Kneehill County Reeve Jerry Wittstock called the regular County Council meeting to order at 8:30 AM, on June 27, 2023.
Councillor Debbie Penner was absent.
The agenda was approved as amended. (One item added to “Community Services” 5.5.)
The minutes of the regular Council Meeting of June 13 were approved as circulated.
The delegation from BDO Canada was present at 8:30 although not scheduled until 9:00 AM, so Council moved forward to have them present the Audited Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2022. Thirty pages of figures and comments were summarized with the statement: “A clean audit”. Commendations were expressed for the ease of the audit due to the diligence of all those who kept the records and everything being “in order”. Later in the meeting Council would “accept the 2022 audited financial statements as presented.”
Item 4.1 Coming under the Infrastructure-Roads/Bridges/Water/Wastewater/Environment presented the “Three Hills East Water Survey Results”. Of the 95 households that were eligible to do the survey, only 34% responded. After weighing the results and the options that were presented, and the amount of money that would be required to give more details, Council made this motion:
“That Council direct Administration to communicate with the landowners located in the Three Hills East Water Service Area Survey that the project will not proceed due to the lack of support from the area residents”
Item 5.1.1 Presented a “Process for Amending the Land Use Bylaw. It included some time frames that would need to be changed and so Council approved that a Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for July 18 would look at it.
Item 5.1.2 Has the title: “Public Engagement RSVP Options.”
As background this explains what “Public Engagement” is and who may attend etc.
“Kneehill County has several working supper engagements planned to provide an opportunity for landowners and residents of Kneehill County to provide their input in the Municipal Development Plan”
Administration has drafted an RSVP form that participants will have to submit in order to attend the supper meetings. There will be no cost to the participants, this is solely for us to give the caterer the number of attendees for food preparation. Council accepted the RSVP form as presented.
Council began discussing the upcoming “Growing Kneehill Events Update” but at 9:55 moved to table further action until after the scheduled delegation set for 10:00 AM.
At 10:05 the delegation Government of Alberta - Municipal Assessment Services Branch presented via Zoom, the processes and regulations of how the property assessments are arrived at, and how questions could be directed if anyone wished to challenge or have clarification on the results. This presentation went on until 10:36.
5.2.1 Growing Kneehill Event Update” This is the scheduled Market and Longtable Dinner to be held at Horseshoe Canyon on August 19. The update is to advise Council on the progress of securing the caterer, vendors and events. Activities and Entertainment continue to be finalized, the current list includes an Inflatable Farm maze and preschool inflatable barnyard, Family Farm Games as hosted by Kneehill County, Musical Entertainment being confirmed, Farm information centers being developed, and Farm Equipment on site to explore. The matter of complimentary tickets will be discussed at the July Committee of the Whole meeting. Council moved that ASB members at large would be offered complimentary tickets to the long table dinner in recognition of their service. And that the report would be received as information presented.
Item 5.3.1 is the “Kneehill Enforcement Report”.
“On May 30th, Council accepted the RCMP Reports and Kneehill Enforcement Stats report as presented, however further questions were raised. This RFD is for clarity purposes on a number of enforcement program items. Kneehill County Enforcement Statistics for January 1 to May 15, 2023: ·65 Citations under Traffic Safety Act: (46 Warnings, 19 Tickets) · 19 Animal Control files in Kneehill County · 41 Animal and General bylaw files in Acme, Carbon, Linden, Trochu and Three Hills. · 7 Bylaw Violation tickets were issued · 1 Suspicious vehicle, 5 assist Fire/RCMP · 5 School visits, 3 presentations, Volunteer week coffee · Hamlet Patrols – 91 Patrols, 11 Hours · Rural Patrols – 347 Patrols, 239 Hours · Targeted Patrols – 27 Patrols, 17 Hours”. Further stats were provided on other areas of enforcement. Council received the Enforcement Report for information as presented.
Item 5.5 Permission to Attend a Gathering was the 1 item added to the agenda. Council approved that Reeve Wittstock attend a tour of Sunterra and Solterra facilities on July 20, from the invitation of the MP, Martin Shields.
Item 7.1 was to give 1st, 2nd, unanimous consent to give 3rd and then 3rd and final reading to Bylaw 1887- Repeal of Obsolete Bylaws.
This batch of Obsolete Bylaws had to do with debentures and funds to hamlets for water and sewage development, some being dated 1946 – 1983.
At 11:15 the Reeve called a short recess before the 11:30 Delegation: RCMP Sgt. Warren Wright of the Olds Detachment.
Sgt. Wright is a native to the Olds region and is glad to have the Olds position open for him when his other posting was ending. While most of the Kneehill County is covered under the Three Hills Detachment and a small part of the south eastern area, the Olds Detachment does take in Torrington and Wimborne.
Council expressed their appreciation for the services his detachment have been providing to these communities.
Later in the meeting Council accepted the report as information as presented. And also asked that the appreciation would be passed on to the Detachment.
Following this delegation, Council attended to item 7.2 “Three Hills Junior Hockey Club Sponsorship Request.” Recognizing the role the Junior Hockey Club has in building the young people involved in the Thrashers and the contribution to the County when hosting tournaments etc, Council moved “That Council provides support to the Three Hills Thrashers Junior “B” Hockey Club, by sponsoring $500.00 from the Recreation, Community, Arts and Cultural Events grant program.”
The last item to be covered before Council went into Closed Session was the “Council Follow-up Action List.”
It was accepted as presented. The Ratepayers meeting was deemed very successful and appreciation was expressed to all who made it so.
There were two items under Closed Session.
11.1 Legal Advice (FOIP- Section 27)
11.2 Third-Party Business (FOIP-Section 16)
Closed Session ended at 2:35 PM.
Open Session resumed at 2:36 and Council approved one motion coming out of Closed Session.
The meeting adjourned at 2:39.
