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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-02-10 Council (Regular) Minutes COUNTY OF NEWELL NO. 4 0 MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING February 10, 2011 The regular Council Meeting of the County of Newell No. 4 was held in the County Office at Brooks, AB on Thursday, February 10, 2011 commencing at 10:02 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: M. Douglass, Reeve COUNCILLORS: C. Amulung I. Schroeder A.M. Philipsen R. Andrews M. Nesbitt J. Bulger A. Eastman L. Juss ABSENT: B. de Jong STAFF: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Assistant Administrator A. Wickert, Development Control Officer D. Horvath, County Planner — ORRSC K. Halsted, County Assessor M. Harbicht, Superintendent of Public Works A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant OTHERS IN S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin ATTENDANCE: C. Lindsay, Brooks & County Chronicle M. Fitzgerald, The One K. Christman, Economic Development/Tourism Committee M. Strate, Benchmark Assessment Consultants Ltd. Corp. C. Paul, Bassano RCMP L. Mak, AMEC K. Abbany, AMEC 7 County ratepayers in attendance I. EXCUSED FROM MEETING C -35/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR I. SCHROEDER that Councillor B. de Jong be C excused from the meeting. MOTION CARRIED t .._,..../„....7*0 Regular Council Minutes Page 2 February 10, 2011 II. MINUTES 1. Council (January 27, 2011) The following changes were made to the January 27, 2011 Council Meeting minutes: Page 8 — Item VIII.6: should read "...support for media/publications within the community." C -36/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR M. NESBITT that the January 27, 2011 Council Meeting minutes be adopted as amended. MOTION CARRIED III. CALL FOR POST AGENDA ITEMS The Reeve called for post agenda items. IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA C -37/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR R. ANDREWS that the agenda be adopted as amended. MOTION CARRIED VII. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued 5. Municipal Accreditation — Uniform Quality Management Plan (UQMP) & Restructuring of Planning & Development Department The Development Control Officer presented Council with background information on this item. She indicated that the ability to issue permits, particularly building and Private Sewage Disposal System (PSDS) permits, would provide the County with more control and accountability over development. The Uniform Quality Management Plan (UQMP) is the first stage of the accreditation process and contains specifications for the County's role in the permitting process. Once this is in place, a Request for Proposals will be sent out to the permit agencies that are qualified to perform the inspections. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor 1. Schroeder inquired if the County was pursuing accreditation in response to problems with developers not getting permits or following codes. The Development Control Officer replied that accreditation would provide more accountability for the Planning & Development process. Councillor L. Juss inquired about liability for problems that arise after an inspection has been completed. The Development Control Officer replied that the contracted inspection agency would be Regular Council Minutes Page 3 February 10, 2011 required to carry liability insurance and would be responsible for inspections and following up with developers. She gave an overview of the current process, where the County issues a development permit and the developer must obtain the permits directly from a list of accredited permit agencies. Under the new system, three staff members will be trained to issue permits. The file with the permits would be given to the safety codes officer in order to carry out the inspections. The County would receive all the inspection information, which would then be filed in the land file. Discussion followed regarding issues with the current inspection process. Councillor 1. Schroeder expressed concerns regarding increased costs to the developers, and the Development Control Officer replied that fees would be based on cost - recovery. The Chief Administrative Officer agreed that obtaining accreditation would be beneficial and asked if there are exit provisions if the number of available inspectors drops. The Development Control Officer indicated that she would look into it. Councillor I. Schroeder requested a cost comparison between current permit costs and the projected costs under accreditation. The County Planner noted that, since the inspection agency is guaranteed a certain number of inspections, the cost normally does not increase. The tender process will provide answers to the questions on cost. C C-38/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR M. NESBITT that Council APPROVES moving forward with Municipal Accreditation by providing municipal agreement and signatures to the Uniform Quality Management Plan for submission to the Alberta Safety Codes Council. MOTION CARRIED 6. AAMDC Request for Input — Release of Audit Management Letters The Chief Administrative Officer presented Council with a request for input from AAMDC regarding whether or not to release audit management letters to the public, indicating that the deadline to submit a response is February 15, 2011. He indicated that staff had contacted the County Auditors and their preference would be for the Auditors to deal with Council or an Audit Committee established by Council. He indicated