Kneehill County residents will be seeing an increase in their water bills beginning Jan. 1, 2019.
During the Oct. 9 regular meeting, council moved to bring back the Master Rates Bylaw when there may be a water rate change from the Aqua 7 Regional Water Commission.
Since then, the Commission has sent a letter notifying the County of their increase which they had been anticipating.
The letter stated they will be increasing their rates by five per cent which means they will be charging $3.23 per cubic metre once January 1 hits.
There was discussion amongst council to have all rates the same within the county but they were also concerned about the dramatic increase, opting for gradual increments as best they could instead.
As it stands, utility accounts for Wimborne and Huxley will be set at $2 per cubic metre for the first 100 cubic metres on a bimonthly basis.
All other areas including Torrington will be $3.50 per cubic metre for the first 100 cubic metres bi-monthly.
Anyone who exceeds the 100 cubic metre limit is charged $9 per cubic metre.
Bulk Water rates are set at $5 per cubic metre with a limit of 50 metres monthly.
Anyone who exceeds this amount will be charged $9 per cubic metre.
These rate increases outlined in the master rates bylaw has covered the cost that council was presented with.
Deputy Reeve Faye McGhee moved to receive the request for decision as information and to not make any changes to the current master rates bylaw as current rates will cover the commission’s rate increase.
Potential logo identity change
Michael Dangelmaier, Kyro/Rain 51 presented an Identity Development & Branding presentation to council.
Three different logo options were presented with inspiration coming from other municipalities and organizations within the province.
All three options are not finalized but it gave council an idea of the direction they may be heading in. If one of the three designs is chosen, they will continue to manipulate the image to solidify a new look.
The largest issue with the current logo is the poor quality of reproduction.
Dangelmaier presented a number of neighbouring communities with unique designs that could play a part in the county’s new design like Rocky View County, the Village of Carmangay, Town of Sundre, and Canadian Badlands.
“The ones that tell the best stories can only do so if they are designed in a way which allows them to be utilized on everything from a golf ball to an embroidered jacket to the side of a truck,” Dangelmaier said.
The current logo utilizes the physical boundary of the area to accompany the name which Kneehill County along with other areas have done.
The presenter emphasised on turning the logo into a glimpse of what the county is like and to tell a good story.
Logo number 1 took a modern, less formal take, highlighting the four coloured strips above the wording to represent the sunshine, sky, grass and cropland, and earth and bentonite.
Logo option number 2 had an icon hovering above wording. The icon is meant to represent the dominant regional geographic features of the sky, hills, coulees and streams. Both upper and lower case is used.
Logo option number 3 had three graphic hills and a long sweeping K to start the beginning of the logo. The typeface was used to represent the western heritage and values of the region.
“What we have the opportunity to do here is create a new face that talks a little bit more about what it’s like here, the opportunity here, what does it feel like, and at the same time eliminate some of the challenges that we currently have with readability and reproducing formats,” said Dangelmaier.
“There is some creativity in there and that’s what we are kind of looking for. I think we are looking to change things up. We are celebrating our 75th anniversary and I think it’s the perfect opportunity to give us a new look,” concluded Reeve Jerry Wittstock.
As part of the 75th anniversary of the county, the interim budget has allocated an estimated $103,000 to pursue this new branding initiative.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
