Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Council Meeting of May 17, 2011 Crowsnest Pass

Council Meeting of May 17, 2011


Public Hearing:

1. Bylaw 826,2011 Land Use Amendment-Green Mountain Company

Favour: Lowry Toombs, Royal LePage realtor spoke in favour of the rezoning from Non-Urban to Multi-Residential on behalf of Mark Kirwin, developer from the Green Mountain Company who is interested in developing lands in West Coleman for high-density housing such as multi-four-plexes

Against – Randy Tucker, on behalf of the West Coleman Community submitted documentation against the development for Council’s review.

Mayor Decoux requested that Mr. Tucker and other residents present for the public hearing meet with Mr. Toombs and Mr. Kirwin outside of Chambers to review the concept as presented and to return when the rezoning Bylaw was being reviewed by Council for 2nd and 3rd reading.

Adoption of Agenda:

Mayor Decoux added three items under other business, Realtors Request, Lions Club and Slave Lake, Councilor Gail added one item under In Camera, Land. Councilor Londsbury added one item under other business, Councilor absence for the next G+P meeting. Motion to accept the Agenda as amended was passed unanimously

Adoption of previous minutes:

Minutes of the Council Meeting of May 3, 2011, with one slight correction. Motion to accept was passed unanimously

Delegations: None

Administrative and Agency Reports: None

Business arising from the Minutes: None

Correspondence:

1. Hon Luke Ouellette, Minister of Transportation-Bridge Funding provided by the province for the Sentinel Bridge. Motion to file for information passed Unanimously.

2. Hon Hector Goudreau, Municipal Excellence, awards given out by the province each year to municipalities achieving certain degrees of excellence. Motion to file for information passed Unanimously (Mayor Decoux advised that in future years the Crowsnest Pass will be looking at this has they will be doing many Innovative initiatives)

3. Crowsnest Community Trails Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Motion to table until take Council meeting passed Unanimously.

Committee Reports:

1. Minutes of April 11, 2011 Municipal Heritage Board, no discussion. Motion to accept passed unanimously.

Bylaws:

1. Bylaw 816,2011- Walking Trail Bylaw (1st reading) No discussion Motion passed unanimously

2. Bylaw 825,2011- Agricultural Services Board Bylaw (1st reading) Councilor Saindon asked if all provincial criteria had been met? Yes Motion passed unanimously

3. Bylaw 826,2011- Land Use Amendment (2th + 3rd reading) Concerns rose about height of units, coal in the area, Highway 3, wildlife, and green space. Motion for 2nd reading passed 4-3 (Saindon, Mitchell, Saje opposed) Motion to table third reading to give time to examine information received from residents in opposition, passed unanimously.

Notices of Motion: None

Other Business:

1. Blairmore Mobile Home Site

Councilor Gallant started the debate, concerns with displacing seniors, no plan in place for the land, did not want to see another Kananaskis trailer court situation, also the issue that the community lacks affordable housing.

Councilor Saindon raised concerns regarding where do these people go, what value would there homes have, how well this area is looked after a fact that other residents should pay attention to.

Councilor Mitchell made a motion to force the trailers out if they are sold, or if they need to be moved for repairs, Councilor Saindon made an amendment to say that new trailers could not be brought into the area, this was defeated by a vote of 4-3 (Gail, Saindon, Mitchell in support). Councilor Saje made a motion to table this issue until the Municipal Development Plan or further planning is in place this passed by a vote of 4-3 (Saindon, Gallant, Gail opposed)

2. Bylaw Enforcement Report, No discussion Motion to accept passed unanimously

3. Practices and Procedures review, Mayor Decoux spoke to the possibility that an external group could be used for this process. Motion to accept passed unanimously.

4. Three Year Budget Cycle, Motion made to review this concept prior to the next budget process beginning was passed unanimously, CAO informed council that this would be coming to the policy committee May 18, 2011

5. Approval for Commercial signage on Municipal property, portable sign at the Blairmore Liquor Store. Motion to accept passed unanimously.

6. Community Standards-Municipal Facilities, despite some concerns raised by the Public Works Director. Motion to move forward with this was passed unanimously.

