Flood waters task infrastructure

Times Contributor

 

Wheatland Infrastructure staff briefed council on the effect the recent flooding had on the Carseland Speargrass water treatment plant. The flooding and subsequent debris in the Bow River meant two of the three wells where water is drawn, needed to be capped to prevent contamination.

“It was a good excuse to revisit the wells. position and reposition them out of the flood plain level,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Manager Dave Churchill. 

Churchill stated the water delivered to the community is safe for drinking, however it is muddy and the added alum used for sedimentation is causing stress on the equipment. He said if the situation does not improve, the crews may have to alleviate things by trucking in water to residents. 

“All of the safety requirements are being met for water quality, so there is no problem there,” said Churchill.

Churchill said the crews have been monitoring the rains effect on local roads and several Councillors pointed out areas in their districts with soft areas, washouts and culvert overloads.

Reeve Glenn Koester commended public works staff on their diligence during the flood and wanted to express thanks and appreciation for resident’s patience and response to one another’s needs during the disaster.

 

Strathmore Rural Firefighting Association 

wants funds released

The Strathmore Rural Fire Fighting Association (SRFFA) is asking County Council to release their 2012 small capital funding, even though they cannot produce receipts for $33,000 of the $40,000 allotment.

“No funds were released for 2012, because at this point they haven’t provided the receipts for all the bills,” said Parkin. “The release of these funds will be a factor in helping them get back on track.”

Councillor Brenda Knight commented that adequate bookkeeping requires that the money transactions had to have some kind of bookkeeping mechanism and taxpayers require a response as to where their money is being spent.

It was discussed that County staff had consulted with SRFFA, to help with better bookkeeping processes. 

“We know there are legal issues still in the works for past accounting practises, but we could look at the request from the end of that date forward,” said Councillor Ben Armstrong.

Reeve Glenn Koester cautioned that the County did not want to insert themselves into areas where legal matters were ongoing. Councillors indicated they wanted an update of the success of previous bookkeeping consultations and indications of what was in place moving forward, prior to consent given for 2012 funds release without receipts.

They approved that Parkin meet with SRFFA and the consultative staff member, and develop a report that could be brought forward to Council.

 

Administration building upgrades and expansion

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Alan Parkin presented council with draft plans for the administration building on July 2, asking them to comment or change on some of the ideas presented.

“This is in response to Council’s direction for use and security,” said Parkin.

The plan includes building a wall in the reception area to gain more security for front desk staff, include more office space and increase security against after-hours access to work areas.

Parkin felt the front office and the improvements to the communication systems in council chambers could be achieved this year, with the building expansion occurring in 2014. The expansion would include an Emergency Operations Command Centre and an additional 16 offices, leaving land space for further expansions if needed in the future. Parkin laid out suggestions that would eliminate the extra costs of an architect. He said he had quotes from sound system, security specialists and ergonomics consultants. Overall, he anticipated the initial phase to cost $450,000.

Councillor Brenda Knight indicated that she would like to see a cost analysis for the additional front reception work and see if consolidation of the two projects would give cost savings. She was opposed to council’s decision to move ahead with the recommended plan, prior to the cost analysis. The vote was five for and Knight against, with Councillor Booth absent for the July 2 meeting.

 

Boaters block road at Eagle Lake

Residents around the Eagle Lake boat launch near Township Road 240 are seeing vehicles clustering on shoulders and blocking road access as they back trailers onto the launch to lower their boats.

“We were talking to a resident on the weekend and there was about a dozen vehicle scattered around and on both sides of the road,” said Councillor Ken Sauve.

He asked Dave Churchill, Transportation and Infrastructure Manager, if there was some way to alleviate the congestion. Churchill proposed that the roadway right of way could be widened to include parking spaces for those who were launching boats. He estimated about 12 angle parking spaces could be created.

Councillor Brenda Knight pointed out a parcel of County Municipal Reserve that could be included in the project to give better maneuverability.

“If you have a truck and trailer turning around on just a road allowance, it may be difficult,” said Knight.

Other Councillors indicated there may be push back from adjacent landowners, if the Municipal Reserve was used for that purpose. Council asked Churchill to look into the matter and report to them with various solutions to the situation.