County of Wheatland updates

Times Contributor

 

Public works brought County councillors up-to-date on projects as some of the county’s constituents had concerns.

Public Works Superintendent Gerry Van Oostwaard indicated that crews are on schedule with road gravel and crushing and said the Chancellor area is done. There were seasonal layoffs, with some grader staff still employed doing leveling work. Plows and sanding crews are on standby as needed.  

There have been increased complaints about washboard roads, which Van Oostwaard acknowledged. He said it seems to be caused by a wet layer of ground from a wet year, followed by a dry pack in the fall. 

“Crews have been able to apply heavy gravel which was really needed on the roads,” said Van Oostwaard.

He is trying to attend to all complaints as fast as possible.

Proposal for two new graders

Van Oostwaard proposed the acquisition of two new graders, and said a redefinition of the area’s divisions might help in a number of areas. Most counties’ graders cover 80-100 miles per division. Wheatland County graders cover between 122 to 160 miles per division.  The department has two graders on standby for emergencies or breakdowns.

Two new graders would enable the crews to respond more quickly to smaller area bases.  The cost of one grader is approximately one million dollars with yearly operating costs of  $250,000. Contracting the work out was considered comparable. 

“We prefer to keep our own operators if possible,” said Councillor Ben Armstrong.

Council debated the ramifications of acquiring the new equipment, the area redesign and the logistics of where the new graders would be housed.

“Adding graders will help with getting the work done. Wheatland County is a big area to cover,” said Councillor Alice Booth.  

With budget discussions coming up, it was suggested that Van Oostwaard put in a request for one grader in the 2012 budget, with evaluations to see if another could be added in 2013.

Gleichen sewage problem

Public works would like homeowners to be cautious of putting construction material down their sewage pipes. Crews were called to Gleichen, and after digging up the street level pipe they found the homeowner’s pipe was plugged with drywall and construction material, causing a backup of the sewer. The plug was opened and jet flushed, resolving the matter.

Christmas waste management hours

The waste management sites will post the hours they will be open in the local papers. Public Works employees have consented to working extra hours so the sites can remain open longer.

Highway 1 Bypass

A majority of  the county councillors attended for the Hwy 1 bypass open house. Many were positive about the proposed changes.

“There seemed to be great movement in a positive direction,” said Councillor Ken Sauve.

There was in depth conversation about the proposed flyovers leaving no access on the north side of the highway for farmers with large equipment. 

“Some land is split and farmers are left with the option to go through Strathmore or travel six miles east or west to reach their land,” said Councillor Brenda Knight.

If the town legislates closure to that equipment the drive could be longer. It was suggested that better access roads were needed. Council will draft a letter to the Minister of Transportation with suggestions and concerns on this topic.

Gleichen Arena & Curling Club

The ground in the Gleichen Arena and Curling Club is heaving, affecting the player’s boxes and the opening and closing of doors. It does not seem to affect the slab. There was a request to have the extra water diverted into the storm drain. Public works will instead divert the water into a manhole, which will allow for monitoring and control. Future considerations would be to slope the soil for better runoff.

Eagle Shores Development

Eagle Shores Development applied for an offsite levy in August pending its road design study and development permit. County has received invoices and granted $20,000 to the subdivision this year, with the remaining $57,600 awaiting approval in 2012.

Stars Presentation

Pam IsonReilander of the STARS foundation made a presentation to the council concerning their activity in the county. 

“I have been with STARS for 13 years and I am still as passionate about it today as when I started,” said IsonReilander.

She reviewed all the reasons why STARS is a value-added foundation for the County of Wheatland, listing the ability of the call centre to link up to 100 interactive callers, air medical crews complete with two pilots, critical care nurses or ACLS paramedics with an advising physician. There is even an onboard ultrasound to speed patient care when they arrive at hospital. There are community outreach activities that utilize a training bus, and courses provided for prospective STARS employees. The foundation also participates in search and rescue operations when possible.

The call centre has currently taken 21,600 calls, 36 being from the Wheatland area. The helicopter does an average four missions a day, and it only takes eight minutes to deploy out of the hanger. Calls to Wheatland County were 33 for 2008, 34 for 2009 and 23 for 2010. Fundraising from this area is approximately $6,000.

The foundation is looking to purchase a new PW139 wheeled helicopter, complete with night vision which will transport two patients at once. It is asking whether the County will consider a two-dollar per capita donation per year. Council thanked IsonReilander for the presentation and will discuss the request at a later date.