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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-22 Council (Regular) MinutesCOUNTY OF NEWELL MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL June 22, 2017 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell was held in the County Office on Thursday, June 22, 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 B. de Jong ABSENT: L. Juss STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services S. Yokoyama, Returning Officer M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: S. Berry, SPEC Association for Children & Families T. Ulmer, Telus C. MacDonald, Telus L. Ferguson, Brooks & District Museum C. Corbett-Schock, Brooks & District Museum 1. 2. C-190/17 3. 191/17 CALL TO ORDER Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 10:12 a.m. EXCUSED FROM MEETING MOVED BY COUNCILLOR TRACY FYFE that Councillor L. Juss be excused from the meeting. MOTION CARRIED ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes - Council (June 8, 2017) MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that the June 8, 2017 Council Meeting minutes be adopted as presented. / AMOTION C RIED Regular Council June 22, 2017 4. CALL FOR POST AGENDA ITEMS Reeve M. Douglass called for post agenda items. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA C-192/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ELLEN UNRUH that the agenda be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING S. Yokoyama arrived at 10:14 a.m. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 7.1 2017 County of Newell Municipal Election The Returning Officer provided background information on this item. She asked for direction on whether candidates who submit a Form 3A indicating their intent to run should also be asked to provide written consent to release their name and any authorized contact information. The Retuming Officer asked if campaign disclosure and financial statements could be posted to the County website, as these items must be made available to the public. She also asked Council if they were in favor of permitting voters to provide electronic versions of identification, such as an e-mailed utility bill. The Returning Officer and the Director of Corporate Services responded to questions from Council. C-193/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR GORDON SIMPSON that written consent be obtained from potential candidates for disclosing their name and intent to run, if a Form 3A has been submitted, and for the release of any personal information provided while participating as a candidate in the 2017 County of Newell Municipal Election. MOTION CARRIED C-194/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that public documents relating to the 2017 County of Newell Municipal Election be posted on the County website. MOTION CARRIED C-195/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that electronic forms of voter identification be accepted. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING S. Yokoyama left the meeting at 10:44 a.m. 7.3 Electoral Boundaries The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. Discussion followed regarding making Page 2 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 a presentation during the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission Public Hearing on July 21, 2017 and conveying the message that the County of Newell should be represented by a single MLA. ARRIVED AT MEETING S. Berry arrived at 10:56 a.m. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that the population numbers must be known in order to build an argument, as the goal of the EBC is to have a variance of no more than 25% between the populations of the electoral divisions. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions from Council. Discussion followed. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would attend MLA D. Fildebrandt's meeting in Brooks on July 12, 2017. Council will meet to discuss the proposed Electoral Boundaries at the County Office on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 beginning at 9:00 a.m. 7.2 Maker Space Project Initiative The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. S. Berry gave an update on funding commitments received from local businesses. The City of Brooks has provided information on the cost of sharing space in the old County Administration building that they are leasing, which will possibly be covered as an in-kind donation. S. Berry displayed budget information for the various phases of the project and provided an overview of the business plan. He also gave an overview of the budget for implementation of the Magic Bus mobile maker space project. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. S. Berry responded to questions regarding the amount of funding being requested initially and then annually for the Maker Space and the Magic Bus projects. The target demographic is youth aged 13-30 years but can be expanded to include other age groups. S. Berry responded to further questions, indicating that the goal is 70% financial sustainability and it is expected that the Maker Space can achieve this in 3-4 years but the Magic Bus will require annual contributions. Councillor T. Fyfe asked how programs would be promoted and incorporated into the community. S. Berry provided information on plans for competitions and developing a local team that will enter competitions in other areas. Space can also be rented out to artists and innovators of any age. S. Berry responded to further questions regarding partnerships with the schools and user fees. LEFT THE MEETING S. Berry left the meeting at 11:34 a.m. 7.4 Councillor Payment Sheets (May 2017) C-196/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that the May 2017 Councillor Payment Sheets be accepted with the amendments recommended by the Councillor Compensation Review Committee. MO7:7p Page 3 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 7.5 Cheques for Payment C-197/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that cheque 185678 in the amount of $898,028.54 be APPROVED. MOTION CARRIED 7.6 Payment Register C-198/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR GORDON SIMPSON that the Payment Register be accepted. