IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

COUNTY/CAROLINE AMALGAMATION 

Two public open house meetings and one virtual meeting were held April 17 – 19, 2024. The following concerns and information were gathered from those meetings:

· First of all the format was very disappointing. Rather than a sit-down meeting, attendees had to walk around and read various information charts. Staff and councillors were available to answer questions.

· Most people felt it would have been much more beneficial to have an open, informative presentation followed by a question/answer session. That way everyone would have been given equal opportunity to hear the same information along with all questions and concerns. Comments heard at both meetings suggested this was a “divide and conquer” format.

· Currently councils are discussing possible operational plans as well as issues such as make-up of the interim council and wards/divisions for the new municipality.

· Opinions on those important matters are also being gathered on a survey available on the county’s website or at the county office. We certainly encourage you to complete the survey.

· Of significant discussion at the joint amalgamation meeting of April 25, 2024 were concerns about financial implications. It seems there is definitely information lacking about future infrastructure costs in Caroline and this is a noted issue for county council members.

· A “What We Heard” Report will be prepared and released to the public, hopefully later in May or early June.

· We certainly hope public meetings will then be held to present and discuss that information.

County Proposing a 1% Tax Rate Increase

This was a key item of discussion at the county council meeting on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Key points noted were: (Special note: For clarity, the actual taxes you pay are calculated by taking the assessed value of your property and multiplying it by the mill rate set by county council. Also, all quotes are taken from the meeting’s agenda package.)

· As a result of inflation, property assessment values in the county have increased 1.8%, resulting in “additional revenue of just under $900,000 for the county.”

· Increased growth, mostly in industry, is “contributing additional revenue of approximately $1.7million” or about 3.2% over last year.

· Together, “The change in assessment base is contributing an additional $2,593,585 in tax revenue over the 2023 budget which does not include the 1% tax rate increase that is included in this draft.”

· A draft of the 2023 audited financial statements also presented at Tuesday’s meeting showed that as of December 31, 2023 there was an unrestricted surplus (can be used as needed) of $100,000 while the restricted surplus (dedicated to specific categories) was $108,661,116.

· To compare how Clearwater County rates with neighboring jurisdictions, research showed in 2022 audited financials (2023 figures weren’t available for some neighbors) that restricted surpluses put Clearwater County at the top with $103, 297,385 while neighbors ranged from about $26M to $87M.

· Clearwater County passed first reading (on a vote of 5-2) to approve a 1% tax rate increase but it will be brought back on May 14, 2023 for 2nd and 3rd reading.

· Kudos are sent to the council members that expressed concerns over the need questionable need for a tax increase given the increase in revenue the county will already be receiving.

· Perhaps increased fiscal responsibility is necessary instead of a tax rate increase.

Broadband A Broadband Committee meeting

Began on Thursday, April 18, 2024 but ended before the agenda could be completed due to the amalgamation open house meeting also happening that day. The meeting was reconvened on Friday, April 26, 2024. Highlights/questions from that meeting were:

· A review of the “services” provided by the county which include Lit Services (internet and date transmission for immediate use), Tower and POP leasing (renting space on towers and Point of Presence locations), Dark Fibre Services (leasing unused fibre optic cable), and Subduct Leasing (leasing space within underground cables for installing fibre optic cables)

· Questions/concerns arose related to Rigstar’s responsibilities and involvement with operations. (Rigstar is an independent company that has been hired by the county as a “Network Operator”.)

· Significant discussion took place on assisting with providing broadband connectivity to the North Saskatchewan River Park (the rodeo grounds). It has been noted that this would be a great benefit to users of that location.

· As the town of Rocky owns that property the county would need to discuss connectivity options with them.

· A motion was passed recommending that administration meet with the town to gather more information on costs and operation opportunities moving forward.

· We certainly hope that joint cooperation will be possible and that we can have a beneficial solution in the near future.

· A March 15, 2024 letter from the CCTA requesting information on broadband finances and operation, including Rigstar’s responsibilities, was also discussed. Administration will be gathering information to provide answers to the questions asked in the letter.

SINCEREST CONDOLENCES 

Our sincerest condolences are being extended to the Ahlstrom family on the recent passing of Lavern. Lavern was the primary instigator of getting the Clearwater County Taxpayers’ Association organized and was a dedicated member since it started as an ad hoc committee in 2010 and became an official society in 2013. His sincere care for his community in various ways will certainly be missed.

