G + P Meeting March 29, 2011

G + P Meeting March 29, 2011




Adoption of Agenda:
Councilor Saje added Personnel In Camera
Councilor Saindon added two Land Issues In Camera
Motion to accept agenda with additions passed unanimously

Delegations:

1. Scott Warris, Treasurer-Crowsnest Boys and Girls Club

Presented a lot of information on what the Boys and Girls club have done over the last year. Spoke to the support they have received from the community. Requested that council support them as they attempt to raise $70,000 this spring.

2. Carrie Bahr-Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami.

Spoke about the cultural exchange program with Hokuto City in Japan, she also raised with council that the high school is doing a fund raiser today (March 30) to assist in helping the Japanese recovery. She asked for council to match the funds raised. She also requested that council look into the possibility of becoming a sister city with Hokuto.

Topics for Discussion:


1. Policy Committee Terms of Reference:

Two year term for councilors,
Invitation to other people that can be drawn on for resource information needs to be more strongly worded.
Quorum should be three people two of which must be council members.
Canadian spelling of councilor should have two “l”
Should be an opportunity for public input into significant policies.
CAO stated that the policy could be posted on the municipality web site.
Motion to have administration bring back the policy passed Unanimously.

2. Large item Residential Pickup:

Request from administration to rescind the previous spring cleanup policy.
The mayor asked how and when did the program begin.
Administration stated that it originally began to clean up the community and provide a service for residents who could not get to the landfill.
Is there a limit on household furniture and appliances?
Councilor Saindon questioned the costs of last years cleanup, administration stated it was $66,000 by his calculations he came up with in excess of $120,000.
He also questioned this years budget number felt that doing the cleanup in nine days was optimistic. Felt the municipality could look at the option of contracting out the service.
Most of council felt administration should look at providing the services for the elderly and the handicapped.
Councilor Gail also agree with providing the service for the older folks but realizes that people have got to start looking at cutbacks.
Councilor Saindon asked that the municipality look at a different option, provide a loader, truck and two labours for two weeks and strategically located bins for 60 days.
Mayor Decoux felt that the public should be notified that this is the last year, or that the service will be changed and provided to a selected group, also that the public needs to understand that some services will be reduced or cut.

Motion was made to have administration bring this back to council with the input from councilors considered, Motion was passed 6-1 (Saindon opposed)

3. Equipment Replacement Policy

Motion was made to take this policy back to the Policy Committee on April 20 and bring back to the G+P meeting on April 26th. Passed Unanimously.

4. Snow Clearing and Ice Control Policy

Councilor Mitchell wanted to know how many graders the municipality has on the road, how many in Blairmore. He wants the public to know that we live in the mountains and that they can not expect to have bare pavement.
Councilor Londsbury wanted to know if the School zone definition refers to route or the area in around schools
Councilor Gail stated that there was seven bricks in the paper, felt that the papers needed to get the message out that public needs to have compassion and patience.
Councilor Gallant wanted to know if the policy was drawn up in consultation with the employees and if they were in agreement, Myron Thompson replied that the Leadhands agreed with most aspects but that there was some debate.
Councilor Saindon asked why graders were not running outside of regular hours.
Myron stated that a letter had been sent to the union requesting that double shifting being allowed on the graders for snow plowing, drainage issues etc, administration was waiting for a response.

Motion to recommended this policy to council passed unanimously.