Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Regular Council Meeting
Monday, October 4, 2021
Mayor Heather Colberg opened the final meeting for the current council.
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Director of Protective Services Greg Peters presented council with a COVID-19 update. There continues to be over 1,000 new cases per day in Alberta.
Over 25,000 provincial employees will be vaccinated by the end of November. The Red Cross staff and Armed Forces personnel began arriving in the province today to provide assistance.
Locally, cases increased by nine in 24 hours and recreation facilities have enacted the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP). Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski noted, as a result of high ICU numbers, elective surgeries at the Drumheller Health Centre have been postponed.
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CAO Drohomerski brought the amended CAO bylaw 21.21 back for third and final reading. The new bylaw gives the CAO a more broad ability to sell or purchase land not allocated in the town’s capital budget if dealing with fair market value at 90 per cent rate. This is consistent to what has been done previously. The changes also give the CAO authority to close roads for social activities as well as maintenance and construction.
Councillor Kristyne Demott moved to give the CAO Bylaw 21.21 third and final reading. Carried.
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CAO Drohomerski presented council with a subdivision time extension request through Palliser Regional Municipality Services for a one year time frame. The applicant has some concerns from the new provincial flood mapping and would like an extension to have a better understanding of flood mapping in their area.
Councillor Tom Zariski moved to approve the 12 month extension for the subdivision. Carried.
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CAO Drohomerski presented council with the 2021 Tax Recovery Auction List. Council has the option to use the assessed value of the properties from July 1, 2021 as reserve pricing or engage with a professional appraiser who would provide an appraisal report. He did not recommend the second option as many properties do not sell at auction and often agreements may be made with the property owner to try and pay owed taxes.
Councillor Hansen-Zacharuk moved to authorize the public tax auction on January 21, 2022 using the July 1, 2021 assessed property value as the reserve property price.
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Manager of Recreation, Arts, and Culture Darren Goldthorpe gave a presentation on cost recovery for the town’s recreation facilities. Administration reviewed facilities in Innisfail, Blackfalds, Ponoka, Three Hills, and Stettler, using 2019 data to compare due to unprecedented challenges in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drumheller is the only municipality not part of another county on the list, and is also the only municipality not receiving cost recovery funding. Capturing user data can help provide information which can be presented to adjacent municipalities for possible future intermunicipal agreements.
Council accepted the report as information.
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Manager of Operations Kevin Blanchett presented council with the 2021-2022 Snow Removal and Ice Control Strategy. The changes will make snow removal more efficient.
Councillor Lacher moved to approved Policy C-01-21 Snow Removal and Ice Control Strategy for the 2021-2022 winter season as presented.
Mayor Colberg pointed out an error which did not include Manor 1 on 2nd Street East. Mr. Blanchett stated it would be corrected. Council carried the motion, with the noted amendments.
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Mr. Blanchett presented the amended Sidewalk Bylaw 22.21 to council. The amended bylaw will add an addendum to the bylaw and also adds the Town will be involved in clearing snow and ice on sidewalks along the Alberta Transportation corridors of Highway 9, Highway 9/56, and Highway 9/56 (also known as 2nd Street West) due to increased build up due to heavy highway traffic.
Councillor Lacher moved first reading. Carried. Councillor Makowecki moved second reading. Carried.
Councillor Zariski motioned for council to give consent for third reading and Councillor Lacher moved third and final reading. Carried.
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Manager of Economic Development Reg Johnston brought a request for decision before council regarding the downtown multi-use plaza. A tender was posted for the project and closed on September 22. Two bids were received-$1.446 million by Chandos, and $1.675 million from Westcor.
The approved budget is $940,000. A grant extension request was sent to the Minister of Municipal Affairs citing increased project costs. If the extension is granted, the project may be tendered again in spring, which could bring down construction costs.
Councillor Hansen-Zacharuk moved to cancel the request for proposal and send non-award letters to both respondents. Carried.
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Mayor Colberg and council members took a few moments to reflect on their last term on council. Councillors thanked the public for the opportunity to serve the town for the last four years, and thanked their fellow council members for the work they have accomplished and started during their term, and CAO Drohomerski for all his work.
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The next council meeting will be following the Organizational Meeting on Monday, November 1.
Complete minutes from council meetings can be found on
www.drumheller.ca once they have been adopted.
