Crowsnest Council Meeting Nov 9th, 2010 (G+P)

Tuesday November 9, 2010 Governance and Priorities Committee Meeting

Please keep in mind this is the G+P meeting so even though much debate takes place the issues dealt with at these meeting here will be moved forward as recommendations to the Council meeting

Adoption of Agenda
Motion to accept carried unanimously.

Delegations-None

Topics for Discussions

1. Waiver of Arena Ice Fees-This was minor hockey’s request to waive ice fees for the provincial pee wee tournament in late March, if successfully awarded to the Pass the fees will be waived for that weekend (approx $2800) and Minor Hockey in return will donate to the cost of netting for the Complex ($ amount not presented). Passed Unanimously Recommend to Council
2. Advertising Review-Debate took place on better communicating with the public, the cost of doing business, etc etc. Decision was made to go back to advertising in both papers, and for administration to come back with a policy that covers all communications with various types of media. Passed Unanimously Recommend to Council
3. Dates for Orientation with Administration November 30, and Facility Tour Dec 1st.
4. Travel Alberta Open House-Council decided to have Councilor Gallant attend. Passed Unanimously Recommend to Council
5. Ball Soccer Complex Request-Administration brought forth a bill due for the ball soccer Complex in Frank, owned to Drain Brothers since 2007/08. (Why it was not brought up with council previously I do not know, maybe I missed that meeting.) Administration recommended that it be paid with $10,000 from the Ball Complex budget and $15,000 from reserves. Councilor Mitchell suggested that the $15,000 come out of next years budget. Passed by a vote of 6-1 (Saje opposed)
6. Tour Date with Spray Lakes. Determined it would take place Dec 17. Passed Unanimously Recommend to Council
7. Economic Task Force Initiative-withdrew by the Mayor not ready at this point still working on putting together
8. Waiving of Off site Levy for the Food Bank-Food Bank requested Council waive the off site levy ($7800) for their new building on 19th avenue. Council debated the merits of waiving 50% versus 100%, additionally there was concern raised about the standard of the building. The position was taken that 100% of the Off site Levy would be waived this passed by 5-2 (Saindon and Londsbury opposed)
9. Note-This item was added with direction from administration that this should have been added at the start of the meeting. Cancellation of the November 23, 2010 G + P meeting. Passed by a vote of 6-1 (Saje opposed)
   
   At this point Council adjourned to go into Camera.

Walking Trails in the Crowsnest Pass

Did you know walking is listed by more people than any other form of exercise, has the number one favourite type of recreation.
In the Pass we have developed a master plan for walking trails that will eventually link all parts of our community from the lakes out to Leitch Collieries, this plan is available on the municipal web site http://www.town.crowsnestpass.ab.ca/
A lot of people deserve credit for this accomplishment, the previous council for starting the process, (those members that supported it and even those that didn't who are now taking credit), our community services department, the present council for continuing with it. Almost all of the trails have been funded with grants (not residential tax dollars). We now have a Walking Trails Coordinator Jenice Smith based at the MDM who is working very hard to get the corporate sector involved.
We really need to give credit this week to a couple of corporations who stepped up to the plate this week, namely Spray Lakes Sawmills to the tune of $10,000 and Turtle Mountain Pharmacy $6000.
Also did not want to miss businesses that have given support previously, Mountain Radio, Full Moon Adventure Company, A&B Liquor Store, and Prima Technical Services.
The Walking Trails are a great accomplishment for this community, and are utilized by a lot of people.