Coming Events: 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 7:30PM and 

Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 7:30PM regular meetings at Arbutus Community Hall

“May is the time when everything awakens and springs into action.” Unknown

“Spring is the time for plans and projects.” Leo Tolstoy

“ Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party’!!” Robin Williams

IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

County/Caroline Amalgamation 

The latest meeting of both councils to discuss the proposed amalgamation was held on March 14, 2024. Some key points of interest include:

· Change of voting process. In all previous meetings decision making involved a “consensus model” of voting. As noted in the agenda package that process is “based on the principle that members agree to support the decision even when it’s not everyone’s favorite choice.

Following significant discussion, a decision was made to move forward with a majority rule group based decision making. As such, when a motion is made, individual votes will be counted in two groups, one by county councillors and one by Caroline councillors. If a majority votes in favor in each group, it is recognized as passed motion. A motion is lost when one group votes in opposition, or individual votes in a group are tied.

This allowed each member of each council to vote as they wished or felt was most beneficial rather than having to conform with the group.

· Interim Council and Wards A motion was passed that the Amalgamation Committee (both councils) review the makeup of the Interim Council and the electoral wards. Originally the Interim Council, effective January 1, 2025, would consist of 12 members: 7 Clearwater County Councillors and 5 Village of Caroline Councillors. Concerns have subsequently been expressed that this gave an unequal/unfair representation advantage to the village. (Almost 50% votes for 4.5% of the amalgamated population.) It will be interesting to see what future decisions are made with regards to the number of council members on the Interim Council and the representation from each jurisdiction.

· Public Engagement Meetings In person Public Engagement Meetings will be held on: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM at the Caroline Hub and Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM at the Leslieville Community Hall. A virtual on-line meeting will be held on Friday, April 19, 2024 from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. You can go to the county’s website for further information and to join in.

We certainly appreciate the efforts for public engagement but have expressed our distinct concerns with the inconvenient time of the day those meetings are being held. We really hope people will be able to make the necessary arrangements for their participation.

Land Use Bylaw Review 

There is nothing new to report about the review of the current document and PAC (the Public Advisory Committee) has not had any meetings since January 30, 2024 and no further ones are scheduled.

One interesting new proposed Renewable Energy Land Use Bylaw was brought forward at the February 27, 2024 Council meeting. This was a very lengthy article with extremely technical, difficult to understand language. Following discussion the request was made to review/redo the proposed bylaw. With the current LUB under review, as well as provincial guidelines being discussed, it will be interesting to see what develops with this article.

“In the Wind” 

Several items related to Strategic Planning were brought forward at the March 26th Council meeting. Perhaps highlighting the list was a request for a report from administration on Clearwater County Future Facility Needs along a request for the opportunity for future discussion on an Agriculture Recreation Facility.

These were “hot” items back in 2016 after the county had purchased the quarter of land north of Rocky on the airport road and plans were proposed for a new administration building as well as an Ag Rec/Indoor Rodeo facility. It will be interesting to see what discussion and action is “in the wind”.

Up-coming CCTA Meeting 

At our April 10th meeting we will be hosting Ross Watson as a guest speaker. Ross is a long time farmer in both Clearwater and Red Deer counties and has significant experience with land use issues. As he is aware that we are currently reviewing our land use bylaws he offered to share his knowledge and experience with us in order to help address potential concerns with our proposed LUB. We certainly welcome his offer of assistance and look forward to hearing his presentation.

Coming Events: 

Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall, regular meeting with guest speaker, Ross Watson. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 7:30PM, regular monthly meeting, Arbutus Community Hall

“An optimist is the human personification of spring.” Susan J. Bissonette

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” Doug Larson

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.” Virgil A. Kraft

IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

County/Caroline Amalgamation

Two joint meetings of councils of the whole were recently held on January 25th and 26th. There was significant discussion with a variety of opinions expressed on several topics. Of special note were the following:

· Formation date As mentioned before, January 1, 2025 is the proposed date for amalgamation to occur. In order for that to happen a report has to be submitted from our councils to the Minister of Municipal Affairs 6 months in advance. It has been repeatedly said that this is a very tight timeline for gathering information, developing a draft report, and offering public engagement opportunities before the final report is written and submitted to the Minister. Alternate ideas of postponing the formation date were brought forward but in the end a motion was passed to move on with the January 1st date.

· Interim Council An interim council would be formed to deal with the operations of the “new amalgamated” municipality. This temporary council would operate from January 1, 2025 until municipal elections are held in the fall of 2025. Again, significant discussion took place on the possible number of members on that council and how those numbers would be allocated. Suggestions were made that it be an uneven number and perhaps a smaller group than the current 12 members from both councils. Another concern of “equality” of representation was raised, comparing one county councillor representing 1800 residents versus 5 Caroline councillors representing 500 people. After representatives from Municipal Affairs joined the meeting to offer advice and answer questions, a motion passed to proceed with all members of current councils making up the interim council.

