CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION

MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL

1.0 Welcome

At 7:31 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order. Attendees introduced themselves.

2.0 Approval of Agenda

Dan Warkentin moved that the agenda be approved as presented. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.

3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting

Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from March 09, 2020. Al Gaetz moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Tim Plante seconded. Carried.

4.0 Financial Report

Pat Butler read the financial statements for August 2020. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Helge Nome seconded. Carried.

5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Leslieville Fire Hall – Report on March 24th presentation:

Council did reduce from 5 bays to 3 bays, but still planning on 6,000 sq. ft. of staff space. No information on development of 12 acres for staff training.

Marianne Cole wrote another letter to Council with continued concerns on June 7th with the costs and size of the fire hall administration area.

There is still no further information about development of the training area of the phantom third party.

5.2 Letter to Jason Nixon re: Parks

Marianne Cole wrote a letter on March 12th to Jason Nixon questioning how the assessment of the campgrounds was done, reasons behind these changes, economic impact and the lack of consultation with stakeholders.

6.0 New Business

6.1 Reply re: changes to Society Bylaws-----Request for additional information and need to ratify that. Bylaw #4 has been added and #19 clarified. Pat Butler moved that we accept these changes with complete ratification at AGM. Marlene Brattberg seconded. Carried.

6.2 Memorial Donation/Thank You’s – CCTA donated $100 to Alberta Cancer Foundation in Robert’s name. There are thank you letters from Alberta Cancer Foundation & Marlene Brattberg.

6.3 Proposed Changes To Oil/Gas Property Assessment Model---Implications to the County and copy of letter sent out. A letter expressing concerns was sent to Jason Nixon and other ministers with our concerns of reduction in services and taxes increasing for County residents. A response was received from Jason Nixon stating our concerns will be shared in the legislature.

6.4 Clearwater County MDP Review----Concerns have been heard re the following:

· Timing

· Actual process—only written submissions now; no meetings until after the draft is done

· General focus

· CCTA to organize a meeting??

Discussion took place about the current MDP process, the process is flawed because there hasn’t been proper public consultation. CCTA will contact media with our concerns through Western Star, Mountaineer, Central Alberta Life & Facebook.

Helge Nome made a motion to write a letter to Council asking that Council stop the current process on MDP and begin process with public meetings. Wayne Ahlstrom seconded. Carried.

7.0 Next meeting dates: October 5th 7:30 p.m.

8.0 Adjournment: Laverne Ahlstrom moved for adjournment @ 9:35 pm.

 

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION

MEETING MINUTES

MARCH 09, 2020

ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL

1.0 Welcome

At 7:31 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order. Attendees introduced themselves.

2.0 Approval of Agenda

Item 5.2 was added. Pat Butler moved that the agenda be approved with addition. Marlene Brattberg seconded. Carried.

3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting

Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from February 10, 2020. Date was added to 7.2. to read February 26th. Dan Warkentin moved that minutes be adopted as recorded with revision. Al Gaetz seconded. Carried.

4.0 Financial Report

Pat Butler read the financial statements for February 2020. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Marlene Brattberg seconded. Carried.

5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Leslieville Fire Hall – Report on meeting: 2 options. 3 Bay vs 5 Bay.

When did the original focus change?

There was discussion about the plans for the new fire hall

· Concerns about having safety for the schools

· Costs

· There should be a conservative approach and plans should be scaled back

Helge Nome made a motion to take general sentiments from this meeting to a presentation. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.

5.2 Bentley Meeting – An association was formed in Lacombe.

6.0 New Business

6.1 Alberta Parks Issues: Concerns? Actions?

· Costs to the County?

· The parks belong to the people.

Helge Nome suggested to ask Jason Nixon to reconsider action until there is consultation with the people.

6.2 Road Concerns – Some maintenance has been excellent. County should be contacted with concerns.

6.3 Blue Mtn. Power

a. Rate Concerns – Energy Cost Comparisons

b. Report from information meeting, March 3, 2020 – Consultants hired by BMP renewable energy options.

7.0 Next meeting dates: April 13, 2020(???) Easter Monday and May 11, 2020 @ 7:30 p.m.

8.0 Adjournment: Dan Warkentin moved for adjournment @ 9:50 pm.

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
MEETING MINUTES
FEBRUARY 10, 2020
ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL
1.0 Welcome

At 7:28 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order. Attendees introduced themselves.

2.0 Approval of Agenda
Item 6.8 was added. Dan Warkentin moved that the agenda be approved with addition. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.
3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting
Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from January 08, 2020. Marlene Brattberg moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Al Gaetz seconded. Carried.
4.0 Financial Report
Pat Butler read the financial statements for January 2020. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Dennis Anderson seconded. Carried.
5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Town/County Matters---finances, “operations” - The amount of money contributed by the County to the town is $7.8 million. Figures are 2 years behind and are probably much higher, closer to $10 million. The North Saskatchewan River Park infield needs upgrades and there are disagreements between the Stampede Board and the town.

6.0 New Business

6.1 Leslieville Fire Hall
There was a news release from the County August 30, 2018 that the public works building at Leslieville will be renovated. Concerns are being raised about the amount of money that is now being
planned to spend on a fire hall at Leslieville as well as if a second fire hall is needed as the Condor one is only 10 minutes away.

6.2 MDP Review
The MDP guides and controls development in the County. Input is available on the County website. Public meetings will be held.
6.3 Land Use Bylaw Review – February 11, 2020

First reading was passed by council to clarify the existing land use bylaw that is unclear, missing definitions and has grammatical and spelling errors within the document.

6.4 CCTA Survey???

Do we need to publish a survey to address MDP and the Leslieville Firehall? Should we hold a public meeting? The County should address this w/ residents.

6.5 West Country User Fee
A story in The Mountaineer suggest there will be a $30 user fee. Users surveyed generally agree with a user fee.
6.6 Nordegg Fire Issues
Concerns have been raised that there isn’t adequate protection. Are Firesmart guidelines being followed and enforced? The community needs to step up and address these concerns.
6.7 AER/Operations/Orphan wells/Unpaid taxes
There are millions owed to municipalities. There are an average of 23 applications a day for water licenses. There needs to be more board representation from other stakeholders. There is a West Country Stakeholders meeting this Thursday, February 13th @ 3:00 at the Lou Soppit Centre.
6.8 In Camera Sessions

There is a concern with the large amount of time that Council spends “in camera”.





7.0 Open Forum

7.1 Power Costs

The County is served by REA, Fortis & Epcor. Marianne Cole asked for copies of power bills for comparison of especially distributions costs.

7.2 Lacombe County Taxpayers

We were pleased to welcome guests from Lacombe County. They are having issues with communication with their County. They will be holding a meeting at the Bentley Ag Centre on February 26 @ 7:00 pm to address their concerns.
Other meetings of note are:
· Medicine River Crime Watch Society and Clearwater Crime Watch are holding a Crime Watch Meeting in Eckville on February 27th @ the Eckville Community Centre @ 7:00 pm with the guest speakers of the Crown Prosecutor and Assistant Crown Prosecutor from Red Deer.
· Clearwater Community Crime Watch AGM on March 2, 2020 @ the Leslieville Community Center @ 7:00 pm.


8.0 Next meeting dates: March 09, 2020 and April 13, 2020 @ 7:30 p.m.

9.0 Adjournment: Dan Warkentin moved for adjournment @ 9:57 pm.

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
MEETING MINUTES
JANUARY 08. 2020
ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL
1.0 Welcome

At 7:30 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order.

