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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-08-06 Council (Regular) MinutesCOUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL August 6, 2020 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office on Thursday, August 6, 2020 commencing at 10:28 a.m. The Chief Administrative Officer, being the Designated Officer for the County of Newell, attended at the County Council Chambers to allow members of the public to watch the livestream meeting proceedings. Notice was posted at the front entrance advising the public of the meeting. No members of the public were physically in attendance. 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 T. Green, Director of Agricultural Services (Meeting Moderator) M. Fenske, Manager of Finance M. Jackson, Supervisor of Planning & Development G. Tiffin, Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services T. Schroeder, Manager of Operations A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: K. Steinley, Newell Regional Services Corporation 1. CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 10:28 a.m. 2. EXCUSED FROM MEETING All members were in attendance at this meeting. Regular Council August 6, 2020 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (July 23, 2020) C-272/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the July 23, 2020 Council Meeting minutes be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED 4. CALL FOR POST AGENDA ITEMS Reeve M. Douglass called for post agenda items. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA C-273/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN 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. The moderator indicated that there were no questions from the public. 7. BYLAWS 7.1 Bylaw 1994-20 Regional Emergency Management The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item, outlining the amendments made since first reading was given. Specifically, amendments to article 9.3 clarify cost sharing in the event of an emergency. He recommended that Council proceed with second reading of the bylaw with third reading at a future Council meeting after the other partners have agreed to the amendments. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions regarding cost sharing scenarios, indicating that the bylaw provides some examples that the Regional Emergency Advisory Committee would use to work out details. There are several factors to be considered and determining cost sharing details for every possible scenario is impossible until an emergency event occurs. Discussion followed. C-274/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Bylaw 1994-20, being a bylaw for the purpose of establishing a Regional Emergency Management Committee, Agency, and Planning & Coordinating Group, be given SECOND reading as amended. MOTION CARRIED Page 2 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 8. AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BUSINESS 8.1 ASB Update The Director of Agricultural Services presented an update on the recent activities of the Agricultural Services Department including the results of recent clubroot, bacterial ringrot, and fusarium graminearum surveys. ARRIVED AT MEETING K. Steinley arrived at 10:40 a.m. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Agricultural Services responded to questions regarding the hawk nesting poles, indicating the one installed at the County of Newell facilities has seen some activity. He also responded to questions regarding the Crop Diversification Centre, indicating that the remaining staff continue to work with the Agricultural Services Department. Reeve M. Douglass commented on her recent stay at Emerson Bridge Park, indicating that everything is well taken care of and the supervisor is doing a great job. 10. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS 10.1 Utilities - NRSC Report K. Steinley presented The Utilities - NRSC Report to Council, giving an overview of the highlights. He reported that the parts for the Lake Newell Resort lift station pump have been installed since the report was written. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. K. Steinley responded to questions regarding recent connections to the Rural Water system and some recent repairs. He noted that smaller maintenance jobs aren't included in the report, but he would provide Council with further information. The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering provided further information on a repair completed in Tilley. K. Steinley responded to questions regarding whether there is adequate water supply for the provincial parks, indicating that there have been no issues reported. The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering provided further information. LEFT THE MEETING K. Steinley left the meeting at 10:54 a.m. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 9.1 Planning & Development Report The Supervisor of Planning & Development presented an update on the recent activities of the Planning & Development Department. She indicated that discussions are underway on how to address enforcement issues. The Planning & Development Department had their first meeting with ISL Engineering to begin Page 3 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. C-276/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR HUBY KALLEN that the Planning & Development Report for July 2020 be accepted as presented. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING M. Jackson left the meeting at 10:56 a.m. 9.2 Setting Date(s) for Review of Draft Budget The Manager of Finance provided background information on this item. Discussion followed. C-276/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that Council set a budget review meeting, to be advertised as open to the public, for October 27, 2020 beginning at 8:30 a.m. MOTION CARRIED 9.3 Newell Further Education Council — Support for Community Foundation COVID-19 Impact Grant Funding Application The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. Newell Further Education has requested that the County act as the grant administrator as they do not qualify to apply on their own. Newell Further Education would be responsible for grant reporting. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions regarding whether an educational organization would be a better fit than the County. Discussion followed and Council acknowledged that Newell Further Education has been in operation for several years and provides a valuable service to the community. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions regarding the County's role, indicating that staff time associated with administering the grant is anticipated to be minimal. Discussion followed. C-277/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that Council APPROVES the request submitted by the Newell Further Education Council and accepts the role of Qualified Donee for COVID-19 Response Grant processing purposes in the event of an approved grant being awarded by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta/Brooks & District Community Fund. MOTION CARRIED 9.4 Cheques for Payment There were no cheques for payment to discuss at this meeting. 9.5 Payment Register The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions from Council. Page 4 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 C-278/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED 9.6 Requests for Functions of Council 9.6.1 Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Convention (September 23-25, 2020) Council was provided with background information on this item. Discussion followed and it was determined that all current Councillors have attended an AUMA Convention in the past. C-279/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that Reeve M. Douglass and Councillor B. de Jong be permitted to attend the virtual Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Convention on September 23-25, 2020 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 9.6.2 Rally at the Alberta Legislature Protesting Proposed Assessment Changes (July 30, 2020) C-280/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the attendance of Reeve M. Douglass, Councillor C. Amulung, and Councillor B. de Jong at the Rally at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, AB on July 30, 2020 be permitted as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 9.6.3 Eastern Irrigation District Announcement (July 31, 2020) Discussion followed regarding the Eastern Irrigation District announcement of funding for the dam safety review that included the Minister of Agriculture & Forestry and MLA M. Glasgo. Reeve M. Douglass provided further information on the event, indicating that the invitation contained very little information. It was noted that the opportunity for an in -person meeting with the Minister of Agriculture & Forestry is invaluable and it is important for elected officials to be present. C-281/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the attendance of all Councillors at the Eastern Irrigation District Announcement with the Minister of Agriculture & Forestry and MLA M. Glasgo in Brooks, AB on July 31, 2020 be permitted as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 10. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS — continued 10.2 Director of Municipal Services Report The Director of Municipal Services presented his report to Council, giving an overview of the highlights. He also provided details of a recent discussion with D. Davidson, Regional Director of the Southern Region for Alberta Transportation, where the topics included paving SH525 and Fisher Bridge. Both projects may Page 5 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 need further discussion with the Minister of Transportation. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Municipal Services responded to questions regarding paving SH525, suggesting that the partnership could include Cypress County. He indicated that the traffic volume may not warrant paving according to Alberta Transportation's evaluation criteria. The Director of Municipal Services explained trenchless technology (road boring) used to replace culverts. The Director of Municipal Services responded to questions regarding the letters sent to landowners in an attempt to complete an inventory of texas gates and establish ownership and responsibility. The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering provided further details on the texas gate letters, indicating that the response has been positive. The Director of Municipal Services responded to questions regarding the maintenance on SH525 that is currently being undertaken by Alberta Transportation. C-282/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that the Director of Municipal Services Report and the Utilities - NRSC Report for July 2020 be APPROVED as presented MOTION CARRIED 10.3 15th Avenue/2nd Street WesVSH873 Signalization & Widening The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-283/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that Council accepts the low tender as submitted and awards the 15th Avenue/2nd Street West/SH873 Signalization & Widening contract to Can -Traffic Services Ltd. for the tendered price of $650,935.00. MOTION CARRIED 10.4 County of Newell Water Project Phase 2 Study The Manager of Planning, Development & Engineering provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-284/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that County Council APPROVE additional spending in the amount of $72,750.00 to perform a study on the feasibility of a second round of the County of Newell Water Project, with additional funds drawn from the Infrastructure Fund. LEFT THE MEETING G. Tiffin left the meeting at 12:00 pm LUNCH MOTION CARRIED Council RECESSED at 12:00 p.m. and RECONVENED at 12:58 p.m. Page 6 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 10. