Minutes of the Cypress County Council Meeting held April 1, 2008

PRESENT: Darcy Geigle, Reeve

LeRay Pahl, Deputy Reeve

George Russill

Herb Scott

Jerry Clark

Brad Betcker

Floyd Haas

Garry Lentz

Lutz Perschon, Manager

Doug Henderson, Assistant Manager

Rick Bleau, Public Works Supervisor

Jeffrey Dowling, Planning Advisor

Kelsey Bachmeier, Treasurer/Recording Secretary

ABSENT: Peter Konosky

CALL TO ORDER: 10:31 A.M.

AGENDA: Resolution No. 2008/85

George Russill moved to accept the agenda.

Carried

MINUTES: Resolution No. 2008/86

LeRay Paul moved to approve the minutes of the March 18, 2008 Regular Council Meeting.

Carried

ACCOUNTS FOR

PAYMENT: Resolution No. 2008/87

Floyd Haas moved to approve the Accounts for Payment in the amount of $460,654.15.

Carried

BUSINESS ARISING:

Desert Blume Parks Phases A, B & C of Desert Blume are nearing completion and the County, through the developer, is responsible to build four parks in these phases, to City of Medicine Hat standards. This agreement was adopted by Council back in April 1991 as part of the Area Structure Plan. Sheldon Dattenberger from Scheffer Andrew was in attendance as well as Ivan Becker to speak to the parks issue and provide suggestions to Council. It was explained to Council that the only park in Phases A - C that will require regular maintenance would be the Northeast Park. The rest would be prairie grass which would be low maintenance and require no irrigation. In past meetings, Council has expressed their desire to have a Community Association in Desert Blume to maintain the parks. As Desert Blume is still under development, it is believed that the population of this area is still too low and residents are not ready to form an Association. Nevertheless, the County agreed to build these parks as required by the Master Agreement signed in 2005. Council requested to see any design plans for the parks before any work is underway.

NEW BUSINESS:

Bylaw 2008/10 - Land

Use Amendment

(Plan 9912535) The County received an application 08/A03 from Wilde Possibilities to reclassify all of Plan 9912535, Block 1, Lot 1, in the hamlet of Dunmore from Public and Semi-Public Service District “PS” to Hamlet Commercial District “HC.”

Resolution No. 2008/88

Jerry Clark moved first reading of Bylaw 2008/10.

Carried

Bylaw 2008/11 - Land

Use Bylaw Amendment

(Highway Commercial &

Industrial) The Cypress County Land Use Bylaw 2006/13 requires an amendment within Part VI Land Use Districts and Regulations to allow the retail sales and storage of mobile homes and modular homes as a Class II Discretionary Use in a Hamlet Industrial District “HI” as well as a Class II Discretionary Use in a Highway Commercial District “HWY-C.”

Resolution No. 2008/89

Brad Betcker moved first reading of Bylaw 2008/11.

Carried

Elkwater Fire Department The Elkwater Fire Department has provided Council with a cost estimate for the purchase of a rescue cargo trailer and is requesting Council’s approval for this purchase. The trailer would be used to store all the Elkwater Fire Department’s ice rescue equipment, water rescue equipment, rope rescue equipment and back country equipment. Most of this equipment is currently being stored in the rescue truck causing it to become overloaded and making it difficult to access the equipment in an emergency situation.

Resolution No. 2008/90

Garry Lentz moved to approve the purchase of a rescue cargo trailer for the Elkwater Fire Department.

Carried

Fire Permits During the March 4, 2008 Regular Council Meeting, Council was advised that the Emergency Services Chief was requesting that the County implement a fire permit system. However, staff was seeking a legal opinion before bringing this to Council for a decision. The Forest and Prairie Protection Act clearly indicates that the County either has to implement a fire permit system or be declared a non-permit area. Two sides of the issue was discussed. First, it was thought that implementing a fire permit system would put the responsibility on the land owner to control the burn as the land owner would be the individual signing the permit. However, over the last two decades, the County has not had any problems with controlled burns and the current system where land owners call into the County office before burning is working just fine.

Resolution No. 2008/91

Jerry Clark moved that the County apply to the Minister to be designated as a non-permit area before implementing the permit system.

Defeated

Staff was instructed to create a feasible proposal on how to implement a fire permit system in the County and present to Council at the next meeting.

Walsh Water & Sewer Council has received a proposal to upgrade the water distribution lines and install a sewer system in Walsh. By using grants, other hamlets throughout the County have received their water distribution system upgraded to six inch lines at no cost to the residents. Sewer upgrades completed in other hamlets have cost the residents 25% of the total cost. Councillor Geigle suggested that he would prefer taking the estimated cost of 25% for the sewer project back to the residents of Walsh to ensure this was something the residents would be interested in paying for.

Resolution No. 2008/92

Darcy Geigle moved to approve the upgrade of the water distribution lines in Walsh at a 100% cost of Cypress County and the upgrade to the sewer in Walsh at a 75% cost to Cypress County and 25% cost to the residents.

Carried

RECESS: 12:11 P.M.

RECONVENE: 12:45 P.M.

REPORTS:

Public Work’s Report The Public Work’s Report was presented and accepted for information.

Manager’s Report The Manager’s Report was presented and accepted for information.

Assistant Manager’s

Report The Assistant Manager’s Report was presented and accepted for information.

ADJOURN: 1:35 P.M.