2.0 Approval of Agenda
Items 6.5, 7.1, and 7.2 were added. Al Gaetz moved that the agenda be approved with additions. Helge Nome seconded. Carried.
3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting
Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from September 17, 2019. Robert Brattberg moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.
4.0 Financial Report
Pat Butler read the financial statements for November and December 2019. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Dan Warkentin seconded. Carried.
5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Letter to Council – Marianne Cole drafted a letter dated November 20, 2019 but has not been sent to council. This was tabled pending further discussion at the November meeting. Discussion took place regarding this letter and the issue regarding County animal rescue issues. Helge Nome made a motion not to send the prepared letter. Robert Brattberg seconded. Carried.


6.0 New Business
6.1 Town/County Amalgamation
Town council voted unanimously to initiate talks for amalgamation between the town and county. There is an extensive process to achieve this and would be a lengthy process. Questions were raised concerning the total amount of money the County gives the town and if the lagoon discharge into the river has been resolved.

6.2 Leslieville Fire Hall
The budget for the new Leslieville fire hall is $5.6 million. The hall is still in the planning stages.
6.3 Increased RCMP costs/rural crime

It is agreed among attendees that the justice system is the problem. There is an open house with Jason Nixon this Friday.

6.4 Meeting Dates

There is a need to set firm meeting dates. Helge Nome made a motion to hold meetings the second Monday of the month. Dan Warkentin seconded. Carried.

6.5 Coffee W/Councillor
Coffee w/Councillor will be held January 12, 2020 at the Bingley Hall @ 2-4 p.m.
7.0 Open Forum

7.1 Costs, Paving of Tiami Road

Concerns were raised of the costs of paving the Tiami Road, is this a want or need? This project has been on the books for some time.

7.2 Snowplowing

Some roads have not been plowed within a reasonable time. County policy is within 96 hours. Concerns should be directed to the County so they can address them.

8.0 Next meeting dates: February 10, 2020 and March 9, 2020 @ 7:30 p.m.

9.0 Adjournment: Pat Butler moved for adjournment @ 9:20 pm

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 11, 2019
ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL
1.0 Welcome

At 7:30 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order.

2.0 Approval of Agenda
Items 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5 were updated. Dan Warkentin moved that the agenda be approved with updates and additions. Laverne Ahlstrom seconded. Carried.
3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting
Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from April 16, 2019. Marlene Brattberg moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Ken Qually seconded. Carried.
4.0 Financial Report
Pat Butler read the financial statements for May 2019. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Al Gaetz seconded. Carried.
5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Letter to the AER - was sent to three individuals on May 21, 2019 ( Mrs. Sheila O’Brien, Chairman of the Board, AER, Sonya Savage, Minister of Energy and Mr. Gordon Lambert, President & CEO of AER) with concerns of the operation and control of the AER and fracking. It was noted that Jason Nixon is overseeing the AER under his portfolio.

5.2 Prices of Grazon – the prices haven’t been looked into. The County has a sheet published with their prices.


5.3 Tax Rate info – council voted for a 0% tax increase in municipal taxes for this year but there is an increase in taxes due to the increase in the school tax.



6.0 New Business
6.1 County council meeting highlights
· Presentation by Mountain Rose Woman’s Shelter – new shelter should be completed by August. They would like representation from County council on their working group.
· North Saskatchewan River Park Update – a grant has been received and work will begin soon on a covered grandstand.
· Grant Funding for Community Halls Policy – council approved a policy that will see annual allocations based on hall capacity.
· Tax Rate Discussion – there may be a 5.41% increase for residential and farm and a 13.8% increase for business.
· Audited Financial Statements – county is in a favorable financial position. Revenue has increased 13.14% with expenses only increasing by 3.59% over 2017.

6.2 Friends of Corridor School
Fundraising has been postponed due to no clear answers from the provincial government. Until that is received, there is no clear target for fundraising.
6.3 Name Update

Alberta Clearwater Association has changed its name to Alberta Freshwater Alliance Society.

6.4 Memorial for Roy??

It was discussed and decided to contact friends to donate to a cause or charity in his name. Robert Brattberg made a motion to donate $100.00 to charity of their choice. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.

