Drumheller Town Council Meetings | DrumhellerMail - Page #24
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Council Notes from the Regular Meeting Tuesday, February 22, 2022

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Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Regular Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Mayor Heather Colberg opened the meeting, recognizing the efforts and dedication the Drumheller Elks and Royal Purple Club has given to the Drumheller Valley over the last 100 years.
She announced Oktoberfest will be held March 25 and 26 which was postponed in 2021 due to COVID-19 regulations.
She reminded listeners tree removal will continue in March in Centennial Park, Midland, and Newcastle for upcoming flood mitigation projects.
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Aiden Macdonald of Ascend Financial presented council with a financial audit of the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office (DRFMO); this report was compiled from December 2020 up to June 30, 2021, when there was a change in project management.
Mr. Macdonald explained the financial audit used some special framework and looked at the program from a grant reporting perspective rather than those normally considered with a municipal financial audit.
He explained it was a clean audit report and there were no major discrepancies and nothing untoward was found during the audit.
During the six-month period the audit looked at, approximately $4.4 million was spent. A total of some $11.2 million has been spent within the context of the project to date. Engineering has been the bulk expense on the project; current project manager Deighen Blakely added these costs will continue as the project moves into the construction phase, though she expects in the coming years this may taper off as less design work is required.
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DRFMO project manager Deighen Blakely presented council with the updated Land Acquisition Policy. The revised policy combