Mayor Heather Colberg congratulated the East Coulee School Museum on the successful Highland Gala last Saturday and noted MLA Nate Horner will be hosting a Lunch and Learn event with the Chamber of Commerce and then hosting a grand opening of his Constituency office on Wednesday, January 29.
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Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation (DRFM) officer Darwin Durnie and Bob Jenkins of the DRFM Office presented to council on the DRFM proposed program budget covering five years. There are four different project areas including the general program, Indigenous consultation, land acquisition, and infrastructure. The program is funded through the federal DMAF program for $22 million, $20 million through the province, $6.4 million through the Provincial Community Resilience Program, $30,000 through the DMA Regional Program and $5 million from the Town of Drumheller for a total of $53. 4 million. Garbutt made a motion to table the motion to February 3 to get more information before it is passed, but was defeated. Council then voted on the budget, as presented and it too was defeated. Councillor Tom Zariski made a motion to approve the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Program Budget for 2020, such to become incorporated in the town’s 2020 capital budget and confirm the applicability of earlier funding appropriation for flood mitigation projects funded under the Alberta Community Resilience Program agreements to the DRFM Program, and that to be brought back on May 25 for review. This motion was approved, with Councillor Garbutt voting against the motion.
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Council dug into a draft of the 2020 tax-supported operating budget. At last week’s meeting, Corporate Services Director Barb Miller presented a draft of the 2020 budget, which showed a $199,176 deficit with a 1.95 percent requisition. Since then they were able to whittle the budget down by deferring the hiring of a Director of Community Services, and the hiring of a development officer. They also reduced repair funding at the BCF, saving$11,000, and a number of smaller reductions, putting them in the position of an $84,554 surplus, before new budget requests. A few items requested from the draft budget include $8,000 for the Library, the addition of $13,500 for bylaw enforcement, an increase for valley bus and an increase for the Chamber of Commerce for the Tourism Information Centre.
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Council considered the Community Assistance Grant applications. Council has received requests for funding from about 10 community organizations for a total of $76,300 and in-kind donations. The current policy allows the CAO to approve grants less than $5,000. In the 2019 budget council budgeted for $5,000 cash, and the 2020 budget called for a budget of $30,000 of in-kind funding and $0 in cash. Manager of Parks and Recreation Darren Goldthorpe said he was not able to represent these groups fairly, and suggested that these individual groups to come and make a presentation to council. Council would like more information on the applications before they decide on awarding the grants.
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Council approved the 2020 fee schedule. Some notable changes include a 2 per cent increase for tax certificates, a 10 per cent increase in lots for hangers at the airport, a two per cent increase in pool rentals, ice rentals, ball diamond, and conference rooms rentals. Badlands Community Facility and Aquplex admissions and memberships were raised by 2 per cent. There was also a two per cent increase in niche engraving at the cemetery and 5 per cent cemetery upper niche, and $50 fee for fireworks permits. All other fees remained at 2019 levels.
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Councillor Jay Garbutt presented the 2020 budget for Sandstone Manor for council’s approval, and also presented a cheque for $25,000 to reserves. Affordable Housing as set by the province has the mandate to offer rents at least 10 percent below market costs, and are currently are exceeding that level. It is projecting a small surplus for 2020. Council adopted the 2020 budget. Further, Garbutt moved that council waive the municipal portion of taxes for Sandstone Manor, as per contract agreement. Council approved the motion.

Mayor Heather Colberg announced a Special Meeting for Monday, January 27.

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Councillor Tom Zariski noted there was much discussion about utility relief stemming from a decision by council made at a January 6 meeting, and asked if it could be discussed further at a Committee meeting.

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Council passed the first reading of a bylaw to amend the Land Use Bylaw 10-08 to redesignate a portion of land from Agricultural District to Residential Cottage Housing District. The Bylaw will now go to a Public Hearing for input. This is for a proposal to build a three-season private recreational community consisting of recreational vehicles, park models and cottages.

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Council approved a resolution to expropriate grazing lease land. This is to make way for a solar farm, which will provide income to the town through taxes and lease payments for 25 years.

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Council approved Council Policy C-03-20 for the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Purchasing Policy. This is based on the Town’s current purchasing policy however it allows the Chief of Resiliency and Flood Mitigation to act as the administrative officer and sign off on purchases. A few of the changes include more latitude for sole source purchasing in certain instances, however, the office is committed to using local suppliers as much as possible and follow guidelines set out in the grant funding programs.

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Council approved three motions for Council Policy C-04-20, which is the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Land Acquisition Policy. This policy provides a clear basis on how the office will acquire land. This would be land needed to expand current flood mitigation infrastructure, build new infrastructure or buyouts for landowners. The first motion is that council approve the proposed Land Acquisition Policy for the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigations Program. The second is council request the Board of the Drumheller Land Corporation to authorize the role of land purchasers of properties on behalf of the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Program; appoint Darwin Durnie as manager of the Land Corporation and authorize the manager to execute purchase agreements and other instruments that may be required to complete purchase transactions; approve the disbursement of funds to the Town’s Solicitor for completion of purchase transactions and manage the acquired lands in terms of the DRM Program requirements. The final motion is council authorize the progressive transfer of funds to the Land Corporation as needed to a maximum total of $17.6 million with funding drawn from funds provided by the Government of Alberta Flood Relocation/ Mitigation Buyouts Agreement.

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Corporate Affairs Director Barbara Miller presented an overview of a draft of the 2020-2023 tax-supported operating budget. The draft shows in 2020 a deficit of $199,176 with a 1.95% increase of municipal requisition. The draft shows a 2020 operating budget of $15,366,990, a 3.44% increase over 2019, and revenues of $15,167,814. Some of the reductions in revenue come from the elimination of the STEP Program and the Community Building Initiative, a 13.3 per cent reduction in sharing of fine revenue, increased policing costs due to the municipality being tasked to pay for biology casework analysis, a 25 per cent reduction of Grants in Lieu of Taxes and 35 per cent reduction in shallow gas assessment. Council will be discussing the draft further at its next meeting.