The Drumheller town council was presented with the Town of Drumheller’s giant to-do list at their meeting on January 30.
    The five top priorities for council are the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) funding strategy, penitentiary utility rates contract, Town Hall relocation, BCF phase 2 design/committee, and forming the 2013 centennial celebration committee. The aforementioned priorities were discussed in the December 21, 2011 edition of The Drumheller Mail.
    Discussions with the penitentiary to change the utility rate contract have been promising. It is estimated that in a mere two weeks the issue will have been resolved.
    For advocacy, council and the Chief Administrative Officer will be pushing for the province to step up and provide funding to help with the rehabilitation of Michichi Creek.
    The town will also pursue a regional water agreement with Three Hills and Aqua 7 (a regional water consortium). An assessment of seniors housing is planned as well.
    Lobbying efforts will be concentrated on a few different fronts.
    The CAO will continue to work with AUMA task force in the efforts to develop a brownfields strategy to remediate contaminated sites.
    Other causes the town will lobby for are bringing post secondary education to Drumheller, expanding the water system with Starland and Kneehill Counties, getting funding from the provincial government to replace the water treatment system in East Coulee, and continuing to push for the twinning of highway 575.
    The priorities for the CAO include several of the town’s top priorities; the others are gathering proposals for the development of affordable housing in Hillsview and Elgin Hill. The CAO will also be continuing to assess options and find a resolution for the sale of the CN line that runs through town.
    Corporate Services will be focusing on developing the utility rate model. There is a perception that the rates are higher in the valley compared to other communities in the region. The town will pursue developing regional water, and changing sewer costs.
     The priorities for Infrastructure are to expand the water system, improve the aesthetics and amenities for the entrances to town, and upgrade the water and wastewater plants.
    Other projects that have continued from the prior year are the public works year relocation strategy and the Green Team efforts to encourage residents to be more environmentally friendly.
    Community Services’ major task is developing the centennial celebrations committee. Other priorities are developing an affordable housing policy, continuing beautification projects, and working on marketing the Badlands Community Facility.
    Economic Development will be continuing to implement the recommendations outlined in the Tourism Master Plan that was completed nearly a year ago.
    The priorities presented herein are merely the top projects that the Town of Drumheller is pursuing at this point in time. The list will be constantly shifting throughout the year as projects are completed or things are put on the back burner as more pressing matters come forth.

    The Dalum Fire Department  recently received new tool to handle emergencies in the area.
    The Fire Rescue Command truck is the seventh and newest truck in the Dalum fleet.
    The new truck was custom built by heavy truck manufacturer Fort Garry in Red Deer. No cookie-cutter truck would do, especially when considering the unique challenges faced by rural firefighters.
    “In Dalum we’re unique in that we’re rural, so we have to carry all of our gear with us. The four wheel drive is unique to this size of vehicle. We needed it because we’re rural and because of our hilly terrain,” said Albert Jensen, Fire Chief of Dalum.
    Basically, wherever there is an emergency the new truck can make it there.
    The list of features that the truck boasts is extensive and includes six 1000 Watt lights mounted on top, 380 horsepower, four wheel drive, a heavy duty winch system, generators to keep warm, air conditioners to keep cool (although there hasn’t been much reason to use that yet), and the list goes on.
    The new truck was commissioned to be built after years of using an old, refitted school bus to do the same job.
    “It served us well. It still runs good, but it was time,” said Jensen. “It was retired when we got it.”
    The total cost of the new truck is estimated to be $350,000. Wheatland County contributed 60 per cent of the money and the remaining funds were generated locally through various fundraising efforts. No corporate money was used to purchase the truck.
    After the design was set and everything paid for, it took eight months and an estimated 1800 man hours for the truck to be finished.
    Residents in Wheatland County and Drumheller may see, or have seen it already, throughout the area. Through mutual aid agreements, the Dalum Fire Department may be called upon to bring the new truck to an emergency anywhere in Wheatland County or Drumheller.
    “We’ve only had four or five calls with this truck,” said Jensen. “But, for example, if Drumheller had a major disaster we could be called on scene to help.”
    Residents should expect to see more unique vehicles to handle emergencies. Whereas before, rural fire departments relied on hand-me-downs from municipalities, now communities are having vehicles built that suit their unique considerations and consequently be better able to save lives.