MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS December 4 and 11, 2019
Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Public Auction Date Set – Municipal District of Bonnyville Council approved the public auction of parcels of land on the 2018 tax arrears list to be held in Council Chambers on March 27, 2020 at 2 p.m. There are currently 16 properties on the 2018 tax arrears list. To avoid a sale by public auction, all outstanding arrears must be paid in full or the property owner may enter into a tax agreement with the M.D. Council also approved the conditions of sale for the public auction. Conditions include; all sales are subject to the reserve bid and any conditions and/or reservations on the existing title; all properties are to be sold on an “as is, where is” basis and the municipality gives no warranty whatsoever as to the adequacy of services, soil conditions, land use districting, building and development conditions, absence or presence of environmental contamination or the ability to develop the subject land for any use proposed by the purchaser.
#2 County of St. Paul and Summer Village of Bonnyville Beach ICFs Approved – Council gave final reading to Bylaw No. 1718 and Bylaw No. 1711, the Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks (ICFs) with the County of St. Paul and the Summer Village of Bonnyville Beach respectively. An ICF is a new legislated requirement that was introduced in the Modernized Municipal Government Act (MGA) in 2016. Municipalities that share a common boundary must create an ICF with each other. Municipal Councils adopt their framework by passing matching bylaws that list services currently provided or shared by each municipality or provided by a third party; identify how each of these services would be best delivered and outline how intermunicipal services will be delivered and funded. Once adopted, the ICF is required to be submitted to Municipal Affairs for approval.
#3 Two ICFs Receive Second Reading – Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) Agreements with the Village of Glendon and the Summer Village of Pelican Narrows received Second Reading. Additional cost sharing and third-party agreements are to be added to each ICF before the third and final reading.
#4 Willow Prairie Senior Citizen’s Club Receives Insurance Break – At the December 6 Committee Meeting, Council gave approval to adding the Willow Prairie Senior Citizen’s Club to the M.D.’s insurance policy as an Additional Named Insured to receive liability coverage through the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) insurance program. The cost of the insurance, which is at a reduced group rate, is paid by the Senior’s Club.
#5 Agriculture Services News – Most of the drainage systems are free of blockages and have been prepared for spring runoff. Beaver dam removal is complete for the season. The M.D. will continue winter trapping in locations that are isolated and where access is challenging in the spring and fall months. The Coyote and Wolf Reduction Program began on November 1, with a positive response from the public. The program will run until March 31, with incentives paid out of $15 per coyote and $75 per wolf.
#6 Waste Department Update – The Agriculture Plastics Pilot Project started on October 1. The first truck load of over 40 plastic grain bag bales were loaded and weighed out with 10,600 kg of material. The La Corey Class III expansion was completed in the fall, with the new Class III pit being constructed and surface water runoff improved for the site. The Therien Class III Phase I expansion was completed in November. Additional work will be done in 2020. The Muriel Lake East Bin Site relocation to the Muriel View Point Subdivision was completed in November and bins are now in place. Paving and fencing are proposed in the 2020 budget.
#7 Public Safety News – The Vacant Home Check Program continues to be popular with M.D. residents, with lots of people signing up for the Christmas holidays. There is a rotating list that numbers about 10 to 13 homes that are checked daily. One benefit of the program is that Officers are patrolling in areas of the municipality that may not always receive as much coverage as the busier areas. Officers responded to the requests of the Fire Department to assist with traffic control for various vehicle and structure fires. The School Resource Officers (SROs) are well into the swing of the school year, with regular programs up and running. The Right Choices, CSI and Peace Patrol Programs are going strong, as well as numerous stand-alone sessions with students. The integration of the SROs into the school curriculum has improved annually since they were introduced into the schools 10 years ago. Officers volunteered their time at the end of November to help “Pack The Cruiser” events in Bonnyville and Cold Lake to collect items for the community food banks. A few warning tickets were issued in October and November for dogs running loose and chasing livestock. Some dogs were impounded.
#8 Occupational Health And Safety Passes Audit – The 2019 External Safety Audit was completed in November with an overall score of 81 percent. The organizational commitment, training, and hazards controls scored well. There will be some work to do on Hazzard Assessments throughout the departments.
#9 Planning And Development Update – Council gave First Reading to LU Bylaw 572 to amend Land Use Bylaw No. 1667. The amendments update the enforcement section of the bylaw, allowing variances to be approved by the Development Officer and to be consistent with appropriate legislation and boards. Council gave Third, and Final Readings, to 11 three-year-term Road Closure and Lease Agreements that received no objections during the previous lease. These include Bylaws 1719, 1720, 1721, 1722, 1723, 1724, 1725, 1726, 1727, 1728 and 1729.
#10 Council Supports NLLS Levy Increase – Council agreed, as a member of the Northern Lights Library System, to submit a vote in favour of a 1.5 percent NLLS member levy increase for 2020. The levy would increase from $10.30 per capita ($120,108.30) to $10.46 per capita ($121,974.06). According to NLLS bylaws, two-thirds of their membership must vote in favour of a levy increase in order for the change to come into effect the following year.
#11 Council Questions Provincial Police Costing Model – Administration was instructed by Council to send a letter to the provincial government, with a copy to the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA), asking for clarification on the new Police Costing Model. Under the new model, Administration has estimated that it will cost the M.D. $407,789 for police services in 2020, reaching $1.2 million at the end of the four-year program. Council wants clarification from the province regarding cost reductions or offsets for the municipally supported enhanced RCMP positions, as well as the two RCMP administrative staff, and the Public Safety School Resource Officer Program. Council also wants to know if the M.D. will only pay the province for the newly allocated RCMP positions when they are actually filled and working in the municipality. Council had grave concerns that the new 300 RCMP positions promised by the province will not materialize quickly, as the RCMP are short 250 officers across Alberta at the present time.
#12 Funding Support – Council approved a $10,000 Community Action Grant for the Grand Centre Golf and Country Club. The funds will be used for capital upgrades and programming, such as a Junior Golf Program, over five years. Council approved a $4,000 Community Action Grant Request for Diwali Night hosted by the Lakeland Multicultural Association in Cold Lake. Council approved the purchase of two tables of eight for the Bonnyville Health Foundation Gala on March 28, for the total cost of $2,000. Council approved the purchase of two tables of eight for the Hearts for Healthcare Gala on May 2, for a total cost of $1,600.
#13 Briefly – Council approved a motion to host annual joint meetings, once or twice a year, with neighbouring municipalities. Council cancelled the Property Tax Penalty and Levy on seven properties for a total cost of $10,422.61. Council agreed to cancel the January 22 Council Meeting to attend the Provincial Agricultural Service Board (ASB) Conference in Banff.