The dissolution date for the Village of Botha is set for September 1, 2017 and on that day, the County of Stettler will assume all the operations of the Village
At the county’s regular Aug. 9 meeting, council voted to host an information night at the Village of Botha office on Sept. 11 at 7:00 p.m. to give Botha residents an opportunity to meet county council members and ask questions about how their services are changing and any questions regarding voting in the upcoming municipal election.
Due to time constraints in reviewing and amending electoral boundaries, the Village of Botha will be dissolved into the Botha/Gadsby Ward for this election.
Ahead of this meeting date, the county will be releasing a pamphlet outlining all of the services the County provides, how Botha residents can access these services and how county services may differ from the services offered under the Village of Botha.
Old County Public Works Shop
Council voted in favor of awarding the hazardous material removal contract for the county’s old public works shop to Dewar Western Inc. from Edmonton, AB.
A 2016 comprehensive hazardous materials assessment of the old county shop identified certain hazardous materials that are required be removed before any demolition of the shop can take place.
In July 2017, proposals for the required remediation services were received from Dewar Western Inc., Edmonton at $28,600, AllWest Demolition, Edmonton at $31,960, Fleet Remediation Services Inc., Red Deer at $34,900, Visco, Edmonton at $39,600, Donalco Western Inc., Edmonton at $58,430 and Building Works Remediation & Restoration, Calgary at $93,736.
After a comprehensive discussion between council, administration and engineering staff, the addition of a contingency fund to cover any unforeseen expanded work that could be required was approved with the total contract cost not to exceed $38,600.
Stettler airport upgrade
Council voted unanimously in favour of approving a $20,000 investment toward the installation of a GPS approach system at the Stettler airport.
The system would allow all types of aircraft, including fixed wing, to land using instruments only, and not have to rely on visual clues, enhancing the airport’s accessibility during inclement weather.
The total cost of the GPS approach system will be $40,000 shared equally with the Town of Stettler.
Speed bump trial
Council voted in favour of placing seasonal pin down speed bumps as a trial program in the hamlet of Byemoor.
Though the use of speed bumps on municipal roadways is not a standard practice in the County of Stettler, rate payer safety concerns related to the speed of traffic on Railway Avenue and First Street South in the hamlet have led to this trial program.
Since permanent speed bumps present challenges to winter road maintenance, a pin down type of speed bump that can be installed and removed seasonally will be put in.
Due to similar ratepayer concerns within the county, it is foreseeable that other hamlets could request speed bumps, therefore this trial program will be monitored for effectiveness, cost and public acceptance before widespread use is implemented.
Gadsby municipal cemetery
Representatives of the Gadsby Municipal Cemetery have made a request to have the rural water line brought into the cemetery to facilitate watering plants, cleaning benches, headstones and equipment and to have a convenient source of water for their annual decoration day event.
Council directed administration to bring back further information regarding the feasibility and costs associated with this request for their consideration.
Linda Stillinger,
ECA Review Reporter
