Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Regular Council Meeting
Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg opened the meeting and reminded residents schools are now back in session for the 2023-2024 school year and to be mindful of school and playground zones within the community.
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Council gave first reading to repeal the East Coulee Trestle Bridge Area Structure Plan (ASP) and set a public hearing for Monday, September 18.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski explained during flood mitigation in East Coulee it was determined there was land contained within the ASP which would be located within the floodway area. Within the ASP, a multi-lot development is referenced, but which has never materialized and the current owners have expressed they have no intention to subdivide the property.
It was recommended to repeal the ASP, which would prevent current and future owners from developing the property.
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Acting Infrastructure Services director Kelcie Wilson provided an update on the status of Aquaplex repairs. The Aquaplex pool has been closed since July 10 when a leak was discovered, along with a medium-sized void beneath the mechanical room floor. Upon inspection it was determined not only was there a void beneath the floor, but a joint on the sanitary service line had failed.
Associated Engineering is currently developing sketches and technical specifications for Knibb Construction to fix the void and sanitary service, which will entail replacement of the exposed sanitary service and flood drain connection, adjusting placement of the hairnet strainer and pump, which will also involve extending the pump well, and installation of two new valves to facilitate maintenance.
It is anticipated the Aquaplex will be able to reopen the first week of October.
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Council moved to a closed session to discuss third party contract, development and policy. When council reconvened, Mayor Colberg opened the public hearing for the proposed Business License Bylaw.
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Manager of Economic Development Reg Johnston explained council had given first reading to the proposed Business License Bylaw on July 10. An open house was held on August 23, which attracted about 15 attendees, and a survey was also conducted in which 10 responses were received; 60 per cent of respondents were in support of regulating short term rentals.
No presenters were registered to speak online or in person, and there was one written submission.
The public hearing was closed and council adjourned the meeting.

Complete minutes from council meetings can be found on  www.drumheller.ca once they have been adopted.

Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Regular Council Meeting
Monday, August 28, 2023

Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg opened the meeting and made some opening remarks.
Councillor Crystal Sereda reminded residents of The Salvation Army Stuff the Bus event on Thursday, August 31 (see story Page 6).
Mayor Colberg informed listeners the scheduled council meeting on Monday, September 11 will be held in closed session to discuss Parks and Recreation department planning.
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Council gave consent to hold all three readings to convert land in the Rosedale floodway area, which were purchased by the Town through the flood mitigation program, to Environmental Reserve.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski explained these lands will remain free and clear of any structures, and by making this land conversion it will prevent any future councils or administrations from changing the land use or selling the lands for development purposes, such as campgrounds.
Council passed all three readings for both the Rosedale District and West Rosedale land conversion to Environmental Reserve.
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Council gave second and third reading to the Midland Road Closure Bylaw.
CAO Drohomerski explained this is to close the road right of way, from the edge of the Red Deer River to the edge of the berm along North River Drive in Midland. This will not impact the paved surfaces of North River Drive and is similar to other right of way closures, including Riverside Drive.
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Council passed a motion to provide tax relief for destructed improvements at 200 Railway Avenue East, the former Active Glass building.
CAO Drohomerski explained the building was destroyed in a fire on April 30 of this year, and the property owner has requested a reduction in the improvement portion of the property tax bill from May 1 to December 31 due to this. It was noted a similar process has been done in the past for other destructed improvements. This will result in a reduction of approximately $1,090 for the 2023 property tax year; the property owner will still be responsible for an estimated $2,635 of the remaining municipal portion of the tax notice.
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Council approved removal of 23 poplar trees in the Centennial Park area which were identified as a potential safety risk by a third-party arborist following an inspection.
This will result in an estimated cost of $18,000 for removal, plus additional costs for replanting; the replanting costs are not known at this time.
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Drumheller RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Rob Harms presented council with the April 1 to June 30, 2023 quarterly RCMP update.
He shared the RCMP will be holding a barbecue on Thursday, August 31 to commemorate its 150th anniversary (see story Page 3).
S/Sgt Harms introduced two new officers who have joined the Drumheller detachment--Corporal Isaac Chung, who has served in several Indigenous communities in Manitoba, as well as the Ponoka region, and will serve in a supervisory capacity; and Constable Andrew Clark who joined the detachment from northern Alberta earlier in August with a background in traffic enforcement.
S/Sgt Harms also provided information to council about the detachment’s 2023-2024 fiscal year priorities and some of the various initiatives the detachment is undertaking, which includes holding a total of 13 checkstop operations year to date.

Complete minutes from council meetings can be found onwww.drumheller.ca once they have been adopted.