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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-01-19 Council (Regular) MinutesCOUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL January 19, 2017 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office on Thursday, January 19, 2017 commencing at 10:12 a.m. MEMBERS Molly Douglass, Reeve PRESENT: COUNCILLORS: C. Amulung G. Simpson A.M. Philipsen W. Hammergren T. Fyfe K. Christman E. Unruh L. Juss ABSENT: B. de Jong STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services A. Wickert, Manager of Planning & Development S. Simpson, Development Clerk M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services J. Nesbitt, Municipal Enforcement Supervisor \ T. Green, Director of Agricultural Services R. Fernell, Director of Information & Technology A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: N. Paggett, Park Enterprises A. Fox, Park Enterprises S. Sgt. T. McNulty, RCMP - Brooks Cpl. B. McDonald, RCMP - Bassano 1. CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 10:12 a. m. 2. EXCUSED FROM MEETING C-15/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that Councillor B. de Jong be excused from the meeting. MOTION CARRIED Regular Council January 19, 2017 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (January 5, 2017) C-16/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that the January 5, 2017 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-17/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that the agenda be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED 6. DELEGATIONS 6.1 Park Enterprises N. Paggett provided Council with a history of Park Enterprises, which has been providing permit and inspection services to the County since 2011. Throughout this time, Park Enterprises has built relationships with County staff and landowners and created a unified approach to administering the Safety Codes Act. She indicated that 2, 416 permits have been issued since 2011, and nearly half of those are electrical permits. N. Paggett provided an explanation of the permit process. Park Enterprises follows up on all issued permits by conducting inspections, monitoring deficiencies, and obtaining additional information, if required. Through eSITE, a program that is maintained by the province, County staff can access information about every permit that has been issued. N. Paggett provided an overview of the value of accreditation and partnership. She outlined some of the County's accomplishments with regards to resolving Private Sewage Disposal Systems (PSDS) installation issues and ensuring that inspections are done prior to the work being covered. The results include sustainable change, established standards, improved service delivery, and accountability. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. N. Paggett responded to questions regarding PSDS permits, indicating that a physical site inspection is conducted prior to the permit being issued. Councillor G. Simpson asked how the inspectors were dispatched. N. Paggett replied that Park Enterprises is based out of Lethbridge and they try to maintain consistency with assigning an inspector to a particular area. Generally, an inspector is in a certain area on a specific day. N. Paggett responded to further questions, indicating that complaints and feedback drive change and help them to improve their services. A. Fox provided information on the inspector that is assigned to the County, indicating that he is scheduled to be in the area twice per week. LEFT THE MEETING N. Paggett, A. Fox, A. Wickert, and S. Simpson left the meeting at 10:43 a.m. S ON Page 2 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 ARRIVED AT MEETING T. Green arrived at 10:43 a.m. 7. AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BUSINESS 7.1 Agricultural Fieldman's Report (January 2017) The Director of Agricultural Services presented the Agricultural Fieldman's Report to Council. ARRIVED AT MEETING J. Nesbitt arrived at 10:45 a.m. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Agricultural Services responded to questions regarding how the coyote survey is conducted and Kochia that is resistant to two different methods of control. Councillor A.M. Philipsen provided an update on the BMO Bank of Montreal Farm Family Award, indicating that the two potential families from Division 3 had declined the nomination. She requested permission to approach a third potential family in Division 3. Discussion followed. C-18/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that a third family from Division 3 (Patricia/Millicent) be contacted to determine whether they would accept a nomination for the 2017 BMO Bank of Montreal Farm Family Award. MOTION CARRIED C-19/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that the Agricultural Fieldman's Report for January 2017 be accepted as presented. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING Cpl. B. McDonald arrived at 10:53 a.m. 7.2 Policy Review - 2017 -PAG -024 (Coyote Control Incentive Program (CCIP)) The Director of Agricultural Services provided background information on this item. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. C-20/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that Policy 2017 -PAG -024 (Coyote Control Incentive Program (CCIP)) be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING T. Green left the meeting at 10:55 a.m. Page 3 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 ARRIVED AT MEETING S. Sgt. T. McNulty arrived at 10:57 a.m. 6. DELEGATIONS - continued 6.2 RCMP Quarterly Reports 6.2.1 Municipal Enforcement (J. Nesbitt) The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor presented the County of Newell Municipal Enforcement Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Municipal Enforcement Supervisor responded to questions regarding enforcement of snow removal in the Hamlet of Tilley, indicating that attempts are made to contact the resident and ensure compliance. LEFT THE MEETING J. Nesbitt left the meeting at 11:03 a.m. 6.2.2 Brooks RCMP (S. Sgt. T. McNulty) S. Sgt. T. McNulty presented the Brooks RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. He provided an update on the Safe Communities Coordinator, indicating that discussions will follow to determine how to proceed with filling the part-time position. