During the regular council meeting held on March 12, Kneehill County council received the Churchill Water System Rehabilitation Report.
With this report they decided to direct administration to draft letters to existing Churchill users, outlining the details of the project.
The rehabilitation of the Churchill Water System is meant to allow all current users of the system to receive a more consistent, reliable service.
Existing users of the Water System will be required to have their service connection retrofitted with flow control and pressure regulation to conform with new engineered designs.
These retrofits will be performed by Kneehill County staff.
Laurie Watt appointed interim CAO
Council made the decision to appoint Laurie Watt as interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) as they move forward in finding a permanent candidate for the position.
She will be responsible for carrying out the powers, duties, and functions of the CAO which took effect on Wed. March 20.
Council moved to set Thursday, March 21, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. as a Council Meeting date to hold interviews with potential CAO candidates, in addition to the original interview meeting date.
Three Hills and District Seed Cleaning Plant request
The Three Hills and District Seed Cleaning Plant board of directors approached the county with a request to have a 29-year-old contract and agreement terminated.
In 1990, Kneehill County Council granted the Three Hills and District Seed Cleaning Plant Ltd. $266,666 for the purposes of constructing the facility.
Administration researched the matter, consulted with legal counsel and with the auditors regarding this request and the implications of granting this potential request.
This is an unamortized capital contribution, that is, there are no financial statement impacts to the County.
Council, after agreeing to terminate the agreement are no longer required to repay any funds, even if they do dispose of assets or shutdown which complies with their request.
Clubroot control policy approved
In January, it was confirmed that clubroot was found in Kneehill County, prompting measures to combat this issue. The Agriculture Service Board (ASB) recommended a policy to align with these preventative actions which was accepted by council.
As Clubroot spreads through soil movement, and Kneehill County offers several pieces of equipment that disturb the soil, the ASB has made wording amendments to the policy to reflect potential liability.
The board met on March 4, 2019, to review and recommend amendments to Policy 1-29-3 for Council approval.
This policy recognizes that Clubroot is a serious pest problem and supports the principle to control the spread of Clubroot which has been declared a pest under the Act.
Wimborne road closure
Accurate Accounting placed a market appraisal of $2,500 for a portion of road closed off in Wimborne, Ab.
Council accepted this price, and will transfer the funds to the road reserve account as they will sell the portion that is closed.
Robert and Nancy Ells originally requested a road closure for an undeveloped road allowance (Crescent Road) adjacent to their lot in Wimborne.
The road closure was requested in order to better define their lot and to ensure there is no encroachment.
Council determined at the time to close the entire road and to have it consolidated into the adjacent county-owned park with the exception of the lands requested by the Ells.
Road closures are governed by the Municipal Government Act and Section 22 states that a road must be closed by bylaw.
Third and final reading of the bylaw followed the public hearing and ministerial approval on Aug. 15, 2017.
The Ells were then required to apply for a subdivision in order to obtain the subject lands.
This subdivision was approved by the Municipal Planning Commission on Sept. 27, 2018.
An appraisal of the market value of the land has been provided by Accurate Assessment as $2,500 for the additional 302.346 m2.
These additional lands will be consolidated into the existing lot through the subdivision process.
Non-energy and energy related developments requirements
In recent years, Kneehill County has seen an increase of applicants wanting to develop on lands where access would be required on an undeveloped road allowance.
Previous policies allowed for cost-sharing options, which were shown to be problematic and lacked engineering requirements.
Two policies now outline the requirements for non-energy and energy-related developments on an undeveloped road allowance which council readily accepted the changes.
The policies state that before council approves a development to subdivide or develop a parcel of land, the applicant or developer must get an Engineering Review Assessment from the current municipal engineer with costs which are laid out in the County’s Master Rates Bylaw.
The developer or applicant must enter a road development agreement and may be required to engage the services of a professional engineer to undertake the subject project.
The Road Development Agreement will outline the developer/contractor’s responsibility and may be attached to the title by caveat.
Based on the assessment and consultation with the CAO, the county may require the applicant to provide a road engineering report on top of the other agreement.
In it, the report must contain full costs estimates for construction, possibly engineering/ geophysical/geotechnical reports, survey reports, design plans and road profiles, identification of gas line crossings – high and low pressure, and/or bridge files to identify and assess the need for culverts and bridges.
Acme Alumni delegation
Matt Price provided council with an update of the tri-campus recreation facility in Acme, Ab., requesting council to submit an application for the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Agri-Spirit Grant on the Acme Alumni Association’s behalf.
Council approved Kneehill County administration to submit a grant application on behalf of the Acme Alumni Association for the grant and act as managing partner.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