7. Removal of municipal reserve designation-Coleman athletic park across from the old Coleman Collieries building. Motion to accept passed unanimously

8. Correspondence to SRD-Recreational roadways. To the minister and local MLA regarding allowing the municipal to be a part of any discussions regarding recreational roadways with the Atlas road being the highest priority. Motion to accept passed unanimously

9. Council agenda committee, Mayor Decoux felt that this would take up to much time, felt that it should be a part of the review of the G+P committee and the procedural bylaw. Motion to table to that time passed unanimously

10. Parade schedule, council members to notify Lynne Cox to their availability.

11. Appointment to the Municipal Heritage Board, Motion to appoint Gale Comin for another two year term passed unanimously

12. Realtor’s request to waive off site levies, administration still working on.

13. Lions club request, administration still working on

14. Slave Lake challenge from the town of Nanton to other communities to help Slave lake agree to defer to the G+P meeting.

15. Councilor Londsbury’s request for permission to miss the next G+P meeting passed unanimously.

Council Member reports: Usual report about various meeting attended by members of council. One exception Councilor Gail made the statement that “there are a lot of messes in this community that need to be cleaned up” I look forward to future meeting to see how he clarifies this statement, and to the initiatives he brings forth to achieve these goals.

Public Input: None

Motion to go In Camera: Passed Unanimously

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't take them long to flip flop on that trailer court issue.
All the concerns that were raised last night, they would have been there previously, nothing earth shattering in my mind.
Obviously they are a council who will govern not based on "policy and procedure" but on the political winds/pressures that blow through the Pass.

Jack

Anonymous said...

Dean two questions.

This Green Mountain Company were they the same guys that were going to develop the old Coleman mine site and then sold it to the Department of Transportation?

Have you heard anything about the Recreational department moving to the MDM?

Mike

Anonymous said...

Re: Green Mountain

Why is it that the public is not given a chance for input until after second reading, when councilors have already made up their minds and taken a public stand?

Is there any place in the Pass I can live in a quiet residential neighborhood, with some green space nearby? I mean, without the green space being rezoned for high density, or a firewood mill or a restaurant or a coal truck depot. They complain about uncertainty of the highway 3 route, but their own "anything goes" zoning is a greater source of uncertainty.

Anonymous said...

Word around town the Mayor was very rude with the CAO the other night?

Anonymous said...

Dean, as you were at the council meeting, would you comment on "the mayor being rude to the CAO"? If this is true I view it as very important…it would be revealing as to the mayors’ character

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

There certainly was some tension in the air. I don't know if rude was the right word. But definitly tension.

Especially when a debate breaks out, one almost gets the feeling that the debate already been had, lets not go through this again.
(Maybe I'm just mis reading the situation)


If you read my comments from other meetings. I get the sense that there is a little bit of micro managing going on.

Also I noticed the Mayor is starting one of the previous Mayor's habits, a councilor will ask a question of administrator to which the Mayor will provide the answer not the administrator.

John Prince said...

Sounds like the former puppet master is still pulling the strings, as de facto mayor?

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Actually John instead of beating around the bush and being politically correct (I will give you my real opinion). I get the sense that both our Mayor (Council) and CAO are not on the same page on some issues.
I get the sense from sitting at council meeting that the administration is feeling that council is micro mangaging them.

That just maybe there is going to be some difficulty with these two working together in the long term.
I stated to a fellow member of the public when I walked out the other night I will bet you this CAO is not here in 12 months.

I hope I'm wrong. I really hope I am not reading this right, anyway time will tell.

John Prince said...

Thanks for sharing Dean. My sense from what you are saying is that we are reverting back to Irwin's way of doing things (micro managing), and once again, the professionals be damned. If so, then what someone told me the other day is now pretty profound "we are starting to realize we made a mistake on who we chose for mayor".

Like you say, time will tell. The honeymoon may well be over and the fireworks could be about to start. Look for greed, cronyism and nepotism to rear its ugly head, once again.

Anonymous said...

Mr Ward have you have gone off your rocker. I have the impression that the Mayor, Council, CAO and administration are all working together to effect change. To a degree I know it will be difficult but with the skill, experience and knowledge of this New Mayor and CAO we can not go wrong.

So cut out the BS the CAO is going nowhere.

Anne

Anonymous said...

I smell some sour grapes here this new council is working very well with administration.
You will be very upset when you see the success this team achieves.

Cliff

Anonymous said...

Anne, care to comment further on “Dean gone off your rocker”. Looks like his perceptions are not so far off.

Cliff, you must be spending too much time hanging around Buddy. “Sour Grapes”…Buddy and Lisa should be satisfied they got Dean defeated but no, they continue to slander him to anyone who will listen. At least they are only using those who can not think for them self’s to spread their slander.

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHA...GREAT call Anne and Cliff!! Wow!

Anonymous said...

So Anne and Cliff do you care to comment now about your ""TEAM"".