that he has no concerns if these audit letters are made public provided that the municipality or administration is able to provide a response. He gave an overview of the issues raised in the last audit management letter. The Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. C -39/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that administration prepare a response indicating that Council has no concerns with the release of audit Regular Council Minutes Page 4 February 10, 2011 management letters to the public provided that the municipality or administration is permitted to provide a response. • MOTION CARRIED 7. Appointment of Fire Guardians The Assistant Administrator presented Council with background information on this item. C -40/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A. EASTMAN that the following individuals be appointed as Fire Guardians: Rolling Hills — Bill Dickinson Tilley — Patrick Fabian Patricia — Brad Deschamps Duchess — Gregory Witt Bow Slope — Trevor Sandau Brooks Rural — Kevin Swanson Bassano — Travis Peters Rosemary — Wilf Harder Gem — Les Douglass Bow City — Jim Ketchmark; further, that Keith R. Martin, Fire & Emergency Services Co- ordinator, be • appointed as a Fire Guardian for all divisions within the County of Newell No. 4, and that Ariana Nielsen, Joanne Wells, and Shanna Lee Simpson be appointed as Fire Guardians for the purpose of issuing Fire Permits only. MOTION CARRIED 9. Councillor Payment Sheets (December 2010) C -41/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that the December 2010 Councillor Payment Sheets be accepted with the amendments recommended by the Councillor Compensation Review Committee. MOTION CARRIED 10. Cheques for Payment The Assistant Administrator and Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council. C -42/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR R. ANDREWS that cheques 169332 to 169424 in the amount of $897,913.57, cheque 169425 in the amount of $19,759.52, driN9 and Direct Debit Batch 17912 in the amount of $54,193.65 be APPROVED. • MOTION CARRIED Regular Council Minutes Page 5 February 10, 2011 ARRIVED AT MEETING K. Christman arrived at 10:43 a.m. 1. FCM Municipal Partners in Economic Development K. Christman provided Council with an update on the FCM Municipal Partners in Economic Development Cambodian Mission and a recent orientation session she attended with the Economic Development/Tourism Coordinator and the Assistant Administrator. She gave an overview of the project goals, which are focused on introducing strategic planning in economic development to a partner community, and indicated that the Economic Development/Tourism Coordinator has been appointed as the project coordinator for the County. She stressed the importance of Council involvement, as they would like an elected official to participate in the second trip. The Assistant Administrator indicated that the first trip will involve meeting the partner community, assessing the situation, and determining the main needs of this community. A detailed plan will be prepared following this first trip. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. K. Christman indicated that the first trip will occur in the spring and representatives from the partner community will visit the County in the fall. She commented on potential accomplishments, indicating that the partner community is very welcoming and open to our suggestions. Councillor M. Nesbitt inquired about communications technology. K. Christman acknowledged that the County's partner community would be a rural area and noted that the FCM did guarantee the ability to communicate. K. Christman thanked Council for being open to this project as both a learning opportunity and a life - changing experience. LEFT THE MEETING K. Christman left the meeting at 10:59 a.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING K. Halsted and M. Strate arrived at 11:00 a.m. 2. DELEGATION - Benchmark Assessment Consultants Ltd. M. Strate gave Council a general presentation regarding assessment and the role of the assessor. He gave an explanation of what property is and is not assessed as outlined by the Municipal Government Act. He also provided definitions of assessment and taxation and explained -77-LO Regular Council Minutes Page 6 February 10, 2011 the relationship between the two. He gave an overview of how assessments are prepared and the appeals process. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Reeve M. Douglass requested that the presentation be distributed to Council. LEFT THE MEETING K. Halsted and M. Strate left the meetin 9 at 11:38 a.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING 1 County Ratepayer arrived at 11:39 a.m. C -43/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that we move into Public Hearings at 11:39 a.m. MOTION CARRIED V. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Bylaw 1715 -11 — Road Closure & Lease (SW & SE 15- 20 -16 -W4 and NW & NE 16- 20- 16 -W4) Reeve M. Douglass called the Public Hearing to order at 11:39 a.m. • Reeve M. Douglass reviewed the procedures that would be followed for the hearing. The Development Control Officer provided background information on this item, noting some errors in the report provided. The required referral agencies have responded with no concerns and there has been no response to the circulation from adjacent landowners. Alberta Transportation has indicated that access to the irrigation canal on the west side of the road closure needs to be addressed and the Development Control Officer noted that the Eastern Irrigation District has been contacted regarding this. The Development Control Officer reported that she had received a letter from PennWest Exploration requesting a 45 day time extension so that they may complete their survey plans in that quarter. She indicated that this should not affect the road closure. Provided no other issues arise, the application will be forwarded to Alberta Transportation for approval after the survey plans have been completed. There were no persons in attendance speaking either in support of or in opposition to the proposed bylaw. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor • A.M. Philipsen asked what agencies are included in the circulation. The Regular Council Minutes Page 7 February 10, 2011 Development Control Officer replied that the circulation is sent to adjacent landowners and anyone listed on the title. The Development Control Officer and County Planner responded to further questions from Council. 2. Bylaw 1716 -11 — Road Closure & Sale (Lot 1, Block 5, Plan 021 0901 — NW 28- 18- 14 -W4) Reeve M. Douglass called the Public Hearing to order at 11:49 a.m. Reeve M. Douglass did not review the procedures that would be followed for the hearing as there were no new persons in attendance. The Development Control Officer provided background information on this item. She indicated that the application was reviewed during the IMDP meeting on January 11, 2011 and provided an overview of the comments provided by the Engineering Manager of the City of Brooks. She also presented a response to these comments by the County Superintendent of Public Works, Technical Manager, and Planner. She outlined several options to proceed and indicated that the preferred option would be to initiate further discussion between the City and the County to determine a mutually beneficial solution that would provide access to the two landowners without excessive traffic disruption. There were no persons in attendance speaking either in support of or in opposition to the proposed bylaw. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor A.M. Philipsen questioned why this application was discussed during the IMDP meeting. The Development Control Officer indicated that the application falls within the IMDP area and the City and County have agreed to discuss any development issues in this area. The Superintendent of Public Works provided further background information, indicating that the City has concerns with the intersection angle. The County Planner indicated that the issues will need to be resolved before sending the application to Alberta Transportation for approval. 3. Bylaw 1717 -11 — Road Closure & Lease (Between Sect. 3 & 4- 14 -12 -W4 and Sect. 9 & 10- 14- 12 -W4) Reeve M. Douglass called the Public Hearing to order at 12:02 p.m. Reeve M. Douglass did not review the procedures that would be followed for the hearing as th re were no new persons in attendance. Regular Council Minutes Page 8 February 10, 2011 The Development Control Officer provided background information on this item, indicating that there has been no response to the circulation 0 from either adjacent landowners or agencies. There were no persons in attendance speaking in opposition to the proposed bylaw. J. Thacker provided Council with background information on this application. He indicated another road allowance used by the oil and gas companies, noting that the closure and lease of the undeveloped road allowance would not impact oil and gas activity in the area. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. C -44/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A. EASTMAN that we move out of Public Hearing at 12:10 p.m. MOTION CARRIED VI. BYLAWS 1. Bylaw 1717 -11 — Road Closure & Lease (Between Sect. 3 & 4- 14 -12 -W4 and Sect. 9 & 10- 14- 12 -W4) C -45/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR I. SCHROEDER that Bylaw 1717 -11, being a 0 bylaw to close and LEASE the road allowance adjoining the west boundary of Sect. 3- 14 -12 -W4 and the road allowance adjoining the west boundary of Sect. 10- 14- 12 -W4, be given FIRST reading. MOTION CARRIED LEFT THE MEETING 1 County Ratepayer left the meeting at 12:12 p.m. ARRIVED AT MEETING Corp. C. Paul arrived at 12:12 p.m. VII. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 3. DELEGATION — Bassano RCMP Council was given the opportunity to ask questions regarding the quarterly report presented at the January 27, 2011 Council meeting. Corp. C. Paul responded to questions from Council. jr\ iS LEFT THE MEETING • Corp. C. Paul left the meeting at 12:20 p.m. Regular Council Minutes Page 9 February 10, 2011 LUNCH Council RECESSED for lunch at 12:20 p.m. and RECONVENED at 1:01 p.m. VI. BYLAWS — continued 2. Bylaw 1719 -11 —11 LUA 002 NE 1- 20 -14 -W4 — Division 8 A — Agricultural District to CR — Country Residential District The County Planner presented background information on this item and responded to questions from Council. C -46/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR L. JUSS that Bylaw 1719 -11, being a bylaw to amend Land Use Bylaw 1626 -07 by rezoning approximately 7.0 acres (2.8 hectares) in NE 1/4 1- 20 -14 -W4 from A — Agricultural District to CR — Country Residential District, be given FIRST reading. MOTION CARRIED VII. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 4. DELEGATION — Palliser Economic Partnership This delegation will be rescheduled for a future meeting. 