Atlas Road Utilization

Back in August the majority of council voted against granting Spray Lakes Sawmills a road use agreement. Why?
On Dec 2 2008 Spray Lakes and SRD approached council regarding their logging plan for the Atlas Road area.
We as council were concerned, for several reasons. Firstly we do not have a sawmill here any longer which used to be a significant employer in the area. So that leaves our three largest employers in the area; the BC Mines, Government (Municipal, Provincial, Hospital etc) and Tourism.
Obviously the Mines and Government will not be negatively effected by logging but Tourism could be if the logging is not done in the proper areas and in a reasonable fashion. Would we has a council have good reason to be concerned about the logging on Atlas Road?
Yes when we were initially approached there was concern about logging going up the side of the Crowsnest Mountain, and being visible from the highway, there was concern about buffer areas along the river. There was concerns on the impact of the logging on the tourism operators in that area. The greatest concern for myself was the way that the Kananaskis Road had been logged the previous logging season, to which both Spray Lakes and SRD agreed mistakes had been made. That things were being done to clean up that area and ensure that it does not happen again, I certainly felt that between SRD and Spray Lakes there was not enough communication back to make council comfortable that future logging practices would be acceptable to all parties involved.
That is why I choice not to support a road use agreement.
We were informed this week that SRD and Spray Lakes are trying to schedule a date to sit down with council and get a better flow of communications going between the three groups.
On the rumour of the closure of the Atlas Road itself, we has a council have been led to believe that after Spray Lakes finishes utilizing that Road to truck its timber that they have no interest in maintaining the road. If that ends up being the case, then it becomes any issue of anybody else stepping up to maintain the road.

Atlas Road Logging Crowsnest Pass

Just received word that Spray Lakes will start logging Monday on the Atlas Road. I sincerely hope they do a better job than they did on the Kananaskis Road, and I hope SRD does a better job of staying on top of them.

I guess the Crowsnest Pass will be saved from the Pine Beetle!

Logging on the Atlas Road (Crowsnest Pass)

Well here is an update on the logging situation on the Atlas Road. We were told at our Tuesday Jan 6 2009 council meeting that Spray Lakes is meeting with SRD the week of Jan 12. At this point we are led to believe that they do not have approval to log on the Atlas Road.
We also had presented to us the road use agreement which would allow Spray Lakes to use the portion of the Atlas road that is controlled by the municipality. This road use agreement was passed by a vote of 4-3, with councilors Cole, Salus and Ward opposed.

Personally I had a whole different opinion about logging in our area when there was a mill here employing a large group of Crowsnest Pass residents. Now these folks from Cochrane are going to impact the natural beauty of our area for what? I sincerely hope that SRD if they allow this logging, they force them to do a far better job than they did up the Kananaskis road

Logging on the Atlas Road (Crowsnest Pass)

Tuesday night Dec 2, both SRD and Spray Lakes came to council to present their reasoning for logging on the Atlas Road.

We heard lots of interesting stuff on the pine beetle which I believe everybody recognizes is a problem. But I am far from convinced that taking out swaths of trees in some places no more than a few hundred metres wide are going to stop the pine beetle. Especially when you are talking about a creature no bigger than a grain of rice, that comes from BC on winds that can blow in excess of a hundred Km per hour.

I raised the question "will this area look similar to what the Kananaskis Road does today?" I was told no. "I asked what went wrong on the Kananaskis Road" I was told an investigation is taking place by SRD on that area due to the logging procedures not being followed.

I also asked "how do we ensure that it does not happen again?" I was assured once again that the logging plan will be followed on the Atlas Road. To which I asked "what happens if it isn't?"
To which I was told that the procedures would be enforced if they don't follow them, the unfortunate part is at that point the trees are gone.

Just a theory, and I may well be wrong but right now the lumber market is in the toilet, so mills are reducing their costs by logging the low cost area's, on flat ground, with a road going threw it close to Highway 3. If these Beetle infested trees were 30 km from the nearest road, on a 20 degree slope would we have been talking about them last night?.

By the way the Kananaskis Road was also logged by Spray Lakes Contractors!

Logging in the Crowsnest Pass (Kananaskis View from the road)

Lot of concern out there right now about the impact of proposed logging on the Atlas Road in the Crowsnest Pass. Some of this concern is being driven by the logging that took place last year along the Kananaskis Road. Above are some pictures of where the logging took place up the Kananaskis Road about one km north of Coleman.

On Tuesday December 2th both SRD and Spray Lakes Sawmills will be appearing in front of council to make presentations regarding the proposed logging.

7pm at the municipal office in Coleman this is open to the public.