Morinville Council Briefs

by Colin Smith

Northern Gateway board

Councillor Nicole Boutestein was appointed to sit as Morinville’s representative on the Northern Gateway Pipelines community advisory board for north central Alberta. This Board is one of five community advisory boards established by Enbridge in the geographical regions potentially affected by its proposed pipeline.

The stated intent of the boards is to gather, receive and process information to arrive at a common body of knowledge; identify and discuss key areas of regional interest or concern; recommend improvements or enhancements to Northern Gateway; and educate the general public.

Councillor Brennan Fitzgerald was appointed the alternate representative on the board. The representative attending board meetings will receive payment in line with Council’s remuneration and per diem policy.

Library Trustee

Council has approved the appointment of Wayne Young as a member of the Morinville Public Library Board. Young’s application for the position was recommended by the Town of Morinville Library Board following a review and interview. His term as a member at large on the library board extends until October 2017.

This appointment brings the number of members on the board to nine.

The Libraries Act states: “A municipal board shall consist of not fewer than 5 and not more than 10 members appointed by Council”.

Wetlands report

No known wetlands exist within the boundaries of the Town of Morinville according to a report presented to Council by Greg Hofmann, Director, Planning & Development.

The report based on the Alberta Wetland Policy was generated in response to expressed opposition to the South Business Area Structure Plan on the supposed grounds that the development would affect wetlands.

It indicates that any wet areas in Morinville do not meet the policy’s definition of wetland, mainly because they have previously been modified by human activity.

Railway whistles

Blaring train whistles may be annoying, but they are a key railway safety feature. In a report received by Council as information, Director of Corporate Operations David Schaefer pointed out that locomotive engineers are required to sound their whistles a quarter-mile before every public rail-line crossing.

While Morinville could attempt to have the trains exempted from having to blow their whistles before crossings in the town, it is a lengthy seven-step process that requires Transport Canada and CN agreement.

World Poetry Day

March 21 will be World Poetry Day in Morinville. Council supported an administration recommendation to have Mayor Lisa Holmes make a proclamation of the day, as well as proclaiming April 2015 National Poetry Month.

The proclamation supports World Poetry Day inaugurated by UNESCO in 1999, as well as the 2015 Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge issued by Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi earlier this year.

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