Wednesday, May 11, 2011

G + P Meeting May 10, 2011

G + P Meeting May 10, 2011


Adoption of Agenda:

Items added under Topics of Discussion
9. Municipal Office, 10. Atlas Road, 11. Community Standards 12. 13 ways to kill a community.
Motion to accept agenda with additions passed unanimously

Delegations:

1. Dan Mckim-Member of Livingston Landowners Group
Presented a lot of information on the impact of the Micrex Burmis Magnetite Mine Proposal.

Topics for Discussion:

1. Crowsnest Community Trails Bylaw:
Proposed bylaw regarding the community trails,
After some questions about hours of operation, restrictions on the use of poles, and horses not allowed on the trails. Process for cleaning the trails. Motion to recommended this bylaw to council passed unanimously

2. Agricultural Services Board Bylaw:
No discussion, Motion to recommend this bylaw to council passed unanimously.

3. Blairmore Mobile Home Sites.
The Municipality owns a numbers of mobile trailer lots along the Crowsnest River at the east end of Blairmore. Which it in turn rents out 10-12 lots to mobile trailer. Which in some cases were there prior to the Municipality being formed in 1979? A motion was moved by Councilor Londsbury to give the residents six years notice to remove their trailers, with the understanding that if the residents sold the trailers prior to that timeframe they would be forced to move the trailers and/or if the municipality needed access to the waterline that runs under the trailers they would be forced to move them. Mayor Decoux made a friendly amendment to reduce the time frame to four years, which was accepted. The question was asked if there was any specific plans for the land (No), it was also made clear that there was no trailer courts for these people to move their trailers to, and that most residents were opposed to them being placed in R1 areas.
Motion to recommend this policy to council passed by a vote of 5-2 with Councilors Gail and Gallant opposed.

4. Bylaw Implementation Report:
Concerns about the efforts of the bylaw office being communicated to council and the public. Motion made that a report regarding this issue will be presented to council on a quarterly basis. Motion to recommended this policy to council passed unanimously

5. Practices and Procedures review.
Council desires to see a process put in place where every department would review all of its practices and procedures on a rotational basis every five years. After some debate between council and administration about the vagueness of the request and the lack of funds within the budget process to carry this out it was agreed that it would begin in the early part of 2012 beginning with the public works department. With discussion during the next budget, process to allow for any costs incurred. Motion to recommended this policy to council passed unanimously

6.  Sustainability Review.
Administration informed council that they are two thirds of the way through this process that they will be bringing it back to council in 2-3 weeks.

7. Budget Format.
Mayor Decoux spoke about the difficulty of a new council dealing with a budget shortly after being elected and the large amount of time involved with dealing with it. Suggested that the budget should be done on a three-year basis. The CAO stated that they are already working on this and will be bringing back to council at the next G+P meeting.

8. Council agenda:
Mayor Decoux felt that councils have become to dependent on Administration to set agenda’s for council meetings. He believes that the agenda is no longer reflective of the issues that concern the community. Feels that a new committee needs to put in to place that would meet once or twice a week as required comprised of a number of councilors and administrators to put together a Council agenda. At this point, the strangest thing happened Mayor Decoux turned to Councilor Mitchell and said go ahead and make the motion, Councilor Mitchell responded with isn’t Councilor Gail making this motion. (????? Maybe I missed something?????) Motion to recommended this policy to council passed unanimously

9. Municipal Office.
Mayor Decoux raised the issue of the present building not providing sufficient space for the present staff plus new additions, as heard that one department is considering moving out of the office. He made it clear that council would like to see Administration bring in outside assistance to help with a reconfiguration of the office that would allow all departments to be fitted into the existing office. A motion was made to bring this back to the next G+P meeting, which passed unanimously.

10. Atlas Road.
In a meeting with Spray Lakes the concern was raised about maintaining the Atlas Road, Spray Lakes logging operations in that area are coming to an end, they are looking for assistance as to who is going to maintain the road, or as to if SRD will force them to return what is a very popular road to its original condition. A motion was made to send a letter to SRD and the local MLA requesting that the municipality become a stakeholder in that process. Motion was passed unanimously.