6.5 Clearwater Broadband Foundation
This foundation was established in 2016 to improve broadband in the county. They have a P3 partnership that is a combination of public and private. There is a fiber optic network that is up and running as a pilot project. Discussion took place about whether the county should be involved in providing internet service. An informal vote was taken and was overwhelming against the county being involved.


6.6 County Concerns
There were concerns that the county didn’t change the fire signs to a ban, but it was only a restriction, not a ban. There is a concern with a county vehicle being seen in Red Deer on a “shopping trip”. This will be looked into. The county has a number that can be contacted 24 hours with concerns.
** Marianne Cole read a thank you note from Coral Ahlstrom
7.0 Future Meeting: Tuesday September 17th @ 7:30 p.m.

8.0 Adjournment - Ken Qually moved for adjournment @ 9:09 p.m.

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 16, 2019
ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL
1.0 Welcome

At 7:25 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order.

2.0 Approval of Agenda
Pat Butler moved that the agenda be approved. with additions. Dan Warkentin seconded. Carried.
3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting
Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last meeting from March 12, 2019. Ken Qually moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Helge Nome seconded. Carried.
4.0 Financial Report
Pat Butler read the financial statements for March 2019. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Dan Warkentin seconded. Carried.
5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Letter to council re: Compensation and AER concerns, School Board rep and to AER

AER Concerns – We received a reply from Reeve Jim Duncan in response to a letter written to him on March 14, 2019 addressing our concerns with using fresh water for fracking. In his letter, he noted that water is under provincial jurisdiction and council has not addressed this issue.
School Board Rep – There has not been a reply as of yet to our request for a school board rep to attend one of our meetings to update us on the new schools.
Councillor Cammie Laird replied to our e-mail for further information that was previously sent in January.
Letter to AER – A letter was sent to the AER by e-mail and it was answered by e-mail. Marianne will draft a letter to the AER after the election that will address the minister.

5.2 Concerns with chemical purchases/ rebates. Marianne will cost compare the cost of chemicals from the county to UFA and Co-op. Rebates are set by the chemical companies.


6.0 New Business
6.1 County council meeting highlights
· Rec vehicle storage, sewage dump. There are concerns with traffic from neighbors. Rezoning was passed. Applicants now have to apply for a development permit.
· There is an application from the Plumbing Shoppe to rezone a portion of land
· First readings on the Caroline – Clearwater ICF
· Collection of Business Information discussion and business licenses
· Support of the Corridor school enhancement projects – council will match funds raised for the new schools
· Presentation from Bellatrix – concerns with getting their product to market
· Town of RMH lagoon – improvements have been made. Unknown future costs.
· Request from CCTA for councillor compensation for meeting attendance – request was denied.
· Open mic time was discussed and livestreaming should be up and running by this fall.
6.2 Tax dollars owed to the County by oil/gas industry related companies
Front page of the Western Producer reports that there is over $81 million in property taxes that has gone unpaid in Alberta. $1.9 million is owed to the County from oil and gas companies. Names are being withheld. Are taxpayers on the hook for this deficit? Audited financial statements will be released the end of April.
6.3 Corridor School Survey

There is a survey being conducted for residents wanting ‘extras’ for new school, size of gymn, stage etc. Fundraising, how much and for what? Hard copies are available at the County office. Available online?

6.4 Up-coming council meeting/ financial statements/ tax rates

Agenda coming out soon.

7.0 Future Meetings Tuesday May 21 and Tuesday June 18, 2019 @ 7:30 p.m.
8.0 Adjournment – Dan Warkentin moved for adjournment @ 8:45 p.m.

