Council Highlights - December 06, 2016

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 Mackin opens the floor to the public to speak and share with Council members, administration and meeting observers.

Delegations

Fortis Alberta LED Conversion Overview - Presented by Nicky Smith, Stakeholder Relations Manager – West

Smith informed Council that an LED conversion option for streetlights is available and being delivered across Alberta. The project is expected to last through the 2017 year, as as many as 85,000 lights are converted to Philips LED dark sky friendly bulbs across the province. The conversion doesn’t include Alberta Transportation managed street lights, or ornamental lights. Estimated energy savings following the conversion for the Town of Hinton amount to approximately 484,100 kWh/year. Following Smiths report, Council directed administration to accept the offer from Fortis Alberta to proceed with a streetlight assessment and LED conversion solution for the Town of Hinton.

Action Items

Driving Behaviours at Brookhart Corner - Presented by Todd Martens

Council approved 2 portable "This is your speed" signs for each end of Town, that are to include a photo radar message below the speed to make motorists aware that Hinton is a photo radar enforced community. Council directed admin that the signs are to be funded from ATE funds. A large number of speeding violations are issued to drivers from the photo radar locations situated by Brookhart Street in Thompson Lake and Highway 16 at or near Parks West Mall. These are high traffic areas with vehicles travelling East and West. During his report, Martens informed Council that Protective Services believes there is a speed issue and that these portable signs would be a tool to ensure motorists are more aware that they are entering a speed enforced community.

Citizen Appointments to Community Engagement & Advisory Committee - Presented by Rhonda West

Following the appointment of two new members in a previous Council meeting, more applications were received. Council has now appointed Sharon Meredith, Christian Weik and Jailin Bertolin to CEAC. Full membership on the Community Engagement & Advisory Committee will broaden the scope of public input and information sharing.

Information Items

Councillor Maguhn: reported on ongoing efforts to find a solution to support residents of Mobile Home Parks within the community.

Mayor Mackin: The Mayor will be attending a session this week re: potential ways to diversify resource based communities. He also spoke to the opening of the Hinton Cancer Clinic, saying the new facility is larger and better appointed, speaking to staffs excitement to be working in a more effective setting.

Councillor Ostashek: expressed continued concern over status of Dialysis bus serving the community, and spoke to the opening of the Cancer facility.

Councillor Taylor: Taylor has found an article re: dialysis remaining in the community dating from 2014, and spoke to funds available to help fight the mountain pine beetle in the Hinton area.

Councillor Young: spoke to recent attendance at FCSS conference. He brought back ideas that he will share with Administration, as well as a new found appreciation for the many functions that Hinton FCSS offers that are still wants for other communities.

CAO Schwirtz: Schwirtz spoke to the LED bulb change Council directed administration to proceed with, saying that some residents who depend on the light splash zone to light driveways may need to take the reduced lighting footprint into account. He also informed Council that Budget 2018 will be presented for their consideration during the December 13, 2016 Standing Committee meeting.

Town of Hinton Newsflash

There will be reduced service for garbage pickup during the holiday season. Find out more here.

The Hinton Municipal Library will be closed for inventory December 08 and 09 2016. They welcome patrons to visit on the 10th to see the reorganized space.

The West Yellowhead Regional Landfill will operate reduced hours during the holidays. For more information, click here.

You can view the entire agenda package here.

As a reminder, the next Council meeting will be held December 13 2016 in The Committee Room at 4:00 pm.