Shelley Jackson, director for Kneehill Regional Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), ran through the 2015 Annual Report with Kneehill County council at the June 14 regular meeting.
Due to economic stressors, more people have been using FCSS services explained Jackson.
“More people are walking in the door who have lost jobs. [There is] definitely a lot of struggles going on in the area.”
According to Jackson’s report, 4,441 residents were served by 21 programs last year. A total of 251 volunteers donated 13,279 hours towards their communities.
Provincial increases to FCSS grants helped bump Kneehill’s revenue up to $421,587 from 2014’s $404,443. Of that, Kneehill contributed $44,639. Altogether, communities in Kneehill County contributed $101,533 or just under a quarter of the total budget.
Expenses for 2015 totalled $401,463, of which $236,030 went to organizations as grants, $165,433 went to program expenses, and the remainder went to reserves.
Water project progresses
The engineering phase of an expansion and upgrade to Churchill Water System will proceed after council approved the $1,173,090 million engineering cost from WSP Canada. Including the 15 per cent contingency of $175,963, the total approved was just over $1.3 million for the project.
The project includes construction of a 3,000 cubic metre reservoir, a bulk water fill station and over 100km of varying diameters of replacement for new water lines.
New direction for reserves
Mike Morton, Director of Corporate Services, presented council with an option to move $1.2 million into water reserves from medical reserves set aside for the new medical building.
According to Morton, savings on the building project will leave slightly over $1.2 million of unused reserves.
Council voted to transfer the funds to the water reserves for other projects.
Kids benefit from donation
A couple of kids will get to see a Three Hills Thrashers hockey game thanks to council’s donation of $350 towards the Thrashers hockey program. The county gets a half page ad in the program and two tickets, which council donated to Kidsport.
First reading for bylaw
Landuse Bylaw 1718 passed first reading and council set a public hearing date for mid-August.
