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Starland County sets sights on Business Park development in 2024

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Starland County and its various departments had a very productive year in 2024, with its primary focus on development on its new Business Park at the intersection of Highways 9 and 27.
The County’s Agricultural Services department was incredibly busy with applications of herbicide applied to more than 750 acres of land and along over 100 acres of provincial highways and highway right of ways in the county. Staff spent nearly 90 hours along the Red Deer River inspecting approximately 15 acres of land and controlling regulated weeds in the area; the most prevalent weed which was identified was common tansy, which has been identified in Alberta as a common noxious weed.
Agricultural Services also held six educational events, including the Farmers Pesticide Certification Course and the Shelterbelt Workshop; a total of 94 people attended these events over the course of the year.
Starland County council was also kept busy in 2024, holding a total of 22 regular council meetings. Over the year, council passed a total of 11 new bylaws which have been put into place; most notably in February 2024, council passed the Regional Emergency Management Bylaw, which establishes a Regional Emergency Management committee between Starland County and the villages of Munson, Morrin, and Delia.
Along with establishing this committee, the County also focused its attention on its fire departments, completing pump tests and servicing on its eight pumper trucks which are currently in service in the County. Equipment which was old and out of service were also removed from County fire halls and either sold or donated, and replacement of department bunker gear has been an ongoing occurrence; this will continue to be a recurring cost until all departments have been outfitted with new, current gear. Starland County fire departments will also be piloting a new Alberta First Responders Radio Communications System (AFRRCS) in 2025; this is a provincewide two-way radio network for first responders, and Starland County has initially ordered six of these radios as part of the pilot. It is hoped the County will implement and transition to this system within the next few years.
There has been interest in development of a business park at the intersection of Highways 9 and 27, known locally as Morrin Corner, and this has been the primary focus of the County’s Economic Development department in 2024. At the end of 2023, the County purchased approximately 145 acres on the southeast corner of the intersection and awarded Stantec to develop the plan, including conceptual designs, area structure plan, and engineering. So far the project has received positive uptake and there is a hopeful timeline of 2026 for dirt work and tenancy.
In summer 2024, Starland County also expanded to offer a new payment method to its residents for a variety of charges from utility and tax bills to camping fees. This has seen strong response from users since becoming available. The County hopes to begin offering pre-authorized payments for utility customers in 2025, with plans to launch and implement a platform which would also allow ratepayers to obtain permits and licenses, and pay tax bills.
Starland County also launched its new, modernized website in fall 2024. Through the new website, the County will be able to provide reliable information to residents and visitors alike. This includes developing pages on the website for community events and groups within Starland County’s boundaries; these pages will provide visitors with information about the various groups and organizations in the community, and also keep people informed about upcoming events in the region.


Three Drumheller RCMP members recognized with King Charles III Coronation Medals

Drumheller RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Rob Harms (left) receives the King Charles III Coronation Medal from the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Salma Lakhani.

Three members of the Drumheller RCMP detachment were among the 135 Alberta RCMP officers who were recognized for their community dedication and commitment to service with the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal.
A total of 30,000 Canadians were selected for their significant contributions, whether to their community, province, or to Canada.
Drumheller RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Rob Harms, Corporal Isaac Chung, and Constable Dale Selbee received the awards during two separate ceremonies on Tuesday, January 14 in Devon, and on Thursday, January 23 in Cochrane.

Cpl. Chung shakes hands with Alberta Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani as he receives his medal.

Cst. Dale Selbee (middle) and K-Division Commanding Officer Deputy Commissioner Rob Hill (right) pose with Alberta Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani following presentation of the medals.
“Cst. Selbee and Cpl. Chung’s nominations were based on their outstanding dedication, leadership, and commitment with respect to the implementation and delivery of an ongoing training program at the Drumheller detachment contributing to policing excellence, specifically in the area of general duty tactics and emergency preparation and response,” shared S/Sgt Harms.
S/Sgt Harms’ own nomination for the award was based not only on his leadership, dedication, and commitment at the local detachment level, but also for his leadership and involvement in other operations within the province.

Kneehill, Carbon ink deal for CAO services

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The Village of Carbon and Kneehill County have reached an agreement that will mutually benefit both municipalities.
The pair have agreed to a pilot program which will see the Village contract Kneehill County for the services of a CAO on a part-time basis.
Carbon Mayor Travis Cormier explains currently they have an interim CAO. In this agreement, they would have a part-time CAO who would spend approximately three days working for the village.
“They (Kneehill) need a new position filled. But they are not ready for a person full-time yet. So we made an agreement with them, they are going to hire the person, and we will have them three days a week as our CAO,” he said, adding they hope to have a person in place by March to succeed their current interim CAO Jeanette Austin.
Kneehill County Council approved the agreement at their January 28 meeting.
With the agreement, the person will be employed by Kneehill, but the county is not in charge of the village, and it remains an independent entity. While serving in the capacity of CAO, the employee is to act in the best interest of the village, even if it is in opposition to the position of the county.
The village would also be responsible for costs directly related to village activities such as attending conferences. The contract is for two years, and Mayor Cormier sees it as a positive.
“It's good for us because we can piggyback on the knowledge from Kneehill County and CAO Mike Haugen,” said Cormier.
He adds this helps them fill a need that right now proves difficult.
“With the Viability Study potential, it’s hard to advertise for a full-time CAO and then tell them in the interview if the viability study goes wrong, you going to be out of a job,” he said. “With viability study coming we thought it was our best option.”


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