By Marianne Cole
CCTA ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
At their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, the Clearwater County Taxpayers’ Association welcomed three new members as Directors, and two returning members switched positions. First time Directors include Leah Schultz from the Gimlet area, Debbie Gastonguay from Ferrier, and Reg Belyea from Nordegg. Switching positions were Ron Schultz from Director to Vice President and Tim Plante making the reverse switch. Returning to the Board are Marianne Cole as President, Susan Durand as Secretary, Pat Butler as Treasurer, and Jim Foesier as Director.
We certainly welcome all new members and thank “retiring” Directors for their past service. We look forward to our continued efforts to “work together for the common good”.
COUNTY/CAROLINE AMALGAMATION
Clearwater County Council and Caroline Village Council met together for an Amalgamation Committee meeting on November 2, 2023 to discuss matters related to the proposed amalgamation process. Most notable items of discussion included:
· Timeline The current process proposal suggests that a decision be made by January 2025. Six months prior to that (June 2024) a report must be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs stating the decision proposed by both councils. That leaves just 6 months to initiate public engagement/participation, a review of the information gathered from that, the writing of a summary report, and then have that report approved before sending it to the Minister.
· Increased staff time and workload This whole process is a monumental task to be completed in 6 months. As such it will put significant strain on county staff to gather information from public engagement as well as on matters related to county and village operations. This information must be compiled, presented to the public as well as councils, and a draft document created before the final report is sent to the Minister. With that in mind, it is reasonable to expect the increased time spent on this process may result in a decrease in normal county services.
· Consensus based decision As there is not equal representation on the Amalgamation Committee (5 councillors from Caroline versus 7 councillors from the County) decisions will be consensus based rather than determined by a vote.
· Communication/Public Participation During discussion on this issue it was noted that it is very important for the pro’s and con’s of amalgamation to be communicated to the public. It was also mentioned that while there might be an occasional need for closed session meetings, that opportunity should not be abused. Open, transparent meetings are necessary to build trust. In addition it is hoped that public consultation meetings will be held in January.
The next meeting of the Amalgamation Committee will be held on December 5, 2023. It will be live streamed so you can attend/follow it on the County’s website.
LAND USE BYLAW REVIEW
The first meeting of the Public Advisory Committee was held on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. The duty of this committee is to assist in the gathering of information/public opinion as the current Land Use Bylaw is reviewed and revised. The LUB is a very important document that guides and controls land use in the county. As such it stipulates:
· What you can and can’t do on your property
· What types of activities are allowed in the various land use districts (e.g. agricultural, residential, commercial, etc.)
· The processes related to development proposals
Throughout the Kick Off events held earlier in the fall some common areas of concern focussed on:
· Use of seacans
· Private camping activities/RV storage
· Home based businesses including child care provision
· Secondary suites/short term rentals
· Fragmentation
· Renewable energy developments
· Overall restrictiveness of the document
This is another very important issue facing county residents and it is crucial that your voice be heard. There is a special link on the count’s website (LUB@clearwatercounty.ca) or we encourage you to call your councillor or the county’s Planning Department to express your opinion/concerns.
The next meeting of PAC is January 10, 2024. We really need to hear from you.
“The true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart” Santa, The Polar Express
“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly Merry Christmas.” Peg Brachen
Coming Events:
Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 7:30PM; Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 7:30PM regular monthly meetings at Arbutus Community Hall
