engineering Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-255/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that Council accepts the low tender as submitted and awards the County of Newell Water Project Contract 8 tender to TA Excavating for the tendered price of $5,197,395.00 plus additional engineering, land, and environmental costs of $782,239.50. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING Councillor T. Fyfe returned at 1:29 p.m. LEFT THE MEETING M. Harbicht and G. Tiffin left the meeting at 1:29 p.m. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS - CONTINUED 8.8 Foothills Little Bow Municipal Association Council discussed the draft resolution policy and association bylaw from the Foothills Little Bow Municipal Association. This item was accepted as information. 8.9 Councillor Payment Sheets (June 2014) C-256/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that the June 2014 Councillor Payment Sheets be accepted with the amendments recommended by the Councillor Compensation Review Committee. MOTION CARRIED 8.10 Payment Register The Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council regarding how cheques are prepared. C-257/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED 10. COMMITTEE REPORTS 10.1 Airport Commission Councillor L. Juss provided an update on the fuel depot constlrxatn pro act. Page 7 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 10.2 Newell Regional Solid Waste Management Authority Councillor L. Juss reported that the landfill is currently undergoing renovations. 10.3 Recreation Board -Divisions S& 10 Councillor L. Juss reported that the grand opening for the new quad ball diamonds will be held on Friday, August 1, 2014 beginning at 5:00 p.m. 10.4 County of Newell Water Project Councillor C. Amulung provided updates on the project in the Brooks North area and the reconstruction of the line to Rosemary. They are looking at options for hooking people up, as there is an issue with contractor availability. 10.5 Art & Visual Display Committee Councillor T. Fyfe reported that the committee had arranged a horse and wagon to promote the County of Newell ASB Tour in various parades. They won first prize in Bassano and Tilley and these have been placed in the display cabinet. 10.6 Cenovus Community of Leaders Forum Councillor E. Unruh reported on the Community of Leaders forum she attended with Councillor T. Fyfe on June 22-25, 2014. The two groups chose the topics of shared services and economic development and developed attainable goals and implementation plans for each topic. The next step will be a presentation to Council in September or October, followed by a recap in Banff in December. Councillor E. Unruh responded to questions from Council. Discussion followed regarding the time commitment involved with this program and the topics chosen. Councillor E. Unruh and Councillor T. Fyfe responded to further questions from Council. 10.7 Regional CAO's Meeting The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that he attended a Regional CAO's meeting yesterday. Shared services is working well and they are investigating some additional items, including a possible application to study regional sewage treatment and future piping estimates. The smaller municipalities are considering switching to Vadim or Diamond for financial software. Grant funding for infrastructure review is being investigated. The Chief Administrative Officer reported that a discussion regarding fire services was held and an orientation between the fire associations and Council members was suggested with the goal I\ of improving communication. Page 8 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 10.8 Reeve's Report Reeve M. Douglass reported on various events that she attended, including Canada Day festivities at the Brooks & District Museum and in Rosemary, the opening of the Southern Alberta Summer Games in Pincher Creek, AB, a Transportation Review meeting, the ASB Summer Tour, a meeting of the Southeast Alberta Community Foundation, a Bassano Volunteer Fire Department Barbecue, and a meeting of the Veteran's Memorial Highway Development Safety Association. 11. POST AGENDA ITEMS 13.1 Funding Request - Brooks Legion Reeve M. Douglass provided background information on this item, indicating that the City of Brooks has not yet made a decision. Discussion followed regarding the funding request. Councillor W. Hammergren noted that all of the communities within the County of Newell maintain their own halls. Discussion followed regarding the timelines, as the Brooks Legion would like to complete the project by September. Councillor L. Juss indicated that an additional hall would be beneficial to Brooks. Further discussion followed. C-258/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that the funding request from the Brooks Legion for renovations to their facility be APPROVED in the amount of $15,000.00 with funding from the Municipal Reserve. MOTION CARRIED 12. INFORMATION ITEMS 14.1 Strategic Priorities Chart The Chief Administrative Officer provided an update on alternate revenue sharing, indicating that he is looking at the areas of solar, wind, and gas power generation. This item was accepted as information. 14.2 Financial Information (January 1, 2014 through June 30, 2014) This item was accepted as information. 13. QUESTION PERIOD/NOTICE OF MOTION A question period and notice of motion was held. Page 9 of 10 Regular Council July 24, 2014 14. IN CAMERA C-259/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that we move in camera at 2:22 p.m. to discuss a land issue. MOTION CARRIED C-260/14 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that we move out of camera at 2:57 p.m. MOTION CARRIED 15. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 2:57 p.m. Signed this o-7 day of �` � 12014 Page 10 of 10