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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-21 Council (Regular) MinutesCOUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL January 21, 2021 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office and livestreamed to the public via Lifesize on Thursday, January 21, 2021 commencing at 10:10 a.m. 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 K. Christman E. Unruh B. de Jong ABSENT: T. Fyfe L. Juss STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services S. Luchies, Rural Fire & Emergency Services Coordinator S. Hanson, Assistant Manager of Finance M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services J. Nesbitt, Municipal Enforcement Supervisor A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: S. Sgt. B. McDonald, RCMP - Brooks Cpl. S. Andrews, RCMP - Bassano K. Sieben, Safe Communities Facilitator 1. CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. 2. EXCUSED FROM MEETING C-21/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that Councillor T. Fyfe and Councillor L. Juss be excused from the meeting. MOTION CARRIED Regular Council January 21, 2021 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (January 7, 2021) C-22/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR HUBY KALLEN that the January 7, 2021 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-23/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the agenda be adopted as amended. 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. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 9.2 Policy Review - 2021-FES-003 (Recognition of Donations to Emergency Services - Corporate or Individual) The Rural Fire & Emergency Services Coordinator provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-24/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that Policy 2021-FES-003 (Recognition of Donations to Emergency Services - Corporate or Individual) be circulated as presented to the other members of the Newell Regional Emergency Management Partnership for their review. MOTION CARRIED The Rural Fire & Emergency Services Coordinator provided an update on a fire at the JBS Canada feedlot and responded to questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING S. Luchies left the meeting at 10:19 a.m. 8. AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BUSINESS 8.1 Agricultural Fieldman's Report (January 2021) The Agricultural Fieldman's Report was presented to Council. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Page 2 of 10 Regular Council January21, 2021 ARRIVED AT MEETING Councillor C. Amulung arrived at 10:21 a.m. C-25121 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ELLEN UNRUH that the Agricultural Fieldman's Report for January 2021 be accepted as presented. MOTION CARRIED 9. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued 9.2 Policy Review - 2021-PAD-019 Collection of Overdue Receivables The Assistant Manager of Finance provided background information on this item. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Assistant Manager of Finance and the Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions regarding options available to municipalities under the Municipal Government Act for collecting outstanding linear taxes. This policy outlines the steps that will betaken in order to collect the taxes. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that linear tax collection is an issue for many rural municipalities and, if the issue proceeds to the courts, there are other creditors that take priority over municipalities. He indicated that Administration could seek legal advice on whether there are other options available other than legal proceedings through the Court process. C-26/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Policy 2021-PAD-019 (Collection of Overdue Receivables) be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING S. Hanson left the meeting at 10:32 a.m. 9.3 Letters from Ratepayer Reeve M. Douglass provided background information on this item, indicating the second letter was received after the Chief Administrative Officer invited feedback on the first letter. She indicated that the suggestions provided will be considered during discussion of the 2021 Final Budget. The Chief Administrative Officer provided a response to each item in the letter. He indicated that the County of Newell is recognized as one of the most efficiently run rural municipalities in Alberta as a result of several factors including excellent staff, strategic direction from Council, investment in systems and software, evaluation of procedures and processes, and good leadership and vision. • There will likely be changes to oil and gas assessment, but that industry has not overpaid taxes in the County of Newell. • The County's debt limit is monitored annually, and local improvements are funded by the ratepayers that directly benefit from those improvements. • The County's administration and labor costs are probably higher than those of a farming operation, but the two operations are completely different. Page 3 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 • The County has invested a lot in systems, but this has allowed for streamlined processes and procedures for increased efficiency. • The suggestion to not pave any new roads is something for Council to consider going forward. Reducing mowing and other services in hamlets can also be considered. • Fire & Emergency Services Equipment replacement timelines are based on recommendations from the Fire Underwriters Survey. Agricultural buildings do not follow the same permitting process or Alberta Building Code requirements as a public fire hall building. • Newell Regional Services Corporation manages the water system and testing processes very well. • Flushing hydrants by using residential taps is not a viable option. Reverting to gravel surfaces and reducing hamlet services is an option that can be considered, but the hamlet residents appreciate the services, and the cost is not significant. • Graders cannot plow Hamlets and grade bus routes at the same time and the cost is substantially higher per hour to use graders. • The cost of the Corporate Safety Department is shared between the City and the County and the workload requires 3.5 staff members and the cost is shared by the City of Brooks. • The Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) increase was 0% for all staff in 2021. The Chief Administrative Officer provided an overview of the County's statistics on the Alberta Municipal Measurement Index, indicating that we lead in most areas of municipal operation. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Discussion followed regarding the need to inform the public on municipal operations and which items are regulated. It was noted that all the items presented in the letter have been discussed previously by Council. Discussion followed on whether to respond to the ratepayer directly or address some of the items through public advertisements. Councillor W. Hammergren expressed thanks to the ratepayers for taking the time to submit these letters to Council. He further stressed the importance of helping ratepayers understand how their tax dollars are used and how they benefit from the services. Further discussion on this item was postponed until later during this meeting. ARRIVED AT MEETING S. Sgt. B. McDonald, Cpl. S. Andrews, J. Nesbitt, and K. Sieben arrived at 11:00 a.m. Page 4 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 DELEGATIONS 7.1 RCMP Quarterly Reports 7.1.1 Brooks RCMP (S. Sgt. B. McDonald) S. Sgt. B. McDonald presented the Brooks RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. Efforts are being made to let people know of resources available for mental health and domestic abuse. S. Sgt. B. McDonald reported on COVID-19, indicating that citizens are doing well with the restrictions and there are no significant problems. Rural patrols are being done on a daily basis. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. S. Sgt. B. McDonald responded to questions regarding mental health counselling, indicating that access is difficult due to COVID-19 restrictions and other factors. 7.1.2 Bassano RCMP (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 rural areas may be experiencing increased issues with mental health due to a lack of available therapists in the immediate area. Possible solutions are more mental health workers in rural communities or more transportation options. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. 7.1.3 Safe Communities Committee (K. Sieben) K. Sieben presented the Safe Communities Committee Report to Council, providing an overview of initiatives and events. She indicated that she hopes to continue the car seat clinics starting in February. March will be fraud prevention month and the Bassano RCMP will be doing presentations on different types of fraud. SuperKids tickets specific to Bassano are in development. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Cpl. S. Andrews responded to questions regarding fraud, giving examples of some recent cases. S. Sgt. B. McDonald indicated that the Safe Communities Facilitator has been a great asset to the RCMP, the City and the County. Discussion followed and Council indicated that the 50150 funding model between the City and the County has not been discussed since the position was created, but the importance of the position has never been questioned. K. Sieben responded to further questions from Council regarding Bell Let's Talk Day on January 29, 2021. 7.1.4 Municipal Enforcement (J. Nesbitt, Municipal Enforcement Supervisor) The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor presented the County of Newell Enforcement Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and Page 5 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 significant events. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor responded to questions regarding unauthorized road use, indicating that this usually involves an individual doing work on a County road that has not been approved by the County. LEFT THE MEETING S. Sgt. B. McDonald, Cpl. S. Andrews, J. Nesbitt, and K. Sieben left the meeting at 11:35 a.m. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued 9.3 Letters from Ratepayer— continued Council indicated that this item would be discussed further as part of the Post Agenda item 'Public Education Initiative. " 9.4 Request for Letter of Support - Brooks Bombers Baseball Club The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. Discussion followed. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would forward this request to the Joint Services Committee for consideration during the February meeting. C-27/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR WAYNE HAMMERGREN that Council provides a letter to the Government of Alberta in support of the Brooks Bombers Baseball Club and the Western Canada Baseball League franchise and the positive impact they have on the community. MOTION CARRIED 9.6 Request for Proclamation - National Day of the Child Council was provided with background information on this item. It was noted that this would be a proclamation going forward for every November 20th. C-28/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that Council hereby proclaims November 20 as "National Child Day" in the County of Newell. MOTION CARRIED 9.5 Request for Letter of Support - Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Award Council was provided with background information on this item. C-29/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that Council provides a letter in support of the nomination of the Brooks Health Centre & Auxiliary Staff for the Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Award. MOTION CARRIED Page 6 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 9.7 RMA Spring 2021 Convention (March 16-17, 2021) - Meetings with Ministers Discussion followed regarding potential meetings with Ministers during the RMA Spring 2021 Convention. During the January 7, 2021 Council meeting, the following topics were suggested: • Changes to the Assessment Model that would create viable scenarios for both the oil and gas industry and municipalities (Municipal Affairs, Energy, & Finance) • Support for the Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Association (SAEWA) project The Chief Administrative Officer reported that Cypress County had been working on a proposal for the Assessment Model, but no further information is available. The County Assessor has been preparing comparisons of assessments and tax rates between Alberta and Saskatchewan. The RMA is also working on a proposal. Discussion followed. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that efforts must be made to continue talking about the Assessment Model Review and keep it on everyone's agenda. Discussion followed regarding preparing a letter that would introduce the County's position and key points on the Assessment Model Review and request a meeting. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would contact the Reeve of Cypress County for an update and make sure that the County's message is the same prior to drafting a letter with Administration. Council suggested a meeting with the Minister of Environment & Parks regarding delays associated with obtaining environmental assessments or approvals. This item will be brought back to the February 11, 2021 Council agenda for further discussion. RECESS Council RECESSED at 12:00 p.m. and RECONVENED at 12:19 p.m. 9.8 Assessment Model Changes — Public Awareness There was no new information on this item to discuss. 9.9 Cheques for Payment There were no cheques for payment to discuss at this meeting. 9.10 Payment Register The Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. C-30/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED Page 7 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 9.11 Requests for Functions of Council There were no functions of Council to discuss at this meeting. 10. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS 10.1 Land Lease Scandia - NW 20-15-15-W4 The Director of Municipal Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-31121 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that County Council accept the Right of First Refusal matching offer and award the lease to N. & D. Pedersen in the amount of $30,000.00 per year subject to the terms and conditions of the Lease Agreement. MOTION CARRIED 10.2 Land Lease Rolling Hills - SW 7-15-13-W4 The Director of Municipal Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C-32/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that County Council accept the offer and award the five (5) year lease to K. Shackleton in the amount of $22,000.00 per year subject to the terms and conditions of the Lease Agreement. MOTION CARRIED 11. COMMITTEE REPORTS 11.1 Newell Regional Tourism Association Councillor E. Unruh submitted a written report. 12. POST AGENDA ITEMS 12.1 Municipal Operating Support Transfer (MOST) Funding Allocation The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. Funding was allocated on a per capita basis and Brooks, Bassano, Duchess and Rosemary have received funding under the MOST program. A municipality can use this grant funding to offset uncollected taxes from 2020, other revenue losses, and costs incurred responding to COVID-19. The Director of Corporate Services requested direction from Council on making a portion of the funding available to those organizations operating recreation facilities, as some of the urban municipalities within the County are considering this. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that, if funding is to be provided to Recreation groups, it must be all inclusive and distributed through the divisional Recreation Committees. Discussion followed. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions from Council regarding recreation facilities. Recreation facilities within the City are Page 8 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 owned by the City, but the facilities in the County and smaller urban municipalities are owned by other community groups and a case could be made for releasing a portion of the MOST funding allocation to these groups so they can continue to operate. Discussion followed and Council indicated that they would consider releasing a portion of the MOST funding allocation to be distributed for recreation, but further information is required. The Director of Corporate Services indicated that he would present a detailed proposal to Council during the February 11, 2021 Council Meeting. Further discussion followed. Councillor K. Christman asked that libraries be considered as well. 12.2 Public Education Initiative Councillor K. Christman provided background information on this item, indicating the Government Relations Advocacy Committee had discussed the importance of educating ratepayers on a variety of topics in an ongoing series of ads in the newspapers, website, and social media channels. The message would communicate how the County has positioned itself for the future and what Council and staff have achieved. Topics could include hamlet services, snow removal, bridges, election materials, and information about municipal government. Discussion followed regarding responding to the letters submitted by a ratepayer discussed earlier during this meeting. The Chief Administrative Officer reported that he had requested additional information from the ratepayer after receiving the first letter, which was also published in the January 13, 2021 issue of the Brooks Bulletin. Discussion followed and Council indicated that a response could be sent to the ratepayer acknowledging receipt of the letter and thanking them for their time. A link to this Council meeting's video on YouTube will be included. C-33/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that the letters from a ratepayer received January 10, 2021 and January 18, 2021 be accepted as information; further, that the ratepayer be sent a response acknowledging receipt of these letters and including a link to the January 21, 2021 Council Meeting video that includes the discussion on the contents of the letters. Discussion followed and the Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. VOTE ON MOTION C-33/21 - MOTION CARRIED Discussion followed on the first Public Education Initiative topics. Council suggested starting with Municipal Services and snow removal which is linked to hamlet services. The information should be presented in an interesting way. Suggestions for future topics included shoulder pulls, seasonal topics, and how to differentiate a provincial road from a County road. The Director of Municipal Services provided additional information. Council directed staff to proceed with preparing some information for the public. Page 9 of 10 Regular Council January 21, 2021 13. INFORMATION ITEMS 13.1 Strategic Priorities Chart This item was accepted as information. 13.2 Upcoming Community Events Council was provided a form to submit information for upcoming events in their community. 14. IN CAMERA C-34/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that we move in camera at 1:34 p.m. to discuss the following matters: • Personnel - FOIPP Act Section 17. MOTION CARRIED C-35/21 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ELLEN UNRUH that we move out of camera at 2:34 p.m. MOTION CARRIED 15. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 2:34 p.m. Signed this � I day of "-'-b'N& 12021 Reeve ..... "> C-ounty"Administrator Page 10 of 10