Council Highlights - March 19, 2019

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.

There were no speakers

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.

1. Automated Traffic Enforcement Annual Report - Presented by Todd Martens & St/Sgt Chris Murphy

Learn more in the agenda package, available here.

2. Medically At Risk Drivers (MARD) - Presented by Caryn Bouchard & Sandra Gallimore (Evergreens Foundation)

Learn more in the agenda package, available here.

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.

There were no hearings.

Action Items

1. Approval for Development in Direct Control District - 135 Mountain Street - Happy Creek Estates Ltd. - Presented by Dani Woodman
The purpose of the Development Permit No. 9812 is to provide additional affordable housing within an existing housing complex. Because the development is taking place in a Direct Control District, Council is required to approve the development permit, as per the MGA and the Land Use Bylaw. It was moved that Council approves development Permit No. 9812 as presented. This motion carried.

2. Asset Management Policy - Presented by Mindi Petkau
The Asset Management Policy sets the vision and principles of Asset Management for the organization. Once approved, Administration will use this document as the foundation to continue building the Asset Management Program. It was moved that the Asset Management Policy PD-6100 be referred to the April 16 or May 7, 2019 Regular Council Meeting. This motion carried.

3. Request to Waive Property Tax Penalties – 828 Carmichael Lane - Presented by Terri Williams
An outstanding amount has been sitting on this tax account since the 2017 tax levy. Numerous payments have been made by the owners in an attempt to bring the account to a current status. In September 2018, administration presented the owners with three different scenarios that would have brought the taxes back on track within a three-year timeframe. A payment plan was never agreed to by the owners at that time. It was moved that Council deny the request to reduce or waive property tax penalties in the amount of $10,791.82 for the property located at 828 Carmichael Lane. This motion carried.

4. Water Rate Bylaw #859-23 - Presented by Dale Woloszyn
During the 2019 budget process, Council approved an increase to the residential and commercial utility rates by 3% effective April 1st, 2019. This adds $80,000 to the utility revenue to offset increased operational costs. It was moved that Council give Bylaw #859-23 third reading. This motion carried.

5. Sewer Rate Bylaw #858-17 - Presented by Dale Woloszyn
During the 2019 budget process, Council approved an increase to the residential and commercial utility rates by 3% effective April 1st, 2019. This adds $27,000 to the utility revenue to offset increased operational costs. It was moved that Council give Bylaw #858-17 third reading. This motion carried.

6. Waste Rate Bylaw #933-3 - Presented by Dale Woloszyn
During the 2019 budget process, Council approved an increase to waste rates by 5% for residential and 10% for non-residential effective April 1st, 2019. This adds $69,000 to the utility revenue to offset increased operational costs annually. It was moved that Council give Bylaw #933-3 third reading. This motion carried.

Notices of Motion from Previous Meeting

NELSON: That Council adopt a Maxwell Lake / Beaver Boardwalk vision prior to any request for decision by Administration for projects relating to this area. This motion was defeated.

MICHAELS: To direct Administration to bring back a report on FCSS advisory board options to a future Standing Committee for discussion. This motion carried.

In Camera

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.

There were no motions coming out of in camera

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.

There were no inquiries.

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.

There were no new motions.

Information Items

Councillor Jo-Ann Race: Councillor Race spoke to a recent meeting with the Evergreen Catholic School Division, as well as a visit to St Gregory. Race then went on to express her thanks for the installation of crosswalk indicator devices on Highway 16, and then concluded by speaking to a recent visit to the Government Centre help desk as a civilian, expressing her appreciation for the level of service she received and sharing that she believes all people, Councillor or not, receive that same level of service.

Councillor Dewly Nelson: Councillor Nelson spoke to attending a recent Community Futures West Yellowhead event, discussing the new manner in which Grande Cache is represented via the MD of Greenview. Nelson also spoke to the Evergreen school visit, saying that it is quite apparent that Hinton's Catholic school division leads through its implementation of new cutting edge education techniques. Nelson concluded by speaking to a recent presentation he made to elementary students regarding POST, and to the work of the HEAT team over the last years of operation.

Councillor Albert Ostashek: Councillor Ostashek shared a report from a recent RCMP Advisory Board meeting, including a reminder of the RCMP Crime Map, some discussion on ATE, last week's Coffee with a Cop event, and a reminder of the upcoming Victim Services Gala. Ostashek concluded by speaking to a coming HREDC meeting.

Councillor Trevor Haas: Councillor Haas shared his experience at Coffee with a Cop, saying he had a great conversation, and went on to report the acceptance of an offer to a qualified candidate at the Hinton Municipal Library, sharing that the new library manager is anticipated to start work in early April. Haas concluded speaking to the Evergreen meeting, and some of the interesting work being done to adapt classrooms to modern student needs.

Councillor Ryan Maguhn: Councillor Maguhn thanked Councilor Haas for filling in on a coming Golf Society meeting, saying the meeting will cover coming AGM parameters, and then reminded residents of both leagues now accepting entries and of the new food and beverage service provider at the clubhouse.

Mayor Marcel Michaels: Mayor Michaels reported a good conversation with the Chamber regarding potential changes and adaptations as result of the closure of the Whistler Campground facility. Michaels also spoke to the Mayors and Reeves meeting, saying the coming election was a large matter of conversation, and offered the suggestion that as a community voting decisions be driven by the policy of all parties in question, as opposed to some of the other talking points common in election coverage. Mayor Michaels concluded by saying that the Evergreens Foundation had received funding from the province to fund the Parkland Lodge facility in Edson, making it easier to finance future builds including the target to begin work on a Hinton facility this August.

CAO Martin Taylor: CAO Taylor had nothing to report.

Town of Hinton Newsflash

Happy Creek Estates Announcement

The Town of Hinton is pleased to announce a new agreement with Happy Creek Estates to develop nine additional affordable housing units within Happy Creek Estates, slated to be built in 2019.

You can find more in the CivicSend issued earlier in the month, available here.

Get Your Business or Animal License Online

The Town of Hinton has moved to a new digital payment system, and you can now conveniently apply for and purchase animal or business licenses online, 24/7!

Visit Hinton.ca/BusinessLicense to apply for a business license.

Visit Hinton.ca/Animals to apply for an animal license.

The license purchase system will not allow purchases through out-dated browsers, such as internet explorer.

Council Video Recordings

As some residents may have noticed, we have recently experienced difficulties with our streaming video provider online. The service provider has changed the accepted methods of posting, which has made all older videos in the inventory non-functioning. These non-functioning videos will removed from the inventory for the time being, however, administration is investigating ways of making a larger library available for residents to access online. In the interim, a new format has been selected, and new recordings are being posted as before; however, the new format is slightly larger, and so less videos will be accessible online than in years past. Recordings of the videos are also available on DVDs at the Hinton Municipal Library, which can be checked out and viewed on either computers or DVD players, or by contacting the Town of Hinton should those DVD recordings not be available.

The Town of Hinton is on Facebook!

As over 1700 people have already figured out - The Town of Hinton now has a corporate Facebook page! This new service adds another resource to the communications toolbelt, and will house information on many different areas; some days, you’ll see information on bylaws, others recreation programs, others information about council decisions or highlights from Council meetings. We will, however, endeavour to ensure that we are sharing content relevant to the widest possible audience. Like us today by clicking here!

You can view the entire agenda package here.

The next Regular Council meeting will be held April 2, 2019, at 4pm
in the Council Chambers.