Most of Starland County council will be attending the Rural Municipal Association (RMA) convention being held in Edmonton later this fall.
As a final chance for networking before elections, council wishes to sit down with Municipal Affairs Minister Rick McIver to discuss a couple of hot topic issues pertaining to Starland as a whole.
RMA prompted municipalities to come up with a subject or two which could possibly get them a spot with different ministers who plan to attend.
Starland council came up with two pertinent topics including STIP, the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program in how the funding scale tends to lean towards larger populations who have high traffic volumes.
Starland County, on the other hand, has a small population but still has many used roads with bridges costing upwards of $1 million or more to fix or replace which ends up the county footing the bill as the STIP grant focuses on traffic numbers.
The second topic pertains to the energy industry in that council wishes to speak about having the province push for small modular nuclear reactors as a green initiative by educating the public on its value as reusable energy and safety.
The county will hear back soon on whether they will have a chance to sit down with Minister McIver or not.
Ag disaster declared
The county is officially sounding the alarm by enacting a declaration of agricultural disaster.
On Aug. 18 during the regular meeting, council passed a motion to do so.
Reeve Steve Wannstrom stated in a letter to elected officials that “Low growing season moisture and intense heat during critical growing periods have further depleted initially low soil moisture reserves.
“This has led to severe impacts across all sectors of agricultural production.
“Livestock production has been and will continue to be significantly impacted by shortages of surface water, significant decreases in pasture grown and reductions in forage production.”
The decision comes as a means of bringing awareness and recognition of the funding under the AgriRecovery program which already includes Starland County in the 2021 Tax Deferral prescribed zones.
Rezoning parcel
An application to Palliser Regional Municipal Services for a land use bylaw amendment was received by the county from Larry Poland.
Poland asked to have the property SE ¼ 18-29-18 W4 located at and next to the Verdant Valley Hall be rezoned into three parcels from this quarter in order to keep the shop, barn, and house of the property.
Council passed first reading and will now hold a public hearing at the next council meeting.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
