Manager of Legislative Services Mitchell Visser and Irv Gerling, Chair of the 2024 Council Remuneration Task Force presented the task force’s final report. The task force is formed in the third year of council and is made up of volunteers from the community who present recommendations for the remuneration and honorariums for the incoming Mayor and Council following the 2025 municipal election.
The task force recommended a four per cent increase to the remuneration of Mayor and Council effective January 1, 2025 which would see the annual remuneration for each Councillor increase from $25,060.88 to $26,063.32, and the annual remuneration for the Mayor increase from $47,831.16 to $49,744.41. This would also see an increase to per diem for conferences, conventions, and government meetings, professional development, as well as board and committee meetings.
This item will be brought back during a future regular council meeting for deliberation.
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Drumheller RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Robert Harms presented the quarterly Municipal Policing Report for the July 1 to September 30 reporting period.
Total Criminal Code offences are down 32 per cent compared for the January to September 2023 period; Persons Crime was down 17 per cent, while Property Crime was down 32 per cent.
S/Sgt Harms noted the Body Worn Camera (BWC) rollout will be starting this month, which includes training for officers and public consultation; it is anticipated officers should begin receiving BWCs in February 2025.
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Travel Drumheller Executive Director Julia Fielding and Board Chair Ryan Semchuk, and Destination Drumheller Destination Development manager Lana Phillips presented its 2024 updates and achievements. Tourism represented $70 million in sales, $16 million in wages, and was responsible for an estimated one in six jobs locally and a $939 million industry in Alberta.
One thing the organization would like to look to address is the seasonality of the tourism industry and try to find ways to attract tourism year-round.
Travel Drumheller held a visitor survey over the summer and received a total of 3,392 responses. Of the responses, 51 per cent of respondents were brought to Drumheller by the Royal Tyrrell Museum and 55 per cent were visiting on a day trip, with an average spend of $462 on a typical day.

Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg informed residents that, due to the ongoing postal strike, November utility invoices can be picked up in-person at the Town’s Administrative Office, and encouraged residents to sign up for e-billing to avoid potential delays.
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Council gave third and final reading to the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Committee Bylaw. The bylaw would establish a subcommittee of council which will be responsible for the approval and overseeing of programs funded through the FCSS program.
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Council gave first and second reading to Bylaw 38.24 - Assessment of Manufactured Home Communities, which would designate the manufactured home park owner as the assessed person for all improvements within the manufactured home park.
Council previously provided direction during the September 9 regular council meeting regarding the introduction of a minimum tax on municipal property taxes, which would see a minimum cost of $500 for municipal taxes in 2025.
Through feedback, council heard the minimum tax may unfairly target those who own manufactured or mobile homes in mobile home communities, where the homeowner owns the structure, but not the land.
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Council gave all three readings to pass Bylaw 37.24 - Taxation of Exempted Properties.
This item is a housekeeping item stemming from a change to the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, which came into effect in May 2024 which provides property tax exemptions for affordable housing accommodations.
Seniors lodges are already exempted in the MGA and this would affect affordable housing property Sandstone Manor.
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Council gave first and second reading to Bylaw 38.24 - Fees, Rates, and Charges Bylaw.
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Council approved a moratorium for administration to review Policy CS-A-01 - Memorial Bench Program in 2025.
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Council gave third and final reading to Bylaw 25.24 - Fire Bylaw.
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Ms. Chan presented council with the proposed 2025 Operating Budget, 4-year Financial Plan, 2025 General Capital Budget and 10-year Capital Plan.
The 2025 Operating and Capital Budget will be brought back before council for deliberation and discussion during the December 16 council meeting.