Starland County is one step closer to passing its new Land Use Bylaw.
A Land Use Bylaw is required for a municipality and is a zoning rulebook that sets building and development regulations for municipalities in Alberta. A LUB regulates what land can be used for and what size and type of buildings are allowed.
The county has held public information sessions as well as the required Public Hearing. Along the way, the county has made revisions based on information and public response. Prior to the Second reading, several amendments were made by the council. Reeve Steve Wannstrom said many were clerical and better-defined land uses. One change is that “All content regarding SMRs and Nuclear Reactor Facilities be removed from Bylaw 1196.”
The last Land Use Bylaw was passed in 2017, and according to its document package, “since that time the province has significantly changed provincial legislation and the LUB needs to be updated to align with those changes. Additionally, the province directed all municipalities look at ways to reduce “red tape”. Draft revisions are believed to reduce red tape in the Land Use Bylaw while allowing more development opportunities for landowners and citizens.”
The second reading passed at the December 13 meeting and it is slated for third reading at the February 28 meeting.

On Thursday, December 28, 2023, the Government of Alberta released an annual Provincial Flood Map, meant to better enhance public safety.
Flood maps analyze and show where water will run to during a flood and show which areas are at highest risk of being flooded. It assesses and pinpoints flood risks along the Red Deer River throughout the Valley, as well as the Rosebud River and Michichi Creek, both of which converge into the Red Deer river.
This is particularly important for Drumheller because this year it acknowledges the new berm construction.
“Flood mapping is what mortgage lenders and insurance companies use to assess risk and eligibility. If your home is shown to be in a floodway, you probably wouldn’t get a mortgage and/or home insurance may be very expensive,” explains Drumheller CAO Darryl Drohomerski.
According to Drumheller’s Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office’s website, their mission is to “Protect residents and property from loss or injury related to the perils of flood and changes in climate,” and their goal is to “Preserve the value of property and ensure risk is reduced to levels which allows financial and insurance products to remain available.”
With the new berm construction throughout the Valley, this will help with the risk mitigation and cost to homeowners for insurance.