Town of Strathmore council in brief

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Information from Town of Strathmore Council Regular Meeting – Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020

Solar project for municipal building cancelled

Strathmore town council voted not to proceed with the solar panel project for the town’s new municipal building, following a recommendation by administration. 

The project was intended to be funded in part through a grant from the Alberta Municipal Solar Program, an initiative by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre. But even if the town received the grant, which was not certain, the investment would require an eight- to 10-year payback on the cost of the solar panels, according to Doug Lagore, the town’s acting chief administrative officer.

A sunny future is still possible, however – the building is designed such that the panels could be added if funds or new technology becomes available, he reported.

Five-year RCMP financial plan presented

The RCMP’s multi-year financial plan (2021-2026) for the Strathmore municipal detachment was presented to council.

In Strathmore, the current ratio of police officers available to respond to calls is one member per 1,033 residents, which is above the average for municipalities across Alberta with a similar population (between 10,000 and 19,999 residents), according to the plan.

The plan proposes incremental staffing increases of two regular members, one in 2021-22 financial year and one in 2023-24, and an additional municipal employee. It proposes the addition of a criminal analyst that would “facilitate intelligence-led focus towards identifying emerging crime trends and transient criminals.”

This extra staffing would cost the town an extra $300,000 by 2023, in addition to normal cost increases. The increased financial resources being requested would cause municipal taxes to increase by 2.2 per cent, reported Mel Tiede, the town’s director of corporate services. The funding will be discussed during the town’s upcoming operating budget talks, which have been proposed for Sept. 30, 2020.

Civic Centre joint use agreement approved

Town council approved the joint use agreement between the Town of Strathmore and Golden Hills School Division (GHSD) for community access to the Civic Centre, reviewed every three years, for the 2020-2023 term.

Under the agreement, GHSD has exclusive access to common facilities at no cost during school hours and has first rights to book common facilities within 30 days’ notice at no cost during non-school hours but must work cooperatively with the town. The agreement also covers such things as revenue, staffing allocation, payment of utilities, insurance, supplies and maintenance, and establishes a maintenance fund.

The motion also included a provision to explore the possibility of a joint use agreement between Strathmore High School and the Town of Strathmore for the use of the school’s theatre, a proposal that was raised by councillor Tari Cockx.

Accountants retained

Council voted to extend the term of Avail LLP Chartered Professional Accountants for two years to cover the 2020 and 2021 year-end audits. The company has performed the town’s year-end audits from 2016 to 2019, “in a very timely and professional manner,” according to town administration.

Telecommunications bylaw approved

Council voted to approve a new telecommunications antenna bylaw, which establishes a review process considering the siting, appearance and impacts of a proposed tower, public consultation requirements and an application fee schedule.

Antenna systems are approved by the federal ministry of industry and licensed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; formerly Industry Canada). Federal standards dictate that to install or modify telecommunication towers, proponents must first investigate sharing or using existing infrastructure before proposing new structures, contact the land use authority to determine local requirements, consult the public and satisfy technical requirements.

The bylaw ensures the involvement of the public and town administration in the approval process, according to the report to council. However, the approval of a proposed antenna structure is ultimately the minister’s decision. 

Any concerns regarding health and radio frequency exposure are not assessed by the Town of Strathmore, but rather should be directed to Health Canada (healthcanada.gc.ca) or the proponent’s representative.

Water utility amendment bylaw approved

Council approved a new water utility amendment bylaw, which establishes a requirement for cross-connection control devices on all new industrial, commercial and institutional developments. Also, existing developments will require either retrofits or testing and recording of backflow prevention devices. The policy will not be enforced until January 2021.

Cross contamination can occur when pressure in the water supply system is interrupted, causing backflow into the supply system. If the backflow water is contaminated, the public water supply system will become contaminated. The policy ensures compliance with obligations to the City of Calgary, will reduce the risk of contamination to the town’s water supply and will reduce the liability of customers, according to town administration.