Council Briefs

by Tristan Turner

Council held a brief regular meeting Jan. 12, their first of the new year.

Present: Deputy Mayor Lisa Holmes, Councillor Stephen Dafoe, Councillor Gord Putnam, Deputy Mayor Rob Ladouceur, Councillor Brennan FitzGerald, Councilor Nicole Boutestein, and Councillor Barry Turner.

Community bus arriving immediately

During CAO Debbie Oyarzun’s update to Council, the Town’s Director of Corporate Operations, David Schaffer, informed Council that the brand new community bus was complete and ready to move out.

The project was included in 2015’s Capital Budget and has been completed with only a minor delay related to damage to one of the seats, an issue that will be dealt with quickly before the vehicle is in full operation.

The community bus is operated by the Town and provides services to transport residents both within and outside the town. Some of the more frequent riders are residents of the town’s retirement communities, some of whom will be given a tour of the new bus on Monday, just as it goes into full service for community members.

Council sponsors ‘4 the Love of the Game’ hockey tournament finals

Council has unanimously approved a $452 sponsorship of the annual ‘4 the Love of the Game’ hockey tournament that takes place in Legal and Morinville.

Council has not been approached by the organization running the event for sponsorship during the last two years, but the Town has regularly sponsored the event in the past.

“I’m familiar with this tournament. My son played in it three years in a row,” said Councillor Gord Putnam, who made the motion to approve the request. “It’s an amazing tournament, and it draws in kids from all over the place. This [tournament] really is for the love of the game.”

Town will look at new Community Cultural Centre sign in Capital Plan

In a unanimous vote, Council has decided to review a new sign project in the 2016 Capital Budget, a sign that is to be placed on the Morinville Community Cultural Centre. This vote does not approve the sign project itself; Council will review the merits of two separate options, one including lighting options, in their upcoming Capital Plan discussions.

The un-lit option is estimated at $6,575.80, and one with lighting is estimated at $14,855.26. The sign lettering would be along the building itself and would have the dimensions of 51” X 18”.

Council moves forward with 103 Street condo

Council gave First Reading to Bylaw 28/2015, a bylaw that would amend the Land Use Bylaw to allow a new duplex development on a currently occupied lot along 103 Street (10110-103 Street). The property is in line with the Coeur de Morinville Area Structure Plan that applies to the area, according to Morinville’s Director of Planning and Development, Greg Hoffman.

Deputy Mayor Rob Ladouceur and Councillor Gordon Putnam did not participate in the discussion or debate as a result of a pecuniary interest in property within 75 feet of the development, as required by the Alberta Municipal Government Act (MGA).

As is typical with first readings, there was little discussion, and the bylaw rapidly passed first reading unanimously. The bylaw will come back for a public forum followed by Second and potentially Third reading at a future meeting of Council.

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1 Comment

  1. Every group that wants a grant from the Town should have to apply each and every time they want funding. In times of fiscal restraint everyone should have to justify why the town should support it. I know it’s only $452, but it is the principle of the matter. No application, no funding. What are we getting for our $452? If Council doesn’t know that, they shouldn’t be supporting it. This has come up in the past, so I don’t know why the rules keep changing. We shouldn’t have to rely on a councillor’s previous knowledge of an event to justify funding them without an application.

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