MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS May 23, 2018
Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Interim CAO Named – Council named Roy Doonanco as the interim chief administrative officer for the M.D. Doonanco was the CAO for the M.D. for 30 years before retiring in 2007. His start date is May 28. He will take on the responsibilities of the CAO until a new CAO can be hired.
#2 CPTED Open House Dates and Ladies Self-Defence Class – Public Safety is continuing its series of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Open Houses. The presentations explain the theories and concepts of CPTED, give residents an opportunity to book a free CPTED survey of their property or sign out an engraver to mark their valuable belongings with a unique indicator the police can use to identify items to prove they are stolen. Open House dates are: Riverhurst – May 29; Cherry Grove – May 31; Willow Prairie (La Corey) – June 6; Goodridge – June 12; Beaverdam – June 14; Fort Kent – June 19; and Ardmore – June 21. Officer Dan Hansen has done assessments on several acreages, farms and municipal buildings. As part of the Rural Crime Prevention Program, School Resource Officer Rachelle Rupp will be instructing a Ladies Self-Defence Class June 7 at the Iron River School. Call 780-812-3332 for more information or to sign up. Space is limited.
#3 Giddy Up at Muriel Lake, and Grazing Goats at Kinosoo – Parks, Recreation and Culture director, Chris McCord told Council she was looking at the possibility of opening up the trail system at Muriel Lake M.D. Park to visitors on horseback. She said she is waiting to hear back from Alberta Parks. The plan would also include repurposing the parking lot, located above the ball diamonds, into a coral and camping area for those on horseback. The hills at Kinosoo Ridge will be alive with the sound of… goats. Parks and Rec is working with Ag Services to bring goats to the ski hill to deal with noxious weeds. There are plans to make an event where the public can come and see the goats in action.
Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/MDBonnyville for updates on these new projects.
#4 Agriculture and Waste Update – Council approved sending the new grain bag roller and a staff member to a neighbouring municipality. The municipality will be charged $1,200 to cover the cost. Council appointed this year’s weed inspectors – Matt Janz, Janice Boden, Mike Penner, Brooke McOuat, Kayla Hellum and Catherine Bonneau. The Shelterbelt Tree program was a success, with over 8,000 seedlings sold to 160 participants. Staff planted over 500 trees at the tree farm located east of La Corey on a reclaimed landfill area. While beaver trapping season is now over, Ag and Waste staff continue to remove dams on non-fish bearing streams to help mitigate flooded farm lands. The 2018 Bonnyville Household Toxic Roundup will be held June 23, at the Bonnyville Fire Hall between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information on what types of materials will be accepted. Waste Supervisor Brad Ollen hosted a landfill tour for Grade 4 students. He will be doing more presentations and tours in the fall, also for Grade 4 students. The program helps to show students where their garbage goes, and why it is important to recycle.
#5 Public Safety Update – Peace Officers assisted fire services personnel during the wildfire north of Ardmore earlier this month. Officers helped keep the public out of the fire zone and also help guard supplies and equipment after it was found some supplies had been stolen. While on a crime prevention patrol, an officer noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at a closed landfill site. A person was found inside of the landfill; however, no damage had been done. The person received a written warning and was given a ride home, as the vehicle he had left at the front of the landfill had no registration or insurance. Public Safety is waiting to hear back from the province after receiving complaints from the MLAs office regarding quad traffic on the shore of Muriel Lake, near Spring Beach. The shores of all lakes are under provincial jurisdiction. Officers also dealt with a noise complaint regarding a generator, a dog attack near Cherry Grove (it’s believed the wild dog was killed on the highway a few days later), dogs chasing livestock and running at large, and speeding and aggressive driving complaints. In the coming weeks, School Resource Officers will be running self-esteem, CSI, bike safety, drinking and driving, and drug awareness sessions, while also attending end-of-year and track and field events.
#6 Transportation and Utilities Update – Council conditionally awarded two tenders during the meeting. The conditions are based on receiving grants from the provincial government. The first tender is to replace the bridge on Range Road 490, east of Highway 660. It has been conditionally awarded to Prairie Erectors Intl. Inc. for $487,052.69 plus GST. The total budget for the project, including engineering, site inspection and contingency is $615,757.56 plus GST. The second tender conditionally awarded was for the Wolf Lake Road Re-Construction project. Council approved the conditional awarding of the project to SITE Resources Group at a cost of $2,683,532.28 plus GST, with a total project budget (including engineering, site inspection and contingency) of $3,496,532.28 plus GST. Construction crews are currently working on Township Road 605 and will be moving to Twp. Rd. 611 next. Director Darcy Zelisko said the crew should be working on Twp. Rd. 630 (Ski Hill Road) within the next couple of weeks. Dust control around the M.D. should begin in the next week or so, depending on weather and road conditions.
#7 Planning and Development News – Council gave First Reading to Bylaw LU 565, which would see part of SW 13-63-4-W4M rezoned from Rural Industrial to Agriculture. A public hearing for the rezoning will be held June 13 at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers. Council also adopted the Antenna System Siting Policy, which will put procedures in place for telecommunications companies to follow when erecting towers in the M.D. including (but not limited to) pre-consultation with the M.D., co-locating with other telecommunications firms where possible and a public consultation process.
#8 Funding Support – Council agreed to provide the World Junior A Challenge with $75,000 and will share the cost of the C2 for the world event at a cost of $25,000. The WJAC will be held in Bonnyville Dec. 9 to 15, 2018. Using the new Community Action Grant, Council awarded the Bonnyville Ag Society a grant for $5,000 to help cover the costs of three 2018 events; the Canadian Pro Chuckwagon Races June 8 to 10, the Pro-Rodeo and Pony Chucks July 27 to 29 and the Fall Fair on September 8. Council also agreed to donate a used 10-foot mower to the Ag Society. The mower was originally scheduled to be auctioned off this year. This donation will allow the society to rely less on the M.D. to help out with mowing before special events. Also under the Community Action Grant, Council granted the Bonnyville Firefighter Association $1,000 to host a floor hockey tournament on June 23. The event will help raise money for recruitment drives and to deliver programming, including Fire Prevention Awareness. Council will enter a four-player team in the Ronald McDonald Charity Golf Classic in Cold Lake June 16 at a cost of $500. Council agreed to give $2,500 for the Bonnyville Household Toxic Round Up.
#9 Briefly – Parks, Recreation and Culture is working on a grant to help build wheelchair accessible sites at Muriel, Crane and Wolf Lake campgrounds. Director of Parks and Rec, Chris McCord was also instructed to bring back information about the Cold Lake M.D. Park expansion study to a future meeting. The study, conducted in 2014, included the installation of a trailer dump station and more campsites. The department has received approval from Alberta Parks to repair the boat launch and create a beach area at Pelican Point on Moose Lake M.D. Campground. Residents with acreages having issues with the caterpillar infestation can rent a sprayer with BTK (an insecticide that will only kill the caterpillars) from Ag and Waste. Call 780-826-3951 for more information. Tax and Assessment Notices were sent out May 25. There were 125 small businesses that took advantage of the M.D.’s new small-business tax sub-class, with businesses receiving, on average, $279 in savings. If you have a small business (under 50 employees) and did not apply for the new tax sub-class, adjustments can still be made. Call the tax department at 780-826-3171 for more information.
For more information, contact Diane Jenkinson, Marketing and Communications Manager at 780-826-3171. Our website is a useful way to get the information you need. Visit: www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca Follow us at facebook.com/MDBonnyville and Twitter @MDBville.