Cluny fire hall gets remediation approval

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Remediation to the Cluny fire hall could reach as high as $70,000, according to figures presented to Wheatland County council.
A second option, to build a new hall, would cost about $900,000.
According to Mike Ziehr, general manager of transportation and agriculture for Wheatland County, the building was closed and assessed due to mould and some delinquent code violations.
Currently, the county has negotiated a three-month contract with Siksika Nation, to house the Gleichen fire trucks at a cost of $1,000 per month.
Because there are no current funds designated for a new hall, Wheatland County staff said the existing hall could be used if it was fixed.
At its meeting in December, Wheatland County council discussed several options, including housing the Gleichen and Cluny services in one building. All options depend on a transfer of ownership of title for the hall from the Gleichen Fire Association to the county, which is expected to be finalized by the end of January 2019.
“It is council’s responsibility to provide fire services in the most fiscally responsible way,” said county Reeve Amber Link. “You have a commitment by council that you will be provided with fire services in that area, but it is our responsibility to determine what that looks like. Council has to take into consideration where our call volumes are and we have to consider our entire municipality when we determine our fire service.”
Council moved to approve $25,000 for repair of the building, after remediation is complete. If the amount exceeds that, it would come back to council for further decision.