Tuesday night time to spend our money.

In the midst of these dark dreary days of August nothing better than to bring a ray of sunlight into our life’s by attending the regular meeting of council Tuesday night August 6, obviously Council and administration are doing everything possible to get their ducks in a row prior to the commencement of the election campaign.

For your information this is a recap of the meeting the issues dealt with, I look forward to the comments flowing in on the issues, council and administrations performance.

CAO Report

Its official Albert Headrick Director of Protective and Community Services is leaving the Pass on August 16.

Community Peace Officers Report great joy in announcing that almost $200,000 in fines have been written after one year in place.

Fire Rescues had 12, 911 calls in the month of July

New banners were installed around town administration received lots of positive response.

Ice is now ready in the Coleman complex

Trans Rockies race took place last week

Devon has donated an air compressor to the community, which will save us having to purchase one in 2015 (savings of up to $50,000)

Uroc is looking for contractors to build mountain bike trails of the ski hill.

Temporary surface repairs will be made at the Coleman drug store area.

Asphalt Paving projects delayed until the end August

Recreation Feasibility study is under way.

Culture and Heritage Board had its first meeting July 26

Tenders for SCADA project came in $200,000 to high will be looking to the province for additional funding.

Municipal Elections

Advance Poll approved for Oct 15

Institutional vote will be done the same as the last election

Voting subdivisions and voting stations will also be the same as last election

Crowsnest Centre Demolition

Four bids received range of $585 to $800K

Dakota Reclamators out of Calgary was the low bidder

CAO informed council that municipal lawyers had reviewed the tender and it was ironclad.

Project to be funded by taking $250k out of MSI capital funding and $350K out of the Mill rate stabilization reserve.

Councilor Saindon was concerned that the municipality was not getting a full priced bid, administration had asked for quotes on back filling the centre foundation once the building was removed this was not brought back to council. He felt the potential cost of this job was more in the range of $700,000.

He was also concerned due to Gene Conklin (Regional Director of Development at Best Western had advised the municipality that to make the land the most attractive to potential buyers it should be fully remediated.

Councilor Gallant stated every hotel has a basement, maybe it will not need back filling.

Councilor Saindon asked if the hotel does not come for three years are we just going to leave an 8-16 foot hole there. He also stated that the hotel was projected to go on the east end of the property the old hospital was on the west end. He also stated clay would have to be brought in and trucked at least 30-40km very expensive.

Councilor Londsbury asked if there was a basement under the entire building, the CAO did not know.

CAO Thompson felt that we should demolish the building then figure out our options of what to do with the hole at that point.

Councilor Gallant felt we did not know where the hotel would eventually go.

Motion to proceed with the demolition at a cost of $585,000 was passed by a vote of 4-2 (Saindon, Sage opposed Gail was not present for the vote)

Hotel Application Fee ($50,000 for Vachon group)

Administration recommended funds be taken out of municipal land reserve.

Councilor Saje referred to a conversation he had with Jeff Carlson CAO of Clay cup developers who apparently working with Medican prior to Group Vachon coming on board.
He stated that Mr Carlson told him municipalities do not put up the funding for the rights to a hotel. He also stated that the Best Western could have been done by Clay cup and that if Vachon group with draws somebody else could pick up the rights contrary to what the CAO had informed council at the special meeting. CAO stated that he had received that information from the head of marketing at Best Western.
Councilor Gallant agreed that it was not normal for municipalities to put up the funding, but Mr Carlsons words did not carry a lot of weight with council due to the fact that they were fired by Medican in November.
Councilor Saje informed council that he did not know Clay Cup was fired in November and that Vachon Group did not come on board until spring.
Mayor Decoux stated that the rest of council was aware that Clay Cup was released by Medican.

Motion to take $50,000 out of Municipal land reserves was passed by a vote of 4-2 (Saindon, Saje opposed Gail not present)

     

NOTE: MORE TO FOLLOW

G+P meeting update on Fire Master plan, Riversdale and Annexation

For those that have the time and the interest tomorrow afternoon at 2pm the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Fire and Rescue Service Master Plan, will be presented by Albert Headrick, Director of Protective and Community Services to council. It will be very interesting to see what the results are of the mess that was created in this community in 2012, and all the taxpayers dollars (whether they be Municipal or Provincial they are all tax payers money) that was spent.

Back in the Fall, Bill Kovach President of the Ratepayers Association requested information regarding the Fire Departments he was told at that time by the Mayor that the questions would be answered by the Fire and Rescue Master Plan that administration would be bringing forth prior to Christmas. Well it was on the agenda for today in a surprising turn of events the CAO asked that it be moved to "In Camera" due to some sensitive issues that had to be talked about, he also informed council that it would be coming back to the G+P on Feb 19.

The Mayor also informed Council that Riversdale Resources will be coming to the Pass on Feb 6, to meet with council, media, business leaders and finally the public. I was a little surprised when he asked the rest of council if they have met Riversdale all responded "No".

In other news council was informed that Municipal Affairs will be coming down to meet with them on Feb 13 regarding the road map for annexation, Mayor Decoux suggested that the MD of Ranchlands be invited, then in a very neighborly type fashion he suggested that all the other MD's bordering the MD of Ranchlands be invited. After all he stated we don't want to gobble up all of Ranchlands, I wonder how the MD of Ranchlands will feel about being invited to an all you can eat buffet where they are the main course.