Ratepayer requests to lower road ban

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

A resident concern that there is a constant flow of fully-laden tanker transport trucks travelling everyday, all-day on Township Road 245A through Chancellor, was brought to council as it is becoming a safety risk to those in the hamlet.
The proposal was for council to consider altering the roadrban from 75 to a 50 per cent weight limitation, so the affected roads are not receiving any more damage.
They respected that the trucks were courteously staying to the speed limit, but if an accident were to happen then a revision could be necessary.
It was council’s responsibility to communicate to administration in regards to the resident in the Hamlet of Chancellor, to notify that the request to change the ban restriction for 75 to 50 per cent was not approved by council.
“I think it’s the heavy trucks, the noise perhaps and they’re big trucks and that’s the main concern. There’s no indication of them speeding, they’ve been very courteous. They’re not loaded, so they’re not doing any damage,” said Parkin.
He added that residents had to realize that trucks do make a little more noise and people have to be cautious around them, but they do have the choice to live in the area, as Husky has been on that Rural Road 211 for quite some time.
“Some of the residents didn’t feel that big truck should be going through Chancellor,” said Parkin.
The county Protection Services will continue to monitor the situation when patrol units are in the area.
“Thus far our monitoring efforts have been out there five times and there’s never been any issues with any big trucks, speeding or overweight,” said Parkin.
Fire Capital Committee
Wheatland County area fire departments submitted a 10-year Capital Purchase Plan to assist with the fire hall’s future purchases.
The county had asked the Fire Capital Committee to submit their plans and what they plan to do with them.
The committee has to adapt to policies set out with certain criteria for fire equipment. The items that will be available, but not limited to, are fire service vehicles, fire halls, renovations, additions, sheds, cold storage structures and fire fighting protective equipment.
The committee will be entitled to be the primary owner of the purchases they make with capital items.
Rockyford Fire Department has been active with this plan, as within the next 10 years they are buying:
• ATV’s/ trailer in 2015, which has $39,000 (60 per cent) funded for the $65,000 purchase.
• $175,000 worth of rescue equipment in 2016, which has $105,000 already put in.
• a $400,000 tender in 2018 that $240,000 put in,
• a $200,0000 Bush Buggy that will have $120,000 down on it by 2020.
Capital Fire Committee member and Rockyford Mayor Darcy Burke provided some insight to what this will mean to the area.
“I know, as with any municipal budgets, long-term planning is certainly a strategic way to go. We’ve been a long time getting our fire departments to this point and now we got the folks sitting down at the table and started to do this long term planning and it’s easier to finance and plan for,” said Burke.
“So what I see in 2015 … I know the ATV discussion is around some of the rescues the department had done in the past couple of years, where we haven’t been able to get into areas with the standard truck.”
He said that ATV’s will be able to take full advantage of the recently abandoned railway tracks and will be more practical in those in those tight area rescues.
“The other thing that has come to light recently is the removal of the rail lines. The other part about that is we know very well these abandoned rail lines are going to get used by ATV users and the possibility of rescues taking place. Those right-of-ways are not wide enough to get a standardized vehicle down them,” said Burke.
“One of the discussions that took place with our fire department was that access, and that’s where the ATV will make a huge difference for us.”
The funds for the ATV are on schedule as the purchase will be in on time for the New Year.
“Absolutely, that is our request for funding from the capital organization and then it will be matched with the local municipal and fundraising dollars to purchase that unit,” said Burke. “Let’s say if we have a mechanical issue, or we end up having to replace a different truck earlier then that … that’s one of the special dynamics of the capital group is that we can go to them and change this plan up a little bit. But what it is saying right now is that long-term, the next 10 years, this is what the replacement will be.”
Burke believes that this plan will be a valuable asset to operations of an emergency response.
“It’s another tool for us to use in our emergency calls and we see it as being a valuable tool in areas we can’t get to with a normal apparatus,” said Burke.
Other towns in the county that have been worked into this 10-year capital plan include Dalum, Standard, Carseland, Gleichen, Rosebud, Hussar and Strathmore Rural Fire Department.