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING M. Harbicht arrived at 11:38 a.m. 7.7 Requests for Functions of Council C-199/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR BRIAN DE JONG that any Councillor be permitted to attend the Proposed Electoral Boundaries meeting at the County Office on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED 8. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUSINESS 8.1 Tender Award - 2017 Bridge File Maintenance The Director of Municipal Services provided background information on this item. C-200/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR GORDON SIMPSON that Council accepts the low tender as submitted and awards the Major Bridge File tender to Volker Stevin Highways for the tendered price of $214,470.00 and the Minor Bridge File tender to Brooks Asphalt & Aggregate Ltd. for the tendered price of $76,300.00 with funding from the 2017 budget. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING T. Ulmer and C. MacDonald arrived at 11:44 a.m. LEFT THE MEETING Reeve M. Douglass excused herself at 11:50 a.m. Deputy Reeve G. Simpson assumed the Chair. 6. DELEGATIONS 6.1 Telus Surface Cable (T. Ulmer & C. MacDonald) T. Ulmer provided information regarding the current inventory of surface cable and an update on progress. About 15,000 meters of surface cable is buried each year. He also gave an overview of how surface cable burial is prioritized. The Page 4 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 Director of Municipal Services provided information on the County's construction projects. There is currently good communication with Telus with regards to the EID Drainage Partnership - lines are buried prior to the drainage excavation. Councillor B. de Jong compared the amount of construction done by the County to the amount of surface cable buried by Telus annually and expressed concerns with this issue not being resolved. C. MacDonald indicated that Telus works with the Director of Municipal Services to get advance notice of construction so that cable can be replaced. T. Ulmer noted a significant decrease of the amount of surface cable that was laid out in 2015. The Chief Administrative Officer requested information regarding surface cable alignments and when they were placed, as previous Telus representatives had provided a shape file. T. Ulmer indicated that he could obtain that information, noting that the charts provided show how long the surface cables have been in place. C. MacDonald responded to questions regarding the amount of advance notice required by Telus, suggesting that a meeting could occur at the end of one season for the upcoming season. The Director of Municipal Services proposed full utility coordination meetings in the winter that would provide information on upcoming projects so that scheduling conflicts can be avoided. T. Ulmer responded to further questions from Council. He indicated that issues resulting in customers with no service are given a higher priority than customers with poor service. T. Ulmer responded to questions regarding wireless versus landline services and the amount of time required to bury the current inventory of surface cable. He indicated that this is an issue in several municipalities throughout the province and requested involvement in the planning stage of construction so that they can avoid using surface cable. T. Ulmer, C. MacDonald, and the Director of Municipal Services responded to further questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING T. Ulmer and C. MacDonald left the meeting at 12:18 p.m. LUNCH Council RECESSED for lunch at 12:18 p.m. and RECONVENED at 1:02 p.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING L. Ferguson and C. Corbett-Schock arrived at 1:02 p.m. Reeve M. Douglass assumed the Chair. 6. DELEGATIONS — continued 6.2 Brooks & District Museum C. Corbett-Schock provided background information on the Brooks & District Museum and Kiwanis Campground. L. Ferguson provided background information on the Visitor Information Centre. L. Fergu n gave an overview of various projects that the museum is involved in, including urs, a school am and museum outreach. C. Corbett-Schock explained the res ce its avai le to schools and provided an overview of the new buildings on site. L. Fe r u o provided an overview of the new exhibits and upcoming events. C. C rb tt Page 5 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 Schock indicated that a letter had been sent to the County in April requesting funding that would be used to complete a historical video project. L. Ferguson indicated that the first portion of the project was completed with funding from the Alberta Museum Association. Other funding sources were investigated as well. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Reeve M. Douglass suggested that this request be forwarded to Economic Development via the Joint Services Committee. Councillor A.M. Philipsen suggested the Newell Regional Tourism Association as a funding source. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions regarding funding allocated to the Brooks & District Museum. L. Ferguson and C. Corbett-Schock responded to questions from Council. LEFT THE MEETING L. Ferguson and C. Corbett-Schock left the meeting at 1:35 p.m. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued 7.2 Maker Space Project Initiative — continued Discussion continued. Councillor A.M. Philipsen suggested that this item be considered for Economic Development funding through the Joint Services Committee. Councillor C. Amulung indicated that Grasslands Regional FCSS had received the same presentation. Discussion followed. This item will be forwarded to the Joint Services Committee for consideration for funding through Economic Development. 9. COMMITTEE REPORTS 9.1 Recreation Board - Div. 8 (Councillor B. de Jong) Councillor B. de Jong submitted a written report. 9.2 Bow River Basin Council Councillor B. de Jong provided information regarding the Bow River Access Management Plan, an initiative to get more people on the river and understand the ecology. He also noted that the province has suggested more community-based monitoring on the river. Councillor B. de Jong responded to questions from Council. Councillor A.M. Philipsen indicated that community-based testing has been suggested for the Red Deer River as well, but consistent testing may be a challenge. Councillor B. de Jong responded to further questions from Council. 9.3 Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (Councillor A.M. Philipsen) ��o Councillor A.M. Philipsen submitted a written report. Page 6 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 9.4 Shortgrass Library System Councillor K. Christman attended professional development sessions with the Shortgrass Library Board. Sessions focused on improving processes and making meetings meaningful. The Shortgrass Library System has received funding that will be used to improve infrastructure for the regional library system. The next meeting will be held in August. 9.5 County of Newell Library Board Councillor K. Christman reported that all 2017 funding applications have been submitted and the partnership agreement with Grasslands Regional Schools is complete. Councillor K. Christman responded to questions from Council. 9.6 Tourism Representative Councillor E. Unruh asked which Councillors receive the VisitNewell 'What's Going On' newsletter. She also indicated that there are still opportunities to volunteer at the Southern Alberta Summer Games July 5-8, 2017. 9.7 Reeve's Report Reeve M. Douglass reported that she and Councillor T. Fyfe will e-mail the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference report once it has been finalized. Reeve M. Douglass attended an event where Dr. Denise Henning spoke on tying colleges into the rural economy. She also attended the Aboriginal Day celebration on June 21, 2017. The meeting between Reeve M. Douglass and the mayors of Brooks, Bassano, Duchess, and Rosemary has been postponed. The Palliser Economic Partnership's Annual General Meeting will be held June 23, 2017 in Rosemary. 10. POST AGENDA ITEMS 10.1 Proposal - Cultural Capacity Workshop Reeve M. Douglass provided background information on this item and asked if there was any interest from the County in participating. The Director of Corporate Services asked if the County was being asked to host this workshop. Councillor G. Simpson asked if the workshop was open to the public. Reeve M. Douglass indicated that she would obtain more information. 10.2 C&B Solar - Concerns with Renewable Energy Bid Procurement Process The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. Alberta Infrastructure has established a minimum generating capacity of 25 megawatts per site for approved projects, thus eliminating all but larger scale projects. C&B Solar Development has requested a letter c County that expresses concerns with the restrictive procurement process. Page 7 of 8 Regular Council June 22, 2017 Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. The Director of Corporate Services responded to questions from Council. Discussion followed. Councillor W. Hammergren suggested that a resolution be submitted to AAMDC as well as a letter of support. C-201/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR CLARENCE AMULUNG that the County of Newell submit a letter of concern requesting clarification and/or a relaxation of minimum project bid requirements for the Alberta Infrastructure Renewable Electricity Bid procurement process. MOTION CARRIED 11. INFORMATION ITEMS 11.1 Public Hearing Notice (Bassano) Bylaw 870-17 Councillor K. Christman provided background information on this item. This item was accepted as information. 11.2 Strategic Priorities Chart This item was accepted as information. 12. QUESTION PERIOD/NOTICE OF MOTION A question period and notice of motion was held. 13. IN CAMERA C-202/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR KELLY CHRISTMAN that we move in camera at 2:19 p.m. to discuss a land and a labour issue. MOTION CARRIED C-203/17 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANNE MARIE PHILIPSEN that we move out of camera at 3:30 p.m. MOTION CARRIED 14. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m. Signed this 6 day of , 2017 Page 8 of 8