Council Highlights - October 26, 2021

Citizens' Minute with Council

Residents are welcome to speak to Council about issues, events, celebrations or concerns during Minute with Council. At the beginning of each regular Council Meeting, Mayor Michaels opens the floor to the public to speak and share with Council members, administration and meeting observers.

None.

Administrative Inquiries

If Councillors have queries they would like to submit to admin, this will be the time at which they do. This is in accordance with Council's procedural bylaw.

None.

Boards and Committees of Council Reporting

None.

Public Hearings

In some instances, Council is required to conduct public hearings regarding land use bylaws, rezoning, etc., or on any other matter council deems appropriate.

None.

Delegations

Presentations are required to be arranged through the Executive Assistant so that presenters can be sure time is set aside for their presentations on the Council agenda. Find out more about how to be a delegation by following this link.

None.

Discussion Items

None.

Notice of Motion

If Councillors have motions they wish to lodge, this will be the time at which they do. This is in accordance with Council's procedural bylaw.

None.

Closed Session

In-camera is a legal term meaning in private; When a Council goes in-camera, it means the Council meeting is closed to the public. In general terms, the exceptions include matters where disclosures could be harmful to personal privacy, individual or public safety, law enforcement, intergovernmental relations, or economic or other interests; reveal confidential evaluations, local public body confidence, or advice from officials; or disclose information that is subject to legal privilege.

1. Citizen at Large Board and Committee Applications - Closed per Section 19 of FOIP

Action Items

1. Seating in Council Chambers

In the Council Procedure Bylaw No. 1153 Selection of Council seating in Chambers after each general municipal election shall be determined based on random ballot. Each seat will be assigned with a number from one to seven, with seat four being automatically designated to Mayor Michaels. All Councillors names will be picked at random one at a time, to be assigned to a seat. The Mayor will conduct the random draw.

Council Motion:

That Council approve the Seating in Council Chambers as per random ballot outlined in the Council Procedures Bylaw No. 1153 assigning Councillor Taylor to seat one, Councillor Race to seat two, Councillor LaBerge to seat three, Mayor Michaels to seat four, Councillor Haas to seat five, Councillor Maguhn to seat six, and Councillor Ostashek to seat seven.

Carried 7-0

2. Deputy Mayor Roster

In accordance with Section 5.1.2 (b) of the Council Procedure Bylaw No. 1153, during the Organizational Meeting “The Deputy Mayor roster shall be determined by appointing each Councillor for three-month terms. The roster shall be determined primarily by the number of years served as a Member of Council, and secondarily by the number of votes the Councillor received in the most recent general municipal election”.

Council Motion:

That Council approve the Deputy Mayor Roster, with a 3-month rotational basis starting with Councillor Maguhn from October 26, 2021 to January 31, 2022, Councillor Ostashek from February 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022, Councillor Haas from May 1, 2022 to July 31, 2022, Councillor Race from August 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022, Councillor LaBerge from November 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 and Councillor Taylor from May 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023 continuing the rotational basis until the 2025 Municipal Election.

Carried 7-0

3. 2021 - 2022 Council Meeting Schedule

Section 5.0 of Council Procedure Bylaw No.1153 (Attachment 1) sets out the frequency of Regular Council Meetings and Committee of the Whole Meetings for Council. To reflect the recent approval of Bylaw No. 1153, where the monthly meeting frequency was increased from 3 to 4 meetings a month, 3 calendar/schedule options for Council’s consideration. These options are being provided, as Council has made a practice in recent years of adopting a meeting schedule that provided for fewer meetings during the summer months. This report provides an opportunity for the incoming Council to discuss this practice.

Council Motion:

That Council approve the 2021-2022 Council Meeting Schedule Option 1, which aligns with Council Procedure Bylaw No. 1153 and provides Regular Meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month and Committee of the Whole Meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month and for no breaks during the summer months with the removal of the December 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Carried 7-0

4. Citizen at Large Board and Committee Appointments

In accordance with the Municipal Government Act, Section 192(1), and Procedure Bylaw No. 1153 Section 5.1, Council must hold an Organizational Meeting annually. During an Organizational Meeting, Council will appoint public members to Boards and Committees.

Council Motion:

That Council appoint Jessica Hearsey Hinton Grant Funding Advisory Committee for a one-year term to the 2023 Organizational meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council appoint Sue Armstrong, Jace Rush, Mike Storey and Kylie Nein to the Hinton Municipal Library Board for a three-year term to the 2024 Organizational Meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council appoint Nigel Knight to the Assessment Review Board for a five-year term to the 2026 Organizational meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council appoint Susan Armstrong to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board for a five-year term to the 2026 Organizational meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council appoint student representatives Jayda Orr, Kadence Rogioni, Joehn Torres, Sterling Mozel, Leah Cournoyer, and Hayden Amundrud and Lorraine MacKay as the Northern Rockies Museum of Culture and Heritage representative to the Hinton Youth Advisory Council for a one-year term to the 2022 Organizational meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council appoint Benita Smit to the Community Engagement & Advisory Committee for a two year term to the 2023 Organizational Meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Council direct Administration to continue to advertise for remaining open positions on boards and committees, and to bring the applications back to Council for decision at a future Council Meeting prior to January 30, 2022.

Carried 7-0

5. Council Member Appointments to Board and Committees

Section 5.1.2(d) of Council Procedure Bylaw No. 1153 requires that at the annual Organizational Meeting, Council shall review and formalize the Mayor's recommendation of the appointment of Councillors to committees of Council. In advance of this meeting, the Mayor provided a list of his recommendations for inclusion in this report (Attachment 1).

