Council Notes - September 2, 2025

Council Notes - September 2, 2025

Delegation. Food Cycle Science gave a presentation to Council regarding their in-home food waste recycler, aimed at reducing organic materials in landfills.

Repealing of Policies. Council has repealed three obsolete Council Remuneration Policies. These policies became obsolete when the new Council Remuneration and Expense Policy was passed at the June 3, 2025, meeting of Council.

Appointment of Auditor. Council has again appointed MNP, LLP Chartered Professional Accountants as the external auditor for the 2025 Audited Financial Statements.

Public Auction. A public auction date was set for November 26, 2025, for the recovery of unpaid property taxes, as legislated by the Province. Reserve bids for each of the properties have also been set at the most recent property assessment values.

Franchise Fees. Each year, Council must set the Municipal Franchise fees for utility operators in the municipality. These agreements grant providers access to town-owned land for the construction, maintenance, and operation of their infrastructure. Franchise Fees ensure a more equitable distribution of municipal costs, as nearly all organizations consume utilities, even if they do not contribute to property taxes. Council has agreed to keep the ATCO Gas and Yellowhead Gas Coop Ltd Franchise Fees steady at 22.54%. The Fortis Alberta Franchise Fee will be increased from 4.7% to 6.7%, well below the comparative median average. This change amounts to approximately $1.58 per month for residential consumers but will add around $197,782 in additional revenue for the Town to support the 2026 budget.

Reflections Support Letter. Council has agreed to provide a letter of support for Reflections’ Provincial Winter Funding application. Over the past year, Reflections has done substantial work to renovate their new building to allow them to provide drop-in day program services and overnight emergency services during extreme weather. Council has also requested Reflections ensure that a coordinated and collaborative community strategy is undertaken between Reflections and the Homelessness Task Force.

Desludge Project Budget Increase. An additional $200,000 has been approved by Council for lagoon desludging within the 2025 operating budget. This increase will be achieved by increasing the revenue budget for the Sale of Good and Services of $155,000 and reducing the 2025 Budgeted Contribution to Capital Reserve by $45,000. This will allow for the completion of the Cell 1 Lagoon Desludging, without incurring extra costs for demobilization if the project were delayed until 2026.

RCMP Q1 Report. Council has accepted the Q1 Report as information.

Next meetings—A Special Town Council Meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers followed by a Committee of the Whole Meeting at 7:00 PM.

Agenda/Information package here.

App users can watch the video here.