· Appointment of Chief Elected Official (Reeve) A motion was passed that an organization meeting of the Interim Council be held on January 7, 2025 and the “Reeve” be chosen at that time.

· Bylaws and Enforcement (Operational) Aside from maintaining the current bylaws this agenda item provided two options of enforcement: 1. No change. Keep things as is. 2. Increase the number of CPO’s (County Police Officers) from the current number of 4 to 5 to offset the additional services required. Again significant discussion took place. First a motion to support Option 2 was defeated. More discussion ensued and finally a decision was made to support Option 1.

Throughout the meetings other items of discussion included maintaining library services in Caroline, accepting current bylaws and resolutions of both jurisdictions and maintaining current emergency services.

Of interest, the minutes of the earlier January 5th and 6th meetings recorded significantly more time spent in camera than in open session--- approximately 1 hour open to 2 hours in closed session for each meeting. Also noted in the minutes was that the councils struck the original idea of holding of a public survey re amalgamation, and proposed public engagement dates are yet to be determined.

PAC 

The Public Advisory Committee formed to assist with the gathering of public opinion during the re-write of the Land Use Bylaw (LUB) held their second meeting on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. While the agenda for that meeting had been originally proposed to review the definition section of the current LUB, the focus changed to reviewing the committee’s roles and responsibilities and focussing on discussing comments on what concerns we have heard to date.

While “Stakeholder Group” meetings were part of the original plan of action in this review process, none have been held to date. The suggested Stakeholder Groups would include agriculture, aggregate groups, oil/gas industry representatives, and various other groups involved with tourism, realtors, and small business.

Round table comments noted the concerns committee members have heard, regularly sharing those comments, restrictive rules, direct controls districts and emergency situations, rules related to seacans, confined feeding operation definition, fencing restrictions, and the need for more meetings.

No date was set for the next meeting. It is very important that people express their opinions/concerns on the Land Use Bylaw. This can be done by contacting your councillor or going on the county’s website, searching the Land Use Bylaw Rewrite or going on the following website: clearwatercounty.ca/p/land-use-bylaw-rewrite.

SPECIAL UP-COMING FUNDRAISER 

The CCTA is planning a St. Patrick’s Day themed fund raiser for Saturday, March 16, 2024. The event will be held at the Leslieville Community Hall, starting with a roast beef supper at 6:30PM and followed by entertainment at 8:00PM, showcasing Ben Crane and his daughter. There will also be a silent auction and 50-50 ticket draw. Tickets for the event cost $30.00 each and may be purchased from any one of the following Board Members: Marianne Cole (403)729-2493; Ron Schultz (403)846-1523; Susan Durand (403)729-2585; Pat Butler (403)729-2455; Jim Foesier (403)844-8088; Debbie Gastonguay (403)845-6922; Tim Plante (403)846-3059; Leah Schultz (403)850-7533; Reg Belyea (780)554-9631. We welcome you and encourage you to bring your friends to this amazing, fun-filled evening.

Coming Events: 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 and Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 7:30PM, Regular Monthly Meetings at the Arbutus Community Hall

Saturday, March 16, 2024, St. Patrick’s Day themed fund raiser. Doors open at 5:30PM; roast beef supper at 6:30PM; entertainment with Ben Crane and his daughter at 8:00PM; silent auction and 50-50 ticket sales throughout the evening.

 “Love is something sent from heaven to worry the hell out of you.” Dolly Parton 

 “The giving of love is an education in itself.” Eleanor Roosevelt

IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

2024 BUDGET

Clearwater County Council approved the 2024 budget at a special council meeting on December 19,2023.  Items of special note include:

• Operating revenues.  Potential revenue is slated to be $62,163,392, up $1,061,311 from the 2023 budget of $61,102,081.  This would be a 1.7% increase.
• Operating expenses.   These are budgeted to be $49,626,693, an increase of $2,019,592 or 4.2% over the 2023 budget of $47,607,101.
• Capital expenditures for 2024 are budgeted to be $40,366,896.  No figures from 2023 were presented for a comparison.
• Where necessary, short falls in revenue will be covered through restricted surpluses.

During discussion on the budget, questions were raised re a potential new fire hall in Caroline, road maintenance/improvement on the Beaver Flats, Taimi, Rainbow Ford, and Airport roads as well as future funding for seniors' housing.

BROADBAND

This was a separate item of discaussion at the budget meeting.  2024 revenues are anticipated to be $350,000 while expenses are projected to be $2,086,972.  this would be an increase in expenses of $648,371 or 45% over last year's budget of $1,438,602.  A question was raised where the revenue would come from with a reply saying it comes from the ISP's (Internet Service Providers) not the end users.