Council Motion:

That Council direct Administration to bring an analysis report of appointing a non-voting Council representative on the Hinton Golfing Society Board to a future Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Albert Ostashek be appointed to the Beaver Boardwalk Community Oversight Committee and Councillor Taylor be appointed as the alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Ostashek, Mayor Michaels, and Councillor LaBerge be appointed to the CAO Performance Review/Recruitment Committee and Councillor Race be appointed as the alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Taylor be appointed to the Community Engagement & Advisory Committee and that Councillor LaBerge be appointed as the alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Ostashek and Councillor LaBerge be appointed to Community Futures West Yellowhead and Mayor Michaels be appointed as the alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Mayor Michaels be appointed to the Evergreen Foundation Board and that Councillor Race be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Taylor be appointed to the Forest Resource Advisory Group and Councillor LaBerge be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Haas and Councillor Maguhn be appointed to the Hinton Municipal Library Board and that Councillor Taylor be appointed as alternate.

Carried 4-3

That Mayor Michaels and Councillor Maguhn be appointed to the Hinton Police/Town Liaison Committee and that Councillor Ostashek be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor LaBerge be appointed to the Hinton Regional Economic Development Coalition and that Councillor Ostashek be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Haas and Councillor Race be appointed to the Hinton Youth Advisory Council.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Race be appointed to the Home for Fine Arts Society of Hinton and Councillor Haas be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Councillor Race be appointed to the West Fraser Pulpmill Advisory Committee and Councillor Maguhn be appointed as alternate.

Carried 7-0

That Mayor Michaels and Councillor Haas be appointed to the West Yellowhead Regional Waste Management Authority and Councillor Taylor be appointed as alternate, and that, all appointees shall remain the appointed members if the Yellowhead Regional Waste Commission Board is established during their term of appointment.

Carried 7-0

That Council direct Administration to bring an analysis report of appointing a Council representative on the Northern Rockies Museum Board in conjunction with the Civic Agency Presentations and Administrative Reports.

Carried 7-0

That Council direct Administration to add to a future Committee of the Whole Meeting the discussion item to consider adding “Trails Committee” to the Boards and Committees of Council.

Carried 6-1

Against: Race

That Council direct Administration to add to a future Committee of the Whole Meeting before June 30, 2022, the discussion item to consider adding “Naming Committee” to the Boards and Committees of Council.

Defeated 4-3

That Council direct Administration to bring a discussion item on Council Representation on the Hinton Library Board to a Committee Meeting of the Whole by November 30, 2021.

Carried 7-0

6. Council Code of Conduct Bylaw No. 1124

That Council direct Administration to bring a draft bylaw to create a Council Code of Conduct Review Committee as a discussion item to the Committee of the Whole Meeting before March 31, 2022.

Carried 7-0

That Council direct Administration to bring a Code of Conduct Bylaw discussion item to the November 23, 2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Carried 7-0

Information Items

1. FortisAlberta Franchise Fee Rider for 2022 - Update

This item is before Council to review the annual franchise fee that is part of the Electric Distribution Franchise Agreement. The franchise fee (or the local access fee) is charged to FortisAlberta allowing them access to municipal lands to construct, maintain, and operate distribution systems. The fee is recovered by FortisAlberta from their customers, by way of a rider %, to cover municipal costs for local municipal land access. The rider is charged on electric billings of all customers that receive electric service in the municipal service area.

Council Motion:

That Council accept the FortisAlberta Franchise Fee Rider for 2022 Update report as information; and that the FortisAlberta Franchise Fee Rider for 2022 report, with public notification feedback, be brought to the November 2, 2021, Regular Meeting for decision.

Carried 7-0

Council Reporting:

Councillor Stuart Taylor: Councillor Taylor had nothing to report.

Councillor Albert Ostashek: Councillor Ostashek had nothing to report.

Councillor Trevor Haas: Councillor Haas had nothing to report.

Councillor Brian LaBerge Councillor LaBerge had nothing to report.

Councillor JoAnn Race: Councillor Race had nothing to report.

Councillor Ryan Maguhn: Councillor Maguhn had nothing to report.

Mayor Marcel Michaels: Mayor Michaels had nothing to report.

Interim CAO Laura Howarth: Interim CAO Howarth spoke to the 2021 Municipal election results and process changes for the 2025 Municipal Election.

Minute with Council Access

Early in the Town Response to COVID-19, Town Council meetings were moved to remote environments, closed to the public, and streamed online to allow for easy access by residents. However, one aspect of our Council meetings that was lost in this necessary response was Minute with Council. Traditionally, Residents have been welcomed to speak to Council about issues, events, or concerns during Minute with Council. At the beginning of each Council Meeting, the chair of the meeting opens the floor to the public to speak and share with Council members, administration and meeting observers.

As we determine the "new normal" in this pandemic response, the Town of Hinton has established a procedure to take part in Minute with Council remotely, temporarily, as we prepare for further steps in our reopening plans. This process is being established to avoid risks of public meeting teleconferencing, such as inappropriate or abusive interjections by anonymous or false identities.

We appreciate your understanding should this cause any inconvenience for you.

Please use this form to receive an invite code to join our proceedings remotely.
Should you encounter difficulty using the form, please call 780-865-6072.

Learn more here.

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You can view the entire agenda package here.

The next Regular Council meeting will be held November 2, 2021,

at 4 pm via Zoom and streamed via YouTube.

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