The MD of Bonnyville will be working with neighbouring communities, expressing interest, and learning more about Alberta's Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group pilot program.
Matt Janz, director of ag and waste services for the municipality, explained during council's committee meeting on Wednesday, March 6, how the program, which is being funded by the province's Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, will be exploring some of the methods the MD is already using to address recycling agricultural plastic.
Although the details still have to be ironed out, Janz said there's opportunity for the MD to lend a hand.
"We're kind of in a holding pattern in terms of what our next direction is. Our history with our own existing ag plastics program, we have been collecting since 2013 and have found our own collection points... They're probably going to be looking to municipalities like us for help going forward with what their plans are. We don't know a lot yet, but we're working with the administrator to hopefully get more information," he explained.
Coun. Dana Swigart added, “I just think because we have our own program, we could be proactive and maybe have our name in first as a municipality that wants to be a part of the study."
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Council expresses frustration with cost of unenergized streetlights
Director of planning and development, Caroline Palmer, explained how regardless of whether streetlights in multi-lot subdivisions are being used or not, the municipality is paying a price.
The MD's development agreement with all multi-lot subdivisions requires developers to install streetlights. As phases of the subdivision are finished and development has reached 50 per cent, the municipality turns them on.
"(ATCO) has now, regardless of whether we energize these streetlights or not, they're putting an idling fee on every one of them that equals to what it would cost to energize them," Palmer noted.
The issue is some residents appreciate the lighting at night in order to prevent crime, while others prefer them off.
"It's really mixed opinions out there," stated Palmer. "The perception could be the MD is energizing lights for no reason."
Palmer did reach out to ATCO about the issue, and told council "it's under the Alberta Utilities Commission that provides them the ability to charge."
Councillors agreed that something didn't sit right.
"To me, that's not okay," Swigart expressed.
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk said it's probably something they would bring up to the Alberta Rural Municipalities Association.
"I would imagine every municipality has this issue," he added.
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Northshore Heights trail
The MD of Bonnyville has decided to stick to what they know when it comes to hiring a company for engineering and construction services of the Northshore Heights Trail.
The municipality approved contracting SC Consulting, a firm they've used before, at a cost of over $95,000.
"They had good methodology in how to be able to deal with traffic at the time of construction. They just brought in a little bit more detail than other companies have brought forward, simply because they know the area very well," explained Palmer.
The cost includes the design and management of construction, which according to director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture Chris McCord, isn't always an option.
"They're producing the drawing, putting out the tender, and also supervising all of the construction. Some of these companies (who submitted a proposal) didn't even provide a surveyor in-house and on-site, it was something that would have had to have been contracted out."
The roughly 4.5-kilometre walking trail will go from the Bonnyville water treatment plant to Hwy. 660.
Council wondered why they weren't considering building a trail first from the Shaw House to the water treatment plant.
“That was originally part of the plan we were going to proceed with, however, we decided, for time-wise, we would get (the Northshore Heights Trail) going as part one. We will have to go through Alberta Transportation as well as agreements with landowners for part two,” McCord detailed.
Palmer added, “Over and above, Alberta Transportation would have to give us approvals to be in their right of way (for part two), as well as we have a landowner who has approved an area structure plan… which didn’t incorporate the trail at that time. There would have to be some negotiations there... There’s not so much of a problem with lakeside, because we have enough municipal reserve… That part is fairly secure, it’s just from there on that’s not."
Municipality to ponder supporting Extreme Mudfest
Billie-Jo Aasen, president of Extreme Mudfest, requested the MD's support in building or purchasing additional bleachers that would be utilized by the entire community.
"Mudfest is growing quickly... (Last year) our bleachers were full. We went everywhere we could from Cold Lake to Lloydminster in order to get as many bleachers as we could, and at this point, we can't fit anymore people."
When the need arose for more space previously, they brainstormed and decided to build their own. The cost for two sets was about $24,000 Aasen detailed.
She explained how the new bleachers, once purchased or built, wouldn't be owned by the event, but by the community. They would hold 800 to 900 people between the two.
"They could be used by anybody for any events," Aasen stressed.
When asked, Aasen quashed rumours that Mudfest isn't keeping the money they make from the event local.
"Mudfest started in Ardmore and it was there until the venue got too small, and then it was moved to Bonnyville. I love that we're playing on big events and attracting people and that this is a showcase event... but I've heard through the grapevine that people are concerned that the money and other stuff isn't staying here in Bonnyville, that it's a big promoter and they're not seeing too much stay behind," noted Swigart. "I'm not really sure if enough is staying in the community."
Aasen said, "We're Canadian, we're an Alberta-based corporation... We're a non-profitable show. We're actually paying money every year to continue to grow it. From charities and other local people... we do as much as we possibly can to keep everything local."
The MD will wait to hear more concrete numbers from the organization before deciding whether or not to contribute funding towards the purchase or construction of bleachers.
MD updating ASPs
About a dozen area structure plans between communities and the MD of Bonnyville are on the table.
Over the next few years, between 2019 and 2025, the MD will be addressing some of their area structure plans including the ones with Fort Kent, Ardmore, La Corey, Moose Lake, Cherry Grove, Ethel Lake, and Marie Lake, among others.
According to CAO Luc Mercier, council brought up the topic during their budget deliberations.
Palmer said quite a few of the plans haven't been reviewed or updated since the province made them in the 1980s.
Open houses will be held in coordination with the year the area structure plans are considered.