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS — continued 10.5 Tender Award -One Ton Truck (5500) The Manager of Operations provided background information on this item. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Manager of Operations responded to questions regarding the unit that would be disposed of, indicating that the expected proceeds from the auction sale would be $3, 000-$5, 000. He responded to questions regarding the tender process and explained the budget overage. The budget was for a flat bed truck but some adjustments were made to the program and it was determined that a truck with a different deck would improve operations. C-285/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that County Council Approve the Additional Funding request from the Vehicles, Machinery & Equipment Fund in the amount of $10,524.00 and award the supply of the one ton truck to Martin Chrysler for $80,524.00 (without GST). MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING T. Schroeder left the meeting at 1:14 p.m. 11. POST AGENDA ITEMS 11.1 Proposed Changes to Oil & Gas Assessments The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that, during yesterday's meeting, MLA M. Glasgo had requested written details outlining the County's concerns with the proposed changes to oil and gas assessment. The Chief Administrative Officer provided an overview of each statement in the draft. Discussion followed and Council proposed changes to the resolution, indicating that the document covers all the main points. Council requested that the resolution be published in the local newspapers as well as on the County's website and forwarded to Rural Municipalities of Alberta members. The Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. Council proposed further changes and suggested that the Manager of Finance prepare some scenarios to show the public how these changes will affect property owners. The Chief Administrative Officer stressed the need for the provincial government to complete a detailed assessment analysis before they establish policies that would limit the taxation for oil and gas properties. He suggested that funding to cover any shortfall should be coming from the Alberta Treasury, not from municipalities, as the oil and gas industry benefits all residents of Alberta. Discussion followed and Council suggested mentioning the 35% shallow gas tax reduction that was implemented previously. The Chief Administrative Officer responded to further questions from Council. Page 7 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 C-286/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS WHEREAS the Government of Alberta is proposing to alter oil and gas assessments for pipelines, wells, and some machinery/equipment. WHEREAS the Government of Alberta has proposed four scenarios for County Council to consider. Scenario A). A shift of $7.2 million dollars in municipal taxes from oil and gas properties to residential ratepayers which equates to a 327% increase in 2021. Scenario B). A shift of $9 million dollars in municipal taxes from oil and gas properties to residential ratepayers which equates to a 384% increase in 2021. Scenario C). A shift of $9.2 million dollars in municipal taxes from oil and gas properties to residential ratepayers which equates to a 391 % increase in 2021. Scenario D). A shift of $11.6 million dollars in municipal taxes from oil and gas properties to residential ratepayers which equates to a 466% increase in 2021. WHEREAS the potential tax impact on a $300,000 assessed residential property would result in an additional $2,650 - $4,250 per year in property taxes. WHEREAS pipelines and wells have the potential to be depreciated down to 10% of their original assessed value within 16 years while many assets today are still in operation well after 40 years. WHEREAS Oil and Gas Companies have lobbied the County of Newell to have roads built to a non -ban status to ensure their assets can produce and ship products to market without interruption year-round. WHEREAS the County of Newell has invested heavily into meeting that objective for industry. WHEREAS the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Premier of Alberta have indicated they do not want any property tax increases to deal with the shortfalls created by this political objective. WHEREAS one of the first ever large-scale protests of Local Elected Officials to Provincial Elected Officials took place at the Legislature on Thursday July 30th at 1:00 p.m. with close to 100 in attendance representing rural municipalities across Alberta. WHEREAS the Government of Alberta considered a submission from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) that contains many errors and misstatements without any real consultation with its rural municipal partners. WHEREAS CAPP has recommended that the