Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Regular Council Meeting
Monday, January 23, 2023
Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg opened the meeting and reminded listeners of the RCMP Town Hall at the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) on Wednesday, January 25 at 7 p.m.
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Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski presented council with a request to appoint Margaret Neilsen to the Marigold Library Board for a two year term ending February 1, 2025.
Ms. Neilsen is currently a Town-appointed Marigold representative on the library board and her current term has come to an end.
Council unanimously approved Ms. Nielsen’s re-appointment.
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Development Officer Antonia Knight presented council with amendments to the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB). These amendments were due to changes, particularly in regards to flood mitigation, which were not previously reflected in the documents.
Feedback was collected during the multi-department open house in November, and a public hearing on December 5. There were no concerns raised during the public hearing regarding the proposed changes to the MDP; however, some comments were received regarding some of the proposed amendments to the LUB including wording around murals, changes to portable sign restrictions, and Tourist Dwellings.
Council unanimously gave second reading to both the MDP and LUB.
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Director of Corporate and Community Services Mauricio Reyes brought forward a housekeeping item to complete supplementary assessments on properties added after December 31. This will allow the Town to collect a portion of property taxes for these properties for the current year.
He explained council will consider the 2023 municipal tax rate in April and supplementary taxes have historically ranged between $3,300 to $10,400; it is estimated the supplementary taxes for 2023 to amount between $5,000 and $6,000.
Council gave unanimous consent to hold all three readings and unanimously passed Bylaw 02.23 Supplementary Assessment as amended.
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Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office (DRFMO) technical advisor Mark Steffler brought forward a request for decision to amend the DRFMO Land Acquisition Policy.
Council approved the policy in February 2022 and, since then, several amendments and revisions have been identified to clarify the policy’s intent. Among the amendments include a new clause at the request of the province stating the provincial and federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund grant agreements supersede the requirements of the Town’s Land Acquisition Policy in the event of any discrepancy, as well as add a clause for partial purchase of lands.
Council adopted the amended DRFMO Land Acquisition Policy as presented.
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Director of Infrastructure Services Dave Brett introduced a briefing note regarding intentions and next steps for the Beautification, Parks, and Landscaping projects planned for 2023.
The Parks team has expanded to include an Equipment Operator and a Gardener/Arborist as permanent full-time staff; the Equipment Operator position has currently been filled and the Gardener/Arborist position is in the process of being finalized. Some work will be contracted to allow staff to undergo certification for weedicide application.
Prioritization will have all planting beds and garden spaces ready for May long weekend, and ongoing work will be prioritized at Rotary Park, Drumheller Memorial Arena and Curling Rink, BCF, Town Hall, and north and south entrances to the Town. Staff will also reduce the number of plants in planting beds throughout the Town for ease of maintenance, and remove unhealthy or dead plants.
Mr. Brett noted tree maintenance-pruning and removal-has been increased and work will continue to remove dead or diseased trees, with the focus on safety.
Complete minutes from council meetings can be found on www.drumheller.ca once they have been adopted.