The MD of Bonnyville has amended its current compensation rates for land acquisition and road construction, which includes the municipality no longer paying for backsloping.
Currently the municipality pays $1,000 per acre for landscape borrows and $100 per acre for any backsloping plus covering for additional crop loss.
At the request of Darcy Zelisko, Director of Transportation and Utilities, MD Council has amended their rates so that all land for road construction is paid at $1,500 per acre. It also states that they will no longer be paying for backsloping, instead they will purchase the land for $1,500 per acre.
The issue of the current compensations rates irked several MD residents over the past few months, with many unhappy with the $100 per acre backsloping pay.
One resident, who owns land out near Range Road 444, was given $86.82 when the MD took a third of an acre from him for backsloping purposes. He was given $30 for the land and $56.82 for the estimated crop loss.
With the amendment in place, a similar situation would now net the landowner $500, instead of the $86.82 received under the old compensation rates.
The MD of Bonnyville will donate $12,000 to the STARS air ambulance service this year.
Council, which normally donates $10,000 to STARS every year, was approached by the organization for $20,000. After considering the request for increased funding Council decided they were willing to up their donation to $12,000. A lengthy discussion took place around the funding; with many on council feeling the request was too high.
“I would have to agree (with Council) that $20,000 is a little too high,” said Rondeau. “I don't want to go over $15,000. I think the community already sponsors them really well.”
STARS has been providing an enhanced service to Albertans since the arrival of two new helicopters. The first new helicopter was brought to the Edmonton operations in 2013, with the second helicopter coming to Calgary earlier this year.
Over the course of the 2013-14 STARS made 1,739 trips across Alberta including 28 trips to Bonnyville and 13 to Cold Lake.
MD Council approved the purchase of 20 new streetlights last week at the request of the Transportation and Utilities department.
Council will be purchasing 10 new lights for the Ferbey subdivision at a total cost of $10,000, eight new lights for Evergreen Estates for another $10,000 and two new lights for Britannia Subdivision for a cost of $2,500.
The Eagle's Nest Subdivision still needs three new lights, but council decided to defer that purchase to look for better cost options.
The MD approved a series of purchases for both the Agriculture and Waste Department and Transportation and Utilities Department at their Jan. 14 meeting.
The list of purchases for the Agriculture and Waste Department, which totals $582,000, includes: a post pounder, two three-quarter ton trucks, a Kubota sprayer/plow/sander, two ten-foot rotary flail mowers, a subdivision mower, a rototiller and a frontload garbage truck.
The list of purchases for the Transportation and Utilities Department comes in at a hefty $2.1 million and includes two graders, a loader, four pickup trucks, a used tractor, a packer, a sander box, a tandem truck and sander, a fifth wheel trailer, a water tank, two water fill flex arms, two new SCADA equipment for water system, and two new submersible aerators for the lagoons.
MD Council has agreed to donate $500 to the École des Beaux Lacs graduation committee to help out with the school's upcoming high school graduation.
This year the local school will have 12 students graduating and they hope to collect $7,500 to conduct the graduation ceremonies.
The school's graduation committee had requested for the MD to donate $1,000, but the MD has a policy, which states they will give $500 to schools for graduation.
MD Peace Officer Chris Garner was presented with a long-term service award from the MD of Bonnyville for his lengthy service to the community.
Garner first stepped into a Peace Officer role in 1998 and has been a part of the Public Safety department ever since.
“We would to thank Chris. His service has been very much appreciated,” said Reeve Ed Rondeau
Just under $67-million worth of development took place in the MD over the course of 2014 with 33 mobile homes and 123 single-family dwellings being created.
December saw $3.85-million invested into local development, with 15 development permits and nine new residential building permits issued.
The numbers are nothing compared to 2012 and 2013, which saw over $98.4-million and $177-million spent on development.