8. Rural Water Distribution System Registrations — Update The Assistant Administrator distributed a map showing the number and location of registrations received and indicated that the Technical Manager had included a report in the agenda package. As of the date this map was prepared, registration forms have been received for 907 out of a possible 2236 connection points. He recommended that MPE Engineering analyse the map to determine if there is an area with enough concentration to focus on with the goal of increasing registrations in that area and proceeding with the project. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that there is still interest in the system but some ratepayers have expressed concerns about having to wait up to six years for the project to be completed. He requested direction from Council regarding how to proceed, indicating that completing a detailed design will give a more accurate cost per connection. The Chief Administrative Officer responded to questions from Council and discussion followed regarding determining the cost per unit. Councillor 1. Schroeder suggested that MPE Engineering be given the information for the registrations in Divisions 7 and 8 to Regular Council Minutes Page 10 February 10, 2011 determine whether or not this could be the starting area. Councillor A.M. Philipsen inquired if there was government funding available for • the connections in Dinosaur Provincial Park and Kinbrook Island Park. Councillor R. Andrews suggested that, once the starting area is announced, other registrations will be submitted and the number of connections will increase. Councillor A.M. Philipsen suggested choosing an area and advertising for further registrations with an extended deadline. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that MPE Engineering should be able to determine area densities and asked whether Council wanted to concentrate on reducing the cost per unit based on the servicing area densities. Councillor M. Nesbitt expressed concerns with continuing to accept registrations after the January 31, 2011 deadline. Further discussion was postponed until later in this meeting. ARRIVED AT MEETING 6 County Ratepayers arrived at 1:30 p.m. VIII. PUBLIC WORKS BUSINESS 1. DELEGATION — Range Road 15 -5 H. Dyck addressed Council on behalf of the residents in favour of • paving Range Road 15 -5. She indicated that a poll had been conducted of the residents living and farming within two miles of Range Road 15 -5 to the east and west and south of SH 550. The majority of the residents are in favour of paving to improve safety and road quality. She indicated that heavy truck traffic has increased and Range Road 15 -5 is also the access road from Highway 1 to Rosemary. She commented on the benefits paving would have on emergency response times, reduced maintenance costs for grading, and dust control. Regarding the school bus safety issue, she indicated that the bus drivers are also in favour of paving. S. Dyck indicated that she was present on behalf of the group of residents opposed to paving Range Road 15 -5. She requested that the speed limit be reduced if the road is paved. Two representatives were present on behalf of the Rosemary Fire Department. M. Wiebe indicated that paving Range Road 15 -5 would be beneficial to the Fire Department as this road provides access to Highway 1 and would improve response times for emergency situations. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor A.M. Philipsen asked if there would be enough room for large trucks • turning east on Highway 1. The Superintendent of Public Works Regular Council Minutes Page 11 February 10, 2011 indicated that the engineers would be consulting with Alberta Transportation. P. Dyck, speaking in favour of paving Range Road 15 -5, commented on traffic in the area, indicating that he tracked traffic for a month and had to wait for one vehicle twice. Reeve M. Douglass asked if Alberta Transportation would be open to making improvements to the road. The Superintendent of Public Works replied that Alberta Transportation will receive the engineered design and have the opportunity to provide comments. He indicated that the County could be responsible for the cost of some improvements. He provided some background information, indicating that Range Road 15 -5 has been included in the 10 year paving plan since the rural road study was completed in 2001. The paving project did not proceed last year due to the engineering required for the sandy road base. The Superintendent of Public Works indicated that this item will be brought to Council when the cost has been determined. LEFT THE MEETING 6 County Ratepayers left the meeting at 1:45 p.m. VII. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS — continued Registrations Rural Water Distribution Syste m g istrations — Update — continued Discussion continued regarding the Rural Water Distribution System. Councillor A. Eastman noted that previous discussions had focused on the importance of large concentrations in certain divisions. Councillor 1. Schroeder indicated that the potential construction period to complete the project is a concern to ratepayers. He suggested asking MPE Engineering about the possibility of proceeding with Divisions 7 and 8 and determining the costs. If it is feasible, the landowners in those divisions can be given another opportunity to hook on and the design phase can begin. Councillor A.M. Philipsen expressed concerns with having to do a cost estimate twice if more landowners want to hook on after the cost to proceed with the current number of registrations is determined. C -47/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR C. AMULUNG that the County of Newell contract MPE Engineering