Edson Town Council updates
June 19 meeting
Signage Public Hearing. A public hearing was held for bylaws 2208 and 2209, dealing with portable and inflatable signage. There were no submissions or comments at the time of the public hearing, however, consultation had taken place with local businesses regarding the bylaws. Both bylaws received second and third reading. This establishes a portable and inflatable sign licensing system. More details can be found at www.edson.ca/ town/bylaws.
Delegation. Council heard from representatives of the Cascade Energy Project. The proposed project would be located about 12 km southeast of Edson and would employ about 700 workers at the peak of construction, and 20 long-term employees once operations commence.
Waste Collection Fee Waiver. Council has agreed to a onetime waiver of the waste collection fee on resident’s utility bills for the month of June following the confusion and service interruption caused by the new waste collection program. The costs will be offset by the fact the contractor isn’t being paid for the program until it is fully operational. The Town has given notice to the contractor and will be reevaluating the contract if issues aren’t resolved and services aren’t delivered in a timely manner. This was a recorded vote with Mayor Zahara, Councillor Baier, Councillor Currie, and Councillor Sorensen voting in favour. Councillor Bevan and Councillor Wilkinson were opposed. Councillor Chouinard had recused himself from discussion and voting due to a potential conflict.
Public Participation Policy. Council approved Policy L-D-5, Public Participation Policy. The new policy will help guide Administration and Council on appropriate times to formally engage the public and ensure the process is more transparent. The policy can be found online at www.edson.ca/town/mayorcouncil.
Fees, Rates & Charges Bylaw. Amendments were made to the Fees, Rates & Charges Bylaw to reflect changes in the waste collection system and the new portable and inflatable sign licensing system. Changes were also made to the sewer rates for residential and nonresidential customers. The rate is now $1.21/m2. This increase reflects the increased costs for the operation of the new Waste Water Treatment Plant. This increase goes into effect July 1st, 2018.
Streetlight Improvement Program. Council has approved the use of just over $585,000 from the Energy Reserve to go towards the conversion to LED for streetlights outside the Fortis program, as well as installing streetlights in areas of town where illumination is not sufficient.
Waste Water Treatment Plant Cost Overrun. While disappointed in the process that lead to the Waste Water Treatment Plant construction going over budget, Council has agreed to fund the approximately $600,000 overrun through a combination of the 2017 surplus and the Revenue Sharing Reserve. Council also encouraged more safeguards be put in place to prevent these types of extra costs to the municipality. Summer Festival Road Closure. Approval was given for the annual road closures for the Chamber of Commerce Summer Festival. The following streets will be closed from Monday, July 9th at 7 pm to Friday, July 13th at 9 pm.
• 50th Street between 1st and 6th Avenues, with the exception of the 2nd and 4th Avenue intersections.
• 3rd Avenue from 49th Street through to 51st Street. (to the back alley of Switzer’s Drugs)
Deputy Mayor. Councillor Gean Chouinard has been appointed as the Deputy Mayor commencing July 1, 2018 to November 1, 2018.
Cannabis Framework. Council accepted Administration’s Retail Cannabis Sale Framework as information. The Framework will be placed on our website in the coming weeks for public review, along with surveys and open houses to gather public input on the plan. This will be advertised in the coming weeks.