Pet owners in Delburne will no longer be dogged by a hefty late license renewal charge.
A dispute over the penalty for late charges on dog licenses generated a reappraisal of the fee amount at the Feb. 13 council meeting.
Dog licenses run at $15 for altered and $35 for unaltered canines per year.
License applications made after Jan. 31 are subject to a late penalty of $50.
With business licenses running at $50 per year with late charges at only $10, several residents questioned the fairness of the late penalty amount for dog licenses.
After discussion, a motion to amend the late fee to $10 passed unanimously.
The village will refund any overpayments that have already been made.
Farm Safety Center
Council unanimously agreed to the request for funding from the Alberta Farm Safety Centre for their safety education program for rural schools.
Through the “Safety Smarts” program, rural elementary-aged (K-6) students throughout the province are offered farm safety training in an attempt to minimize farm-related injuries and deaths.
This program, offered, at no cost to all rural schools in Alberta, relies on funding from government grants and the contributions of both municipal and corporate sponsors.
The group was looking for a contribution of 15 cents per resident from the village.
With a population of 892, the village of Delburne’s contribution amounts to $133.80.
Playschool
Delburne Playschool is looking for a new home.
The playschool program operates out of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, though the building has been officially up for sale since Sept. 2015.
Although the playschool organization has been on the lookout for a new location since getting notice of the sale, recent issues with the heating system in the building prompted an intensified search.
There is no space available at Delburne Centralized School and most commercial rents are not feasible for what the playschool is funded for.
In addition, to qualify for the funding they rely on, the playschool must remain within the village corporate limits.
The playschool delegation came to the meeting to update council on their situation in hopes that the village could help unearth a solution.
Council members agreed to continue to investigate options.
Linda Stillinger
ECA Review