Government complete a full open and transparent review of oil and gas assessments in Alberta to compare multijurisdictional tax competitiveness across Canada. Page 8 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 WHEREAS CNRL has been requesting a 30% reduction in municipal taxes for 5 consecutive years and their request has been across the board from the lowest mill rate municipality right up to their highest mill rate municipality. (The average municipal tax per well in the County of Newell is $331 and $431 per km of pipe). WHEREAS the County of Newell reduced its net municipal property tax budget by 7% in 2020 and offered an additional 8% discount for municipal taxes paid by the June 15th deadline, for an overall municipal tax decrease of 15% in 2020. WHEREAS the County of Newell has maintained its roads for under 10% of the per kilometer average cost for municipal districts and counties over the past 10 years. WHEREAS the County of Newell has one of the lower non-residential mill rates in the Province of Alberta for Municipal Districts & Counties. WHEREAS the County of Newell currently has only $4.8 million dollars left over for reserves and capital in 2020 with nearly $300 million of assets to replace at some point in the future. WHEREAS the County of Newell has lower operating expenses in 2018 than it did in in 2009. WHEREAS the County of Newell collects less municipal tax from Oil and Gas linear properties than it did 10 years ago. WHEREAS the County of Newell assessment growth has averaged 1% per year since 2009 when all municipalities in Alberta averaged 3.5% growth over the same period. WHEREAS the Oil & Gas assessment changes proposed by the Province of Alberta will result in a 32-52% reduction in the property assessment base for the County of Newell or a $7.2-$11.6 million municipal tax reduction over the same period. WHEREAS the County of Newell financial reserves are fully allocated over the current 10- year capital plan WHEREAS under scenario four (4) proposed by the Government of Alberta, all staff could be laid off and the County would still not be able to balance the effects of this political initiative. WHEREAS to balance the budget under Scenario 4 proposed by the Government of Alberta, the County of Newell would need to cut all staff plus find another $3.1 million from somewhere. WHEREAS Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) has indicated that only the largest Oil & Gas Companies will benefit from this political initiative which is not fair at all to other municipal ratepayers. WHEREAS substantial oil, gas, and linear tax dollars are currently unpaid with virtually no means to collect them other than trying to sue or seize assets. Page 9 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 WHEREAS the County of Newell has completed a four (4) year operating budget and a ten (10) year capital plan to comply with the Government of Alberta recommendation that municipalities adopt a long term operating and capital plan. WHEREAS it is impossible to develop that plan without knowing all the implications moving forward after the initial proposed implementation in 2021. WHEREAS the Government of Alberta imposed a gag order on the RMA Committee that worked on these 4 scenarios and has not disclosed the reason for this gag order. WHEREAS if these changes are implemented it may kill the long-term viability of the County of Newell and a large portion of Rural Alberta. WHEREAS this initiative will also have a substantial negative affect on urban municipal partners through ICF Agreements and current assessment -based funding partnerships in place. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Premier of Alberta, Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Brooks -Medicine Hat MLA be notified that the County of Newell is adamantly opposed to ALL four scenarios presented by the Government of Alberta. MOTION CARRIED Councillor C. Amulung provided details on his discussion with A. Kemmere, President of RMA, last night. The RMA has a meeting with the Minister of Municipal Affairs on August 27, 2020 and they are trying to also schedule a meeting with the Premier of Alberta. Topics discussed were the ineffectiveness of the shallow gas tax reduction and the work done by the RMA Committee. Councillor C. Amulung suggested that the Chief Administrative Officer be available to assist the RMA in whatever capacity they require on this matter. The Chief Administrative Officer agreed to assist the RMA with validating data and comparing information with other municipalities. Further discussion followed regarding a media campaign to make the public aware of the issue and who to contact to voice their concerns. C-287/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the Chief Administrative Officer be made available to assist RMA, if required, to analyze data on the proposed changes to oil and gas assessments. MOTION CARRIED Reeve M. Douglass to contact A. Kemmere, President of RMA. 12. INFORMATION ITEMS 12.1 Upcoming Community Events Council was provided a form to submit information for upcoming events. Page 10 of 11 Regular Council August 6, 2020 13. IN CAMERA C-288/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that we move in camera at 2:11 p.m. to discuss the following matters: • Land - FOIPP Act Section 27. • Legal - FOIPP Act Section 27. MOTION CARRIED C-289/20 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that we move out of camera at 2:19 p.m. MOTION CARRIED 14. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 2:19 p.m. Signed this Jgtday of , 2020 Reeve Co ministrator Page 11 of 11