Village of Alix to sell outdoor movie screen

Written by Stu Salkeld

Alix village council will sell the municipality’s outdoor movie screen after it didn’t prove as popular as intended. The decision was made at the March 17 regular meeting of council.

Village Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Michelle White presented councillors with a report on the outdoor movie screen purchased by the village in 2016.

“In April of 2016 the Village of Alix purchased a ‘ready-to-go’ complete high-definition outdoor movie screen system to be used annually for showing outdoor movies,” noted the agenda memo.

“The village has used the screen four times and it was used by outside parties twice in the five years we have owned the equipment. Of these uses only once has a movie been shown outdoors.

“Recreation staff would use approximately 90 minutes for set-up and take-down per use. 

“Due to the extreme weight of the equipment public works staff would also be called on for loading and unloading of equipment before and after each movie. 

“In the two cases where the equipment was being used by outside parties an hour before the equipment was taken and an hour after the equipment was returned was allotted for staff to run through the equipment and show how it operated and, once returned, to ensure there was no damage.”

The memo noted Alix Fire and Medical Department voiced interest in the equipment, and a letter was presented from the department to this end. 

The memo noted it cost $14,566.58 in 2016, with rental rates of $500 per use plus a $1,000 damage deposit. 

The memo noted if it was sold to the fire department it could be a source of income for them, with the department noting in their letter that fundraising has been under pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The fire department offered $2,000 for the movie screen.

Councillors discussed the request. It was stated the screen was not being used as much as hoped when it was purchased and, if sold, it would at least be getting used.

Coun. Ed Cole asked if $2,000 was a fair price. 

White answered that, with depreciation over five years and the warranty expired in 2019, it’s valued at about $4,000.

Councillors unanimously approved selling the movie screen to the Alix Fire and Medical Department for $2,000.

Sound system

White presented another memo to councillors, this one dealing with the sound system from Bay #1 in Railway House, where Moonwalkers Play Centre previously resided. Staff noted the current tenants of that bay don’t need a sound system.

Village staff stated they asked the Alix Community Hall board if it was interested in the Alesis Multimix 12r sound system, and the board said they were. 

“Cost that would be associated with the removal and hook-up of the equipment would be up to the Alix Community Hall Board to cover,” stated the memo, which noted the hall itself is village property as well so councillors just needed to give their blessing to have the system moved.

Staff noted no records could be found listing the system’s value. 

Coun. Tim Besuijen stated it was a great idea because the community hall would benefit from the sound system, and noted a new public address system some time in the future wasn’t a bad idea either.

Councillors unanimously approved moving the sound system from Railway House to the community hall.

 

Stu Salkeld, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

ECA Review

About the author

Stu Salkeld

Stu Salkeld, who has upwards of 28 years of experience in the Alberta community newspaper industry, is now covering councils and other news in the Stettler region and has experience working in the area as well.

He has joined the ECA Review as a Local Journalism Initiative Journalist.

Stu earned his two-year diploma in print journalism from SAIT in Calgary from 1993 to ’95 and was raised in Oyen, Alta., one of the communities within the ECA Review’s coverage area.