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Reeve M. Douglass asked if S. Sgt. T. McNulty had any suggestions for topics that could be discussed with the RCMP Commanding Officer during the AAMDC Spring 2017 Convention. S. Sgt. T. McNulty indicated that K Division and the City of Brooks have discussed the possibility of a new building and there are no issues regarding rural policing. The Brooks RCMP have no specific needs for lobbying at this time. S. Sgt. T. McNulty responded to further questions regarding ongoing monitoring of domestic violence and property crimes in the County of Newell, which are fairly low. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that the recorded messages on the Rural Crime Watch fan out system are difficult to understand. S. Sgt. T. McNulty indicated that the fan out system was discussed during the Rural Crime Watch's Annual General Meeting and he had agreed to look into it. The Rural Crime Watch will be working on enhancing their social media presence and sending e-mail notifications as well. Cpl. B. McDonald and S. Sgt. T. McNulty responded to further questions regarding the Rural Crime Watch. Registered members receive signs for their property and are added to the fan -out system. 6.2.3 Bassano RCMP (Cpl. B. McDonald) Cpl. B. McDonald presented the Bassano RCMP Quarterly Report to Council, providing an overview of the statistics and significant events. He indicated that a task force is being developed to deal with crimes on oil lease sites. The task force will include representation from various Page 4 of 10 -0 0 Regular Council January 19, 2017 detachments and oil and gas companies. The Bassano detachment's staffing levels have returned to full strength and there is a volunteer victim's services advocate dedicated to Bassano and the surrounding area. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. LEFT THE MEETING S. Sgt. T. McNulty and Cpl. B. McDonald left the meeting at 11:32 a.m. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 8.1 AAMDC Board Governance Review Questions Council provided responses to the AAMDC Board Governance Review Questions. Discussion followed regarding AAMDC membership eligibility for specialized municipalities or urban municipalities that would have a better fit with the rural organization and vice versa. Reeve M. Douglass noted that anyone could be a non-voting Associate Member. The Chief Administrative Officer suggested that, with all of the changes coming in regionalization and the need for full alignment, AAMDC and AVMA should consider amalgamating to one voice. Discussion followed and Council agreed that there should be flexibility with regards to AAMDC membership eligibility. Discussion followed on the questions regarding board structure. Councillor A.M. Philipsen suggested that non-voting members could be included on the boards as their expertise is needed, but not required to attend all meetings. Council agreed that the current board composition was adequate and the geographically based structure was appropriate. Discussion followed on the role of the AAMDC board, which is to create a communication link between municipalities and the provincial government as well as with the AVMA. There is uncertainty as to how roles will change as the details of the new MGA's revisions to the responsibilities of Councillors and municipalities are not yet available. Discussion followed the resolution process and it was suggested that resolutions should be reviewed for completeness by a committee prior to being presented for consideration by the membership. LEFT THE MEETING Reeve M. Douglass left the meeting at 11:53 a.m. Deputy Reeve G. Simpson assumed the Chair. Councillor W. Hammergren suggested that two years should pass until the same resolution can be brought forward again. Further discussion occurred regarding whether one AAMDC Convention per year would be adequate and if the location could vary between Edmonton and Calgary. Page 5 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 8.5 AAMDC 2017 Member Visits Council was provided with background information on this item. Discussion followed regarding combining the two options. The AAMDC Member would meet with the full Council for one hour and then one or two would accompany them on a tour of the County. The Executive Assistant will respond, indicating that Council is open to either option and requesting suggestions for locations to visit on a tour, if that is the preference. A list of upcoming Council meeting dates will be included. LUNCH Council RECESSED at 12:10 p.m. and RECONVENED at 1:00 p.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING R. Fernell arrived at 1:00 p.m. 6. DELEGATIONS — continued 6.3 Newell Connect App Review The Director of Information & Technology provided background information on this item, indicating that Council had expressed interest in learning more about the initiatives of the Information & Technology Department. She outlined the objectives for Newell Connect, which included community engagement, improved service delivery, performance measurement, and transparency. Newell Connect O provides an additional method for users to communicate with the County of Newell. The Director of Information & Technology noted that 21 % of submissions were created after regular office hours. Prior to the implementation of Newell Connect, only the Municipal Services Department tracked service requests. The Director of Information & Technology displayed graphs showing the number of service requests received compared to the time spent addressing them, noting that Newell Connect requests are acknowledged in an average of 0.3 days. This data will be available for departments. She noted that two thirds of requests are submitted by the public and provided an overview of the statistics by department. The Director of Information & Technology displayed graphs comparing the County to other SeeClickFix users in order to determine the project's success. 