Caroline Seniors Housing

Public meeting, Monday, March 28, 2022 at the Caroline Hub

Display viewing begins at 6:30PM

Formal presentation at 7:00PM

Discussion to follow on the proposed Seniors Housing project.

Everyone welcome.

IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

County/Village of Caroline Amalgamation

This matter was recently discussed at the February 22, 2022 County Council meeting. An earlier study/suggestion had evaluated the possibility of a union of the town of Rocky, village of Caroline, and Clearwater County. This subsequently determined that the most beneficial plan would be a simpler union of just the county and village. At council’s recent meeting a consulting firm, Nichols Applied Management, provided the following information:

· The village has a balanced operating budget but a sizable infrastructure deficit.

· Without assistance, the village is facing a potential dissolution.

· The County, as the adjacent governing body, would then be required to absorb the village.

· The County has the capacity to absorb the village without a substantial adverse financial impact.

If an amalgamation were to proceed, this would be the scenario:

· Negotiations with the two jurisdictions would occur.

· The village would give up its status as a village and return to a hamlet in the county.

· The county would be responsible for delivering services to Caroline. Existing staff would become part of the county.

· A transition team comprised of representatives of both the county and village would address consolidation matters.

Discussion will now take place between Caroline village council, Clearwater County council, and Municipal Affairs. We encourage residents of each area are to contact their councillors to express their opinions/concerns.

Regional Waste Authority 

After termination of the previous Rocky Mountain Regional Waste Authority in March 2020 our county waste disposal has been operating independently. Certainly we are likely all aware of the changes that have occurred with the town transfer station, opening of a new one up by the airport, and the uses of county waste disposal cards. At the February county council meeting matters related to waste disposal were discussed, most notably:

· A Net Asset Distribution Agreement between the town, village, and county is proposed. Information provided indicates that as of December 31, 2020 there was an accumulated surplus of $7.4M with a net cash and temporary investment of $11M. The Distribution Agreement proposes that the Net Asset Value be distributed as follows: 65.03% to the county, 33.13% to the town, and 1.84% to the village.

· The future of the county’s solid waste management is under review with the assistance of Tetra Tech Canada. Currently the county operates 9 rural transfer stations, one “temporary” transfer station (the one up by the airport), and a Regional Landfill. Together county staff and Tetra

Tech will evaluate current operations and outline a plan for the future. It is anticipated that public engagement will also occur, potentially through mail-out surveys, on-line surveys, virtual meetings, and open house meetings. We will keep you posted.

Strategic Plan 

The Strategic Plan is a document that helps guide county council with planning and economic development policies. Following a motion made at their February 8th meeting, council moved to replace the current 2019-2022 Strategic Plan with a new one for 2022-2025. 13 Ways Inc. has been hired as consultants for this process. At their most recent meeting, Council approved an additional $32,000 in cost for the project, for a total of $51,975.00. This increase was approved to help cover consultant costs due, in part, to increased public engagement. We are not sure what public engagement activities may be involved.

CAO Position 

Following the resignation of Christopher Read, Deputy CAO, Murray Hagan was appointed Interim CAO. The process has now started to hire a permanent CAO and this will likely take 2-3 months.

Broadband 

As mentioned in previous newsletters this continues to be a contentious issue due to the lack of financial information available. On Wednesday, February 16, 2022 the CCTA filed a FOIP request asking for information on the costs and projected revenues for the county’s broadband activities to date along with future plans. We will share this information when it becomes available.

Smiles for March: 

What is a leprechaun’s favorite type of music? Sham-rock’n roll. 

What do ghosts drink on St. Patrick’s Day? BOO’s 

How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time? He’s Dublin over with laughter.

Coming Events: 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 7:30PM, Regular monthly meeting, Arbutus Com. Hall

Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 7:30PM, Regular monthly meeting, Arbutus Community Hall.