While not mentioned at the budget meeting it is interesting to note that the county has entered into a contract with Rigstar Industrial Telecom, a company based out of Calgary, to operate as the "Network Operator" for the county's broadband operations.  According to information on the county's website, Rigstar, "together with Arcadis, stands at the forefront of managing Clearwater County's Open Access Network"...  It is unclear what role Arcadis, a company based out of the Netherlands, has in this operation.

COUNTY/CAROLINE AMALGAMATION

Joint meetings of both county and village councils were held on December 4th and 5th, 2023.  Decisions on the following matters were made:

• The "new" municipality would continue with the same boundaries as are currently being used.
• The name would remain as is for Clearwater County but the village of Caroline would be known as the Hamlet of Caroline.
• The municipality's council would continue with 7 councillors, one for each division.
• The divisions would remain basically the same with the north side of Caroiline joining the county's Division 4 and the south side joining Division 6.  Highway 54 would be the dividing line between the two.
• The amalgamated municipality office will remain at the county's current location and Rick Emmons will be the Chief Administrative Officer.

Concerns were again expressed regarding the potentially restrictive timeline, extra staff responsibilities, and maintaining current service levels.

Up-coming public engagement will involve in-person meetings in Leslieville and Caroline as well as a virtual/on-line meeting.  In addition, a survey is being drafted and will be available on the county's website, the county and village offices, and potentially in local papers.

The next amalgamation meetings are scheduled for January 25th and 26th, 2024.

UP-COMING EVENTS

Regular Monthly CCTA Meetings

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

All at 7:30PM at the Arbutus Community Hall

IN THE NEWS

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

IN THE NEWS

By Marianne Cole

NEW COUNTY REEVE 

Congratulations to Michelle Swanson on being chosen as the Clearwater County Reeve at Council’s organizational meeting on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Nominated by Councillor Graham, Reeve Swanson defeated former Reeve Daryl Lougheed in a secret ballot vote. Councillor Mehlhaff was reinstated as Deputy Reeve, while winning over the other remaining council members.

While this is Reeve Swanson’s second term as councillor it is her first as Reeve. Deputy Reeve Mehlhaff is in her first term as councillor but this is her second appointment as Deputy Reeve.

LAND USE BYLAW REVIEW PAC CHOSEN 

Another very timely item at Council’s organization meeting was the appointment of the Public Advisory Committee that will work with Council’s Steering Committee on the Land Use Bylaw review. Forty plus people had submitted applications for this committee and the following eight were chosen: Marianne Cole, Jim Duncan, Earl Graham, Bob Haagsma, Shawna Norad, Amanda Thompson, and Rod Tomyn. They come from all areas of the county and represent a wide variety of expertise. We welcome their interest and dedication to developing a positive, beneficial revised LUB reflective of the wishes of the residents.

COUNTY/CAROLINE AMALGAMATION 

Council recently held an “Amalgamation Workshop” to gather more information on the process as well as drafting a bylaw that will be used as they move forward with discussions on this matter. This was a closed session and no information from it is available.

In the meantime, the CCTA has been working to gather information on the pros and cons of the options of amalgamation versus dissolution. Several attempts have been made to get a speaker from Municipal Affairs to address the issue but in recent correspondence it stated, “The Municipal Viability Team’s practice is not to make presentation to stakeholder groups during amalgamation proceedings.”

An invitation was also sent inviting the county’s Reeve Swanson and Deputy Reeve Mehlhaff, along with Caroline’s Mayor Rimmer and Deputy Mayor Gibson to attend the CCTA Annual General Meeting coming up in mid November. A response has been received from Reeve Swanson declining the invitation.

It is both disappointing and frustrating that the provision of adequate, unbiased information about the potential impact on both county and village residents is being denied… and they are the ones funding the process. How can we provide feedback to our councils when we don’t have sufficient information to create an informed opinion?

UP-COMING AGM 

The Annual General Meeting of the Clearwater County Taxpayers’ Association will be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7:30PM at the Arbutus Community Hall. This is one week later than the normal meeting date which would have been held while the Rural Municipalities Association convention is taking place, making it impossible for councillors to attend our meeting and we always appreciate their input. Not only will we be electing new members to the board, we are hoping that we will have some more information about the County/Caroline amalgamation process. We really encourage you to come to our AGM and send a warm welcome to new members as we “work together for the common good”.

COMING EVENTS: 

Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall, Annual General Meeting. Note: We do not have a meeting in December and the January meeting date will be determined at the AGM.

 “We must dare to be great and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.” Theodore Roosevelt.