Ltd. to provide updated costs for constructing the rural water distribution service in Divisions 7 and 8 and any other immediate servicing areas that make sense from an engineering perspective. MOTION CARRIED Discussion followed 9P 9 regular ardin ublishin information bulletins 9 and progress reports. Councillor A. Eastman asked how to go about Regular Council Minutes Page 12 February 10, 2011 gathering more registrations in the area chosen to proceed. Councillor C. Amulung indicated that MPE Engineering should look at the concentrations in Divisions 7 and 8 and determine which other connections would be logical to include. The Assistant Administrator indicated that they would be contacting MPE Engineering to determine whether or not the number of connections is feasible for the project to proceed, then they will attempt to gather more support from the landowners in that area. Reeve M. Douglass requested divisional maps be sent to each Councillor so that they can review the locations of requested and potential connections. The Chief Administrative Officer responded to further questions from Council. VIII. PUBLIC WORKS BUSINESS — continued 2. Superintendent of Public Works Report The Superintendent of Public Works presented his report to Council and gave an overview of the highlights. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. 3. Utilities — NRSC Report Council was presented with the Utilities — NRSC report for January 41) 2011. C -48/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A. EASTMAN that the Superintendent of Public Works' report and the Utilities — NRSC report for January 2011 be APPROVED as presented. MOTION CARRIED IX. POST AGENDA ITEMS 1. Rolling Hills Lift Station The Superintendent of Public Works indicated that Newell Regional Services Corporation (NRSC) has identified some abnormal issues at the Rolling Hills Lift Station. MPE Engineering has conducted a condition assessment based on the report they had previously provided and determined that the structural concrete has deteriorated. This lift station will need to be monitored to ensure the structural integrity is maintained. The Superintendent of Public Works indicated that he would meet with the Hamlet Advisory Committee to discuss design and replacement of this lift station. He indicated that an application was submitted for grant funding under the Alberta Municipal AN AD Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP) Program. The project could proceed with the local share of 25% to be covered by a local Regular Council Minutes Page 13 February 10, 2011 improvement and the remainder would need to be covered from reserves until the AMWWP application is approved by the Province. Council was given the opportunity to ask questions. Councillor M. Nesbitt asked if Alberta Transportation Staff had inspected the lift station. The Chief Administrative Officer indicated that inspection personnel have been to the Rolling Hills Lift Station and suggested that a meeting could be held with Alberta Transportation staff to discuss options. LEFT THE MEETING C. Lindsay and M. Fitzgerald left the meeting at 2:20 p.m. 2. Alberta Senior Citizens' Housing Association (ASCHA) Convention Councillor 1. Schroeder provided Council with background information on this item. C -49/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that Reeve M. Douglass and Councillor I. Schroeder be permitted to attend the 2011 Alberta Senior Citizens' Housing Association (ASCHA) Convention in Edmonton, AB on March 14 -16, 2011 as a function of Council. MOTION CARRIED ARRIVED AT MEETING L. Mak and K. Abbany arrived at 2:33 p.m. 3. Palliser Economic Partnership Update Reeve M. Douglass provided Council with an update from the Palliser Economic Partnership, which is holding an emergency meeting today to discuss funding cuts to Regional Economic Development Alliances. She indicated that more information will be distributed next week. X. INFORMATION ITEMS 1. Mini Bus Monthly Report (December 2010) This item was accepted as information. XI. QUESTION PERIOD /NOTICE OF MOTION A question period and notice of motion was held. Regular Council Minutes Page 14 February 10, 2011 Reeve M. Douglass requested that anyone interested in participating in the Relay for Life on June 24, 2011 please let her know. Councillor M. Nesbitt indicated that Lake Newell Resort would be hosting dragon boat races from July 8 -10, 2011 with funds raised going to local charities. She also noted that the Sage Brush Arts `Heart of Art' show will begin with a wine and cheese reception on February 17, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Reeve M. Douglass reminded Council of the Palliser Economic Partnership's Funders Forum in Tilley on February 24, 2011 and suggested that this information be forwarded to organizations within their communities. LEFT THE MEETING A. Nielsen and S. Stanway left the meeting at 2:42 p.m. XII. IN CAMERA C -50/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that we move in camera at 2:42 p.m. to discuss land and legal issues. MOTION CARRIED C -51/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR R. ANDREWS that we move out of camera at 4:23 p.m. MOTION CARRIED C -52/11 MOVED BY COUNCILLOR A.M. PHILIPSEN that Councillors 1. Schroeder, A. Eastman, B. de Jong, and L. Juss be appointed to the Technical Design Committee for the Rural Water Distribution Project. MOTION CARRIED XIII. ADJOURN Being that the agenda matters have been concluded, the meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. Signed this _ day of , 2011 Reeve Co uAdministrator