Coming up at Council

compiled by Morinville News Staff

Morinville Council will hold their second regular meeting since the election Tuesday night with several items up for decision.

Community Standards Bylaw

Council is being asked to give the second and third reading to revisions to the Community Standards Bylaw. The first reading was adopted Aug. 29 by the previous Council.

Recreational Vehicles

Some of the highlighted proposed changes include the parking of Recreational Vehicles (RV) on private property. These changes include the removal of time of year restriction as well as the addition of the over-all parking allocation a RV unit will be allowed to take up on a property. The parking of an RV in a front yard or corner site, the required minimum side yard abutting the roadway shall not exceed more than 50 per cent of the approved off-street parking area.

Residents would be able to park year round in the rear or the side of the yard with no rear lane on an approved hard surface. A maintained gravel or rock pad that has been screened with a 1.5 m visually impervious fence would be required.

A trailer could be parked 1 metre from the sidewalk but not overlapping the sidewalk. It should be enclosed with a visually impervious fence and not enclosed on gravel.

The proposed definition of an RV would compose of a vehicle, trailer, watercraft, off-road vehicle that is utilized for recreational or work purposes.

Property & Boulevards

Changes are also proposed with regard to landscaping requirements and items affecting the condition of the property. Any person shall maintain the boulevard adjacent to their property they own or occupy.

This includes the grass kept below 15 centimetres, removing accumulated fallen leaves or other debris, utilizing approved landscaping materials only and prohibited from removing or pruning of the trees without prior approval from the Town.

For dangers and unsightly property, the CAO or their designated officer may take whatever actions or measures are necessary to eliminate any danger to the public or deal with unsightly conditions of a property in accordance to the powers and authority provided to the Town through the Municipal Government Act.

Water Rates to go up

Council is being asked to give the first of three readings to the Water Rates Bylaw for 2018.

According to the Nov. 28 agenda package, Town Administration has reviewed the rates and determined 2018 rates as follows to maintain a ful cost recovery system: Long-Term Investment Rate – 1.24%, Current Market Average Rate – 2.39%, Average Rate of Amortization – 1.22%, Construction Price Index – 2.0%.

As such, the Town is looking at an average rate of return of 3.91% for the Water Utility and 4.0% for the Sanitary Utility.

According to the Nov. 28 agenda package, “to meet these rates of returns, the Water Utility would require a surplus of $1,014,221 and the Sanitary Sewer Utility would require a surplus of $674,912, combined $1,689,133.”

In addition to the local increase, Epcor Water Services has indicated they will have a price increase of 5%.

Waste Management Fees to increase slightly

Council is also being asked to give first reading to the Waste Management Bylaw, which is reviewed annually to adjust service levels and rates charged to residents for all streams of solid waste collection.

The Nov. 28 agenda package indicates an increase in contracted waste and disposal rates will lead to an increase in
waste management fees of fifteen cents per month to each household.

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1 Comment

  1. I know I’m a day late but the proposed definition is weird. Rv as a recreational vehicle but you can’t list work purposes in that. Because if it’s work it’s not recreational.

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