MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87
COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS May 20 and 27, 2020
Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Mill Rate Set For 2020 – Municipal District of Bonnyville Council gave Final Reading to the 2020 Mill Rate Bylaw. In order to help out small businesses in the M.D. during this economic downturn, Council agreed to reduce the Non-Residential Small Business mill rate to 11.60000, a reduction of 80 percent of the non-residential mill rate. Council agreed hold the remaining mill rates to last year’s tax rates of 2.76630 for Residential, 5.00000 for Farmland, 14.50000 for Non-Residential, and 14.50000 for Machinery & Equipment. During the 2020 budget deliberations, Council estimated the M.D. would collect $62,315,057 in municipal taxes to fund expenditures. Council agreed to fund the shortfall between the budgeted amount and the amount to be collected through municipal taxes of $1,471,273 through Cash Flow reserves.
#2 ID No. 349 Funding Confirmed – The 2018-2019 Improvement District (ID) No. 349 funding was confirmed in a letter from Minister of Municipal Affairs Kaycee Madu. The M.D. will receive $4.4 million ($2.2 million per year) for costs related to the maintenance and upkeep of the La Corey North Resource Road. In his letter, Madu stated that “It is a priority for me that work continues towards a long-term solution for the region. It is my expectation, as we gradually return to more normal conditions, my ministry and the communities in the region will refocus attention on developing a long-term solution for the sustainability of the region that no longer includes ID No. 349 as a separate entity. Until a long-term solution is in place, no further funding from ID No. 349 revenue will be disbursed.”
The funding will be received once Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework agreements have been completed with the province, City of Cold Lake and Town of Bonnyville.
#3 Cold Lake M.D. Park Expansion Plan Approved – The plan for the Cold Lake Campground Expansion Project was approved by Council on May 20. An additional 84 sites, including accessible, RV pull through and tenting sites, are being added to the M.D. park. As there is more of a demand for RV lots, only 10 tenting sites will be added. The majority of existing sites will remain in service, except for lots 56 and 57, which may be lost when a drainage issue is fixed. The snowmobile trail access to the Trans-Canada Trail will not be affected by the expansion. Construction is scheduled to begin in September.
#4 Roadside Cleanup Program Gets Underway – The Roadside Cleanup Program is running from May 30 to June 21, before the ditch mowing program begins. With the Public Health Orders changing to allow for a group of up to 50 people to gather in outdoor settings, the M.D. has made some modifications to accommodate the program. Physical distancing of two metres must be maintained for individuals from different households. Gloves must be used by participants. Groups will be doing roadside cleanups mainly in the evenings and on weekends. Please be sure to drive cautiously when you spot these volunteers.
#5 Riverhurst Bin Site – Residents near Riverhurst are appealing a Municipal Planning Commission decision to relocate the Riverhurst Bin Site from the Riverhurst Hall to a new location on Range Road 433, south of Highway 55. After receiving several resident concerns about the new site, Council has directed staff to investigate other options for the bin site. This includes an option of buying land to establish a large bin site or removing the bin site completely and expanding hours at the Hilda Lake Landfill. Staff have also been directed to conduct a survey of local residents who utilize the site, to see what options they would prefer.
#6 Speed Limit Policy Adopted – Council adopted Speed Limit Policy 5C.017 to establish a framework to use when requests are made to reduce or increase the speed limit on a particular municipal road or section of road. The Province of Alberta prescribes that rural roads have a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h, unless otherwise posted, the municipality has the authority to set alternate speed limits. The Speed Limit Procedure outlines that speed limits must be evidence-led and self-explaining and should reinforce road users’ assessments of the appropriate speed for a given road situation. Speed limits should be established in a consistent manner that reflects the expectation of all road users. Administration will be conducting a review of the speed limits within the municipality and will bring back a report for Council later this year.
#7 Fuel And Oil Supply Tender Awarded – Once Council rescinded the April 22 Motion 20.215 to reject all tenders received for the three-year (2020-2023) Fuel and Oil Supply and Cardlock Supply Contract, Council then approved awarding the $1,194,569 contract to RMA (Rural Municipalities of Alberta) Fuel as per the tendered prices submitted on April 14. Based on legal advice, administration was directed to bring forward the original tender results for reconsideration by Council. Seven bids were received, and a bid analysis was completed for compliance and price comparison of all bids received based on rack prices as of March 27, 2020.
#8 Upgrading Fibre Connectivity And Internet Service – Council approved the selection of MCSNet for the Internet and Fibre Connectivity Project, with an additional operating budget cost of $23,400 per year starting with the 2021 budget. Administration is looking to improve the internet connectivity and implement ultra-highspeed connection between the two main office locations – Administration and Infrastructure Services. The upgrade will double the speed of internet service, which will improve data backup, create a disaster recovery site, and provide faster access to Cloud services.
#9 Getting The Word Out – Council accepted, as information, the overview presented by the Planning & Community Services General Manager that outlined where planning and development information can be found. The department has a variety of brochures, pamphlets, and application forms available for pickup at the main administrative office. Many of these brochures and forms are also readily available on the M.D. website at md.bonnyville.ab.ca. These include development and building permits, safety codes permits, inspection services, fee schedules, maps, rural addressing, rezoning regulations, subdivision forms packages, and environmental bylaws.
#10 Cold Lake Air Show Support – Council agreed to maintain the same $40,000 Safety Sponsorship Level for the 2022 4 Wing Cold Lake Air Show. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Cold Lake Air Show has been cancelled. The next scheduled event is for 2022.
#11 Briefly – Council agreed to supply the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Foundation with $1,000 to help supply raised garden beds for seniors in our community. Good news for residents who enjoy the M.D.’s door-to-door waste collection program – a new truck is on its way. There have been a few service delays over the past month due to equipment malfunction. The new truck was supposed to be here in May, but the COVID-19 situation delayed the delivery of the specialized vehicle.