11. Community Standards.
Discussion regarding the enhancement of the community and the continued enforcement by the municipality. Council felt that the community as been given a year to clean up. Council is going to work on this issue at the next policy committee meeting, which all of council will be invited to, but Councilor Mitchell stated it would not be open to the media or the public. Councilor Saindon made a Motion that the municipality must clean up all of its properties of any derelict or obsolete vehicles or equipment within the next thirty days. This motion was passed unanimously.

12. 13 ways to kill a community:
Councilor Gail spoke about a presentation he attended in Pincher Creek, put on by the Chamber of commerce regarding Doug Griffths and his book 13 ways to kill a community. Felt the presentation was very good and would be valuable to work with the Chamber in the Pass to do the same presentation. The rest of Council agree with this and asked administration to contact the Chamber to look at this.

In Camera: None

Motion to adjourn: Passed unanimously.

15 comments:

peter rosner said...

so this is councils answer to affordable housing sounds an awful lot like what a previous council did to the residents in the Coleman trailer park years ago. How do we end up with councillers that look down their nose at those that dont meet their standards.

Jack said...

In regards to item # 8 it seems to me that there is a lot of secret meetings going on. Where is the newspapers now? Who says you can not by the press. Tell us Lisa why is it ok for this council to have secret meetings?????

Anonymous said...

Councilor Mitchell stated it would not be open to the media or the public

The Municipal Government Act says these meetings must be open to the public, with a few exceptions related to the privacy act.

Anonymous said...

Councilor Saindon made a Motion that the municipality must clean up all of its properties of any derelict or obsolete vehicles or equipment within the next thirty days. This motion was passed unanimously.

Does this include all municipally owned land including sidewalks, boulevards and land bordering the river, etc.?

I guess we will have to wait for the official minutes with the precise wording. When will that be - 30 days?

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Peter at one point Mayor Decoux asked if anybody was interested in going with one year, which had no takers.

Anonymous said...

Dean what are they going to do with the land.
Remember they kicked those poor folks out of the trailer court in Coleman, the only thing there today is weeds.

Jessie

Anonymous said...

Early in the year mayor Decoux stated that council would deal with the Bridgecreek land in April of 2011.It Is now May ,2011, and I have not heard of this issue being dealt with.
Unless it was discussed in one of those special "in camera" sessions??
Yes Item number 8 reeks of more secret meetings. Just more corruption in the cnp?

John Prince said...

13 ways to kill a community

Anonymous said...

Dean are you sure your recollection of the meeting is accurate?

Cliff

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Cliff

I was at the meeting if somebody else was there that can tell me I was inaccurate I would be glad to change my comments.

Anonymous said...

So they are going to form a committee to ensure that the communities and council issues are on the council agenda's.
Why don't they just have a simple process where any councillor can add an item to the agenda by a certain date then magically its actually appears on the agenda for the next meeting.
If it makes all parties feel better the policy committee could even draw up a new policy that says that.

Anonymous said...

#8 is pure comedy.

"Mayor Decoux turned to Councilor Mitchell and said go ahead and make the motion, Councilor Mitchell responded with isn’t Councilor Gail making this motion."

Oh boy.

Anonymous said...

The comedy is really only just beginning, notice how they gave the advertising to both papers.
Prior to having a policy in place, once that issue faded away with the general public.
Did anybody hear when they completed the "advertising policy" I have not seen anything on this or any other blog.

Dean can we find out when this will be complete, or are they afarid of completing it.

So what happens now if they come back with a policy that the town put advertising out for tender?

I know what you are going to say Dean but remember there once was a man that parted the Red Sea.

Anonymous said...

Dean

There was a rumour floating around that the Recreation Department was moving up to the MDM.
The information coming out of the G+P meeting certainly seems to contradict that.

Any possibility that Decoux and his followers are not going to follow through with all the new jobs?

Margaret

Anonymous said...

All municipal services should be under one roof, if there are too many people to fit in the office.
Then maybe we are getting too big.
What do you think Dean?