4.5% of the population has downloaded the app and both the County and City have done well with regards to acknowledging requests. The Director of Information & Technology indicated that the response time can be improved. Discussions have occurred regarding when to close a service request. For instance, can a request be closed when it has been added to another system and scheduled for completion, or must the work be fully complete before the request is closed? The Director of Information & Technology indicated that SeeClickFix usage declines in the winter months. In order to keep it active, the public was engaged with a photo contest. She noted that Facebook promotion of the photo contest has been much more effective than traditional advertising methods. ARRIVED AT MEETING Reeve M. Douglass returned at 1:14 p.m. Page 6 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor K Christman and Deputy Reeve G. Simpson provided positive feedback regarding Newell Connect. Councillor T. Fyfe indicated that some ratepayers in her division indicated that they did not know about the app. The Director of Information & Technology suggested a method of promotion used by another municipality where front line staff receive a ratepayer's request via telephone and then let them know that the app exists. Councillor K. Christman suggested that magnets or stickers be sent out with utility bills or tax notices. The Director of Municipal Services responded to questions from Council regarding his department's experience with Newell Connect. The Director of Information & Technology indicated that the next presentation to Council would feature the finance system. Discussion followed regarding reports to Council regarding Newell Connect and it was determined that an annual report would be sufficient. LEFT THE MEETING R. Fernell and M. Harbicht left the meeting at 1:26 p.m. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued 8.4 AAMDC - Nominations for Climate Change Advisory Committee Council was provided with background information on this item. This item was accepted as information. 8.2 AAMDC Spring 2017 Convention - Meetings with Ministers & RCMP Commanding Officer & Assistant Deputy Minister The Executive Assistant provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. Discussion followed regarding meeting with various Ministers during the convention. Councillor A.M. Philipsen requested a meeting with the Minister of Transportation to discuss options for paving SH873 and SH876. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would determine whether a meeting with the Minister of Health would be requested. A meeting with the Commanding Officer of the RCMP "K" Division is not required at this time. Reeve M. Douglass assumed the Chair. 8.3 AAMDC Discussion Guide - Continuing the Conversation Council discussed how to respond to the questions outlined in the "Continuing the Conversation" Discussion Guide on the new Municipal Government Act. Councillor W. Hammergren noted that collaboration with indigenous communities may be difficult as there is a lack of communication. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would write a follow up letter to the Siksika Nation as there has recently been an election. Page 7 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 C-21/17 C-22/17 9. 10. The Chief Administrative Officer provided further information, indicating that there are really no major issues with the proposed changes from an administrative perspective and more detail will be included in the regulations. The Chief. Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. 0 Discussion followed regarding the proposed maximum tax rate ratio. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that the change is required to address the shortfall between residential and non-residential assessment, but for an average municipality a 5:1 ratio between the highest non-residential property tax rate and the lowest residential property tax rate would be difficult to justify unless the non- residential component drives municipal costs to those proportions. Discussion followed regarding the remaining items in the Discussion Guide. Overall, Council had no objections to any of the proposed changes to the Municipal Government Act. 8.6 Cheques for Payment There were no Cheques for Payment to approve at this meeting. 8.7 Payment Register MOVED BY COUNCILLOR LIONEL JUSS that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED O 8.8 Requests for Functions of Council 8.8.1 Growing Rural Tourism Conference (February 13-15,2017) Councillor E. Unruh provided background information on this item. MOVED BY COUNCILLOR GORDON SIMPSON that Councillor E. Unruh be permitted to attend the Growing Rural Tourism Conference in Camrose, AB on February 13-15, 2017 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS There was no Municipal Services business to discuss at this meeting. COMMITTEE REPORTS 10.1 Tourism Representative Councillor E. Unruh reported that, this afternoon, she will be meeting with the new Marketing Specialist that has been hired by the City of Brooks and the Newell Regional Tourism Association. Page 8 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 10.2 Reeve's Report \ 1 Reeve M. Douglass provided an update on the Rural Broadband Project. MDB 1 Insight will be presenting a report regarding the community's strengths and weaknesses related to economic development to the Joint Services Committee in February. 11. POST AGENDA ITEMS 11.1 Fire Discussions with Duchess - Set Date Council suggested February 6, 7, 8, 16, and 21, 2017 as potential dates for a meeting with the Village of Duchess Council regarding Fire Services. 11.2 Palliser Triangle Health Advisory Council - Community Priorities Council was provided with background information on this item. Discussion followed and Council indicated that the top three issues in health that are of most concern are the need for dialysis in the community, additional mental health and addictions services, and improved transportation. 12. INFORMATION ITEMS O12.1 Strategic Priorities Chart This item was accepted as information. 13. QUESTION PERIOD/NOTICE OF MOTION A question period and notice of motion was held. Reeve M. Douglass provided information regarding the Electoral Boundaries Commission, which is reviewing the provincial constituency boundaries. Written submissions will be accepted and there will be public hearings. A concern from the rural perspective will be balancing the population as the average population for each constituency should be around 50, 000. Discussion followed and it was noted that the results of the 2016 Federal Census will be available in February. Councillor W. Hammergren indicated that the Brooks & District Food Bank is interested in the old County Administration Building. Discussion followed and Council indicated that they were open to proposals. Councillor W. Hammergren indicated that further discussion was needed and that the Brooks & District Food Bank may approach the County with a proposal at a later date. The Director of Corporate Services provided an update on the status of the sale of Lots 7 & 8, Block 3, Plan 6336AF in Tilley and responded to questions from Council. P —&V4) Page 9 of 10 Regular Council January 19, 2017 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 2:25 p.m. Signed this —L day of , 2017 Reeve C y dministrator Page 10 of 10 0