Minutes of the Cypress County Council Meeting held August 18th, 2009

 

PRESENT:                           Darcy Geigle, Deputy Reeve

                                                Floyd Haas

                                                LeRay Pahl

                                                Garry Lentz

                                                Herb Scott

                                                Jerry Clark

                                                Brad Betcker

                                                Peter Konosky

                                                Lutz Perschon, Manager

                                                Rick Bleau, Public Works Supervisor

                                                Roxanne Risk, Treasurer/Recording Secretary

 

ABSENT:                              George Russill, Reeve

                                                Doug Henderson, Assistant Manager

                                                Jeffrey Dowling, Planning Advisor

 

CALL TO ORDER:              10:30 A.M.

 

AGENDA:                              Resolution No. 2009/227

 

                                                Floyd Haas moved to accept the agenda.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

MINUTES:                            Resolution No. 2009/228

 

                                                Jerry Clark moved to approve the minutes of the August 4th, 2009 Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

Accounts                         ACCOUNTS FOR                   

PAYMENT:                           Resolution No. 2009/229

 

Garry Lentz moved to approve the Accounts for Payment in the amount of $ 743,030.70.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

BUSINESS ARISING:

 

Personnel Policy

Review – Sick Leave        At the August 4th Council meeting, council asked staff to research the history of the policy and any implications of changing this policy.

 

                                               After investigating it was determined that casual sick leave has never been earned.  Sick leave benefits are not covered under the Labour Act and thus can be changed. 

 

                                               Discussion ensued regarding implementing a maximum of sick days, earning sick days, the necessity of a doctor’s note, other organization’s sick leave policy, abuse of the policy, and control measures in place.

 

                                               Council will be discussing it as a whole and inform staff of their direction.

 

Undeveloped Road

Maintenance

Request – EOG                  EOG Resources would like a number of road allowances near Highway 41, between Township Roads 164 and 182, to be maintained by the County.  At the August 4th Council meeting, council directed staff to bring the policy regarding these maintenance issues for discussion.

 

                                               Policy R9 – Undeveloped Road Maintenance indicates that undeveloped road allowances are typically bladed by the County for agricultural purposes.  Maintaining back trails for the oil and gas sector is typically not done. 

 

                                               Discussion resulted.  Various options were presented such as filling in the ruts, cost share with EOG for track filling, and EOG could hire a company to get the road graded.

 

                                               Resolution No. 2009/230

 

                                               Floyd Haas moved to blade the trails requested by EOG and repair areas as needed.

 

                                                                                                Defeated.

 

DELEGATION:                   

Semi-Annual Report,

Enhanced Policing Project,

Cst. Mark McCarthy,

Sergeant MacInnis,

RCMP                                    Cst. Mark McCarthy from the RCMP appeared before Council to present the Semi-Annual County Report.  Within this report was a summary of the number of tickets, warnings, seatbelt infractions, etc. issued to the end of June 2009, including the number of commercial vehicle checks performed.  It also included incidents that he attended in the County.  Sergeant MacInnis was in attendance to introduce himself. He is the Redcliff Traffic Division supervisor,  which now supervises the Enhanced Police position.

 

RECESSS:                           12:00 P.M.

 

RECONVENE:                     12:38 P.M.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

Bylaw 2009/26 – Land

Use Bylaw Amendment

Portable Signs                   The Cypress County Land Use Bylaw 2006/13 requires an amendment by deleting the existing Section 9, Portable Signs, of Schedule E Private Sign Regulation and replacing it with an amended Section 9, Portable Signs. 

 

                                               Resolution No. 2009/231

 

                                               Jerry Clark moved first reading of Bylaw 2009/26.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

Capital Project

Amendment – Seven

Persons Lagoon

Project                                 The Seven Persons Lagoon Project is budgeted at $ 40,000 with funding to come from the MSI capital grant.  Due to changes in the MSI capital funding program, each project must be at least 10% of the municipality’s annual MSI capital funding allocation.  The minimum amount of a project must is $ 190,478.  

 

                                               Staff recommends that the Seven Persons Lagoon Project be funded from reserves.  The $ 40,000 MSI funding that was allocated to the Seven Persons Lagoon Project be reallocated to the office renovations project.

 

                                               Resolution No. 2009/232

 

                                               Jerry Clark moved that the Seven Persons Lagoon Project be funded from reserves and to reallocate the $ 40,000 from the MSI capital grant to the office renovations project.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

Capital Project

Amendment – CFB

Suffield Fire Truck            The CFB Suffield fire department is requesting that the replacement fire truck for CFB Suffield be a wild land fire fighting unit and not a combination pumper.  They are prepared to make a commitment that if there is a structural fire in the County, they will attend with their own equipment at no additional charge to us.  

 

                                               The replacement of the CFB Suffield Fire Truck is budgeted at $ 400,000.   For the uniqueness of a wild land fire fighting unit, the increase in the price of the vehicle is $ 25,000.  The vehicle will have increased suspension to handle the roughness of the prairie, a rear mount pump will replace the midship pump, and it will have 2 doors.

 

                                               Resolution No. 2009/233

 

                                               Jerry Clark moved to remain with the standard design for the purchase of the CFB Suffield Fire Truck.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

REPORTS:

 

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

                                               

                                                Roger Stennes received permission to install a texas gate.  Mike Bullin received confirmation that an access road will be built when there is evidence of a house being built.

 

 

                                                A recent well site application was received in vicinity of  Many Island Lake and upon further investigation there is no road plan registered.  The area in question is located from SW 20-14-1 W4 to the intersection of NE 24-13-2-W4 and NW 23-13-2-W4.

 

                                                Resolution No. 2009/234

 

                                                Brad Betcker moved to try to acquire the road plan located in the vicinity of the Many Island Lake.

 

                                                                                                Carried.

 

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

 

Reeve’s/Councillors’

Reports                                 Updates were provided on meetings/conferences attended and upcoming meetings.

 

ADJOURN:                           1:47 P.M.