Council Notes
Drumheller Town Council
Regular Council Meeting
Monday, April 15, 2019

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Council approved a request for decision for the 2019 Capital Budget and the five-year capital plan. Council previously held discussions but reviewed a couple new changes to the budget, not all noted here. An addition is a budget for work on the former Elks building site for the downtown plaza this summer, including washrooms ($50,000 for 2019 and $100,000 in 2020) and sound system equipment ($10,000) . A town app will be developed with a budgeted cost of $15,000, with operating expenses planned for the
2020 budget. Fifty-thousand dollars has been budgeted for a new truck for the Drumheller Fire Department Chief. Fifty-thousand is budgeted for the spray park and fountain for 2019 and $250,000 in 2020 to find out whether its leaks will be repaired or replaced.
The 2019 Capital Budget equates to $21 million, of which $12 million are funded projects carried forward from 2018, $1.17 million are unfunded projects carried forward ($142,000 for airport runway and $975,000 for repairing bridge 11 in Wayne) and $1.76 million being new, unfunded projects ($265,000 for bridge 11 and $1.5 million to assess and repair the Nacmine force water main, grant depending). The budget includes new capital requests of $6,471,900 for 2019.
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Council unanimously approved a resolution to lobby the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association about “inequitable” electricity price imbalances for the transmission and distribution charges on customer’s electricity bills. Council hopes the presentation of this resolution to the AUMA will cause other municipalities to begin their own lobbying efforts. See story on front page.
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Council heard a plan is being developed on what will be built for the downtown plaza site this summer, which will be brought to council by infrastructure services this month. The target opening of the plaza is mid to late June, and will be developed to be operational year-round.

Council Notes

Drumheller Town Council
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Monday, April 8, 2019

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Mayor Heather Colberg read a statement recognizing National Day of Remembrance of The Battle of Vimy Ridge On April 9, 2019. The town will be lowering flags to half-mast on this date.
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Council reviewed its Strategic Plan Work Priorities. Communications Officer Julia Fielding said the communications portion of The Emergency Management Plan has been completed. She also gave an update on the town progress creating an app for municipal and residential use.
CAO Darryl Drohomerski provided a brief update of the tobogganing hill project. With a new Director of Infrastructure in place, the town will be better able to further the project.
The Town is developing the terms of reference for what a Parks and Recreation Plan should look like and what other towns have completed. This is a strategy on how to develop parks and trails in the future.
Mr. Drohomerski gave a short update on dyke design. He said the work will be progressing this spring and summer.
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CAO Darryl Drohomerski presented his first-quarter report. Highlights of note include the hiring of Dave Brett as Director of Infrastructure Services and Sean Wallace as Economic Development manager. He also said a highlight was securing $55 Million for flood mitigation. He noted this will be a long project. They are also in the process of arranging Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework meetings with neighbouring communities. This is a requirement under the Municipal Government Act to find areas of collaboration.
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Drohomerski presented a draft AUMA resolution created by Drumheller regarding transmission and distribution charge imbalance on customers’ electricity bills across Alberta. They will be presenting this to AUMA in hopes of making it a lobbying priority. Councillor Garbutt praised administration for taking on drafting the resolution.
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Barb Miller Director of Corporate Services presented her department’s quarterly report. She said external auditors are on site working. The town’s property tax arrears auction was held on January 24 for two properties, but no interest was shown.
The town is in the midst of collective bargaining with the inside and outside workers for the town of Drumheller They are hoping to wrap up in early May. She presented the unaudited financial results as of December 31 and it showed a small surplus. Councillor Garbutt asked that council revisit unfunded priorities they may be able to now fund
with this surplus.
Miller also presented a list of grants each department have applied for and will be updated as progress continues. Mayor Colberg said this was a suggestion by MP Kevin Sorenson to help the town track its success.
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New Director of Infrastructure Services Dave Brett presented his quarterly report. He said street sweeping began this week, about five weeks earlier than last year. The tender for fencing for a new dog park closed on March 21 and a contract was awarded on April 1. 4 Elements Environmental Control was awarded the tender with a bid of $12,337.76 with construction expected to begin
shortly.
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Director of Protective Services, Greg Peters, gave his quarterly update. An open house for the Community Standard Bylaw is slated for April 17. Elks building demolition has been completed with minimal complaints from the community. Council has agreed to a pilot project for charging for parking at the Hoodoos for visitors during June, July, and August. The fee is $2 and will be collected by summer students.
Peters says they have been working on the Municipal Emergency Plan. He is also continuing to monitor snow melts, weather forecasts and river flows and how the town could be affected.
Bylaw enforcement is undertaking a derelict vehicle initiative.
Peters says they have compiled a spreadsheet with all residences listed that may have a derelict vehicle and will be delivering educational flyers to the properties advising them of the law, their obligations as citizens and what Bylaw would like to see happen.
Residents will be given a period of time to comply, and if they do not, Bylaw will follow their procedures with a notice to remedy and then a formal order.
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Communications officer Julia Fielding presented her quarterly report. She said they are pulling together a Dino-Branding committee.
Roger Brooks will be coming and will work on downtown development plans and branding. A crisis communication plan has been drafted. The storefront grant program opened last week.