News

Council Decisions: July 9, 2019

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Here is a brief summary of the decisions of Rocky View County Council at the July 9, 2019 Council Meeting. This is a general overview of decisions only. Details of the agenda items can be found in the meeting’s agenda and details on the specifics of the decisions can be found in the minutes of this meeting, both on the Council Minutes & Archives page. Details are also available by contacting the County’s Municipal Clerk’s Office.

General Business

• Council received, for information, a Quarterly Report from the County’s Building Services department. To date in 2019, the County has issued 443 building permits with a total construction value of just under $100 million, including just over $35 million in non-residential development.
• Council received, for information, a Quarterly Report from Agricultural and Environmental Services.
• Council received, for information, a Quarterly Report from Utility Services.
• Council agreed to provide just under $2,500 in 2019 property tax relief to the Pho Duc Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Centre.
• Council granted Thorlakson’s Family Farms an extension to wrap up composting operations and complete site cleanup at their facility northeast of Airdrie. The work must now be competed by December 11, 2019.
• Council directed Administration to review all Fee Simple lands (property that is owned outright by the County) and prepare a report on any current and future use for each property. The report is due in November.
• Council approved a Right to Farm policy to ensure the County’s agricultural producers do not face unnecessary restrictions when engaged in generally accepted agricultural practices.
• Council voted to rescind four policies which were actually Administration processes:
  • The Agricultural Pest and Nuisance Awareness, Enforcement and Control Policy
  • The Road Stabilization and Surfacing Policy
  • The Seeding of Municipal Roadsides, Borrow Areas, and Reclamation Sites Policy
  • The Installation and Operation of Street Lighting Policy
• Council amended the Roadside Memorials Policy to bring it in line with current policy standards.
• Council voted to make these new appointments to a number of boards and committees to replace councillors who are currently sanctioned:
  • Governance and Priorities Committee Vice Chair: Councillor Gautreau
  • Subdivision and Development Appeal Board / Enforcement Appeal Committee: Councillor Gautreau
  • Spray Lake Sawmill Recreation Parks Society: Councillor McKylor
  • Bearspaw Glendale Recreation District: Councillor Henn
  • Ranch Lands Recreation District: Councillor McKylor
  • Rocky View West Recreation District: Councillor Kamachi with Councillor McKylor as alternate
  • Cochrane Ag Lands Advisory Committee: Councillor McKylor and Councillor Henn
  • MD of Big Horn Inter-Municipal Development Plan Committee: Reeve Boehlke
  • Cochrane Inter-Municipal Committee: Reeve Boehlke and Councillor Gautreau
• Council directed administration to bring back a report on the costs of hiring an independent consultant to complete an electoral boundary and governance review. Other than minor adjustments in 2010, the County’s electoral divisions have not been redrawn since 2000, leading to wide discrepancies in the number of residents in each. The governance review would look at the total number of councillors and examine the benefits and drawbacks of having an elected mayor versus the current reeve system. The report is due at the July 23, 2019 Council Meeting.
• Council voted to forgo a voter’s list for the next municipal election. The County will retain the process of requiring voters to show identification and sign a legal voter registration form before being allowed to vote. This is the process outlined in the Alberta Local Authorities Elections Act.
• Council rescinded the Family and Community Support Services Policy. Most of the elements in the old policy were already covered in legislation from the Province.

Planning and Development

• Council voted to instruct Administration to prepare a “Live/Work Land Use District” for consideration as a future addition to the Land Use Bylaw.
• Division 9 – File PL20170012 (06826041/042), Bylaw C-7869-2019, Re-designation Item: Residential Two District to Residential One District. Considered under the Cochrane North Area Structure Plan. Passed first and second reading. Third (final) reading will be considered at the July 23, 2019 Council Meeting.
• Division 9 – File PL20180152 (06716013), Bylaw C-7897-2019, Conceptual Scheme Item: Glendale Ranch, Bearspaw. Considered under the County Plan and Bearspaw Area Structure Plan. Related to PL20180151 below. Approved.
• Division 9 – File PL20180151 (06716013), Bylaw C-7896-2019, Re-designation Item: Ranch and Farm District to Residential Three District. Considered under the County Plan and Bearspaw Area Structure Plan. Related to PL20180152 above. Approved.

Subdivision Authority

• Division 8 – File PL20180128 (05736025), Subdivision Item: Residential One District. Approved by the Subdivision Authority.
• Division 5 – File PL20180048 (03332002/003), Subdivision Item: Industrial – Direct Control District 153, Emcor Industrial Park. Approved by the Subdivision Authority.
• Division 8 – File PL20190033 (06713016) Subdivision Item: Creation of Two R-1 Parcels. Approved by the Subdivision Authority.

In Camera

• Council move into a closed session to consider the confidential item “Regional Updates” under sections 21 and 24 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). On returning to an open session, there was no report.
• Council move into a closed session to consider the confidential item “Land Acquisition” under sections 21 and 24 of FOIP. On returning to an open session, Council moved to direct Administration to investigate the land purchase as discussed.
• Council move into a closed session to consider the confidential item “Personnel Matter” under sections 19 and 24 of FOIP. On returning to an open session, Council directed Administration to amend the Chief Administrative Officer contract as discussed in camera.

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