CLEARWATER COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
MEETING MINUTES
MARCH 12, 2019
ARBUTUS COMMUNITY HALL
1.0 Welcome

1. At 7:30 p.m. President Marianne Cole called the meeting to order. All those in attendance introduced themselves.

2.0 Approval of Agenda
2. February meeting was cancelled due to weather so agenda items from February have been combined with items for March. Items 6.6 and 6.7 were added. Dan Warkentin moved that the agenda be approved with additions. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.
3.0 Minutes of the previous meeting
3. Marianne Cole read the minutes of our last regular meeting from October 11, 2018. Marlene Brattberg moved that minutes be adopted as recorded. Al Gaetz seconded. Carried.
4.0 Financial Report
4. Pat Butler read the financial statements for the previous year and Jan/Feb of 2019. Pat Butler moved that the financial statements be accepted as presented. Al Gaetz seconded. Carried.
5.0 Business Arising From The Minutes

5.1 Letter to council re: Bighorn

Marianne Cole wrote a letter to council January 29, 2019 expressing our concerns with the Bighorn Park proposed by the Alberta government and the concern we have with council not expressing their opposition to this plan. A reply was received January 31, 2019 from Reeve Jim Duncan stating that they were waiting for their next meeting to have a motion to be passed. On February 12, 2019 council issued an excellent letter to Minister Shannon Phillips stating their opposition to the park.



5.2 Future Guest Speaker: Jason Nixon – His office was contacted and they suggested waiting until more details about the upcoming election were made.

5.3 Letter re: CPO’s – Marianne Cole sent an e-mail to councillor Cammie Laird on January 9, 2019 stating our concerns with an officer living outside the county and parking the CPO vehicle at an insecure site, cost for parking, potential vandalism and driving county vehicles. Councilor Cammie Laird was in attendance at the meeting and stated that there had been a policy change as of January 1, 2019 and that vehicles would need to be picked up at the closest secure county building.


5.4 Appointment of Auditor for our 2018/2019 return – Laverne Ahlstrom made a motion to appoint Sharon Rubeling for auditor. Dan Warkentin seconded. Carried.

6.0 New Business
6.1 Update on Bighorn Proposal – the Bighorn Park has been put on hold for now pending the outcome of the election.

6.2 County Council Highlights:

· Partnership with Wild Rose School Division – council passed a resolution indicating it’s support for the Leslieville school enhancement project and will match funds raised by the community.
· The county has released its strategy for economic development that include: Prepare for business, Prepare for people growth, Promote opportunities and Foster a Culture of Growth.
· Clearwater County Regional Wastewater System Briefing – there have been issues with the effluent from the lagoon and upgrades are needed. The county is responsible for contributing money for upgrades. The county will continue to evaluate past and current studies.
Helge Nome made a motion that we write a letter to the school division inviting school trustees to our CCTA meetings to discuss school changes. Lawrence Stewart seconded. Carried.
Ken Qually made a motion to write a letter to council for two reps from council attend CCTA meetings and that time should be compensated. More are welcome to attend, but only two will be compensated. Pat Butler seconded. Carried.

6.3 Change in Meeting Date

The second Tuesday conflicts with some other meetings. Discussion took place about which day would be best. Helge Nome made a motion to hold meetings the third Tuesday of the month starting April 16th. Dennis Anderson seconded. Carried.


6.4 Rebate on Chemical Purchases - There has been some confusion about the rebate on chemical purchases purchased from the county. The rebate program amount is set by the chemical company.
6.5 Report on area “Water Activities”, fracking, earthquakes – A new association is being formed “Alberta Clearwater Association” . They gave a presentation at Red Deer College. There was a statistic read that 3 to 8 million gallons of water are used per frack. Ken Qually made a motion to write a letter to the AER board voicing our concerns with the use of fresh water and fracking. Helge Nome seconded. Carried with 1 opposed. He also encouraged members to contact council to address our concerns as well.

6.6 Council Spending Priorities – The question was asked if council had to take the lowest bid for items put out for tender. Discussion took place about how residents should have input on how the money is being spent, with better roads being an important priority.

6.7 CPO Parking @ James River – this item was addressed in agenda item 5.3.

7.0 Future Meetings – Tuesday April 16 and May 21st at 7:30 at Arbutus Hall.
8.0 Pat Butler moved to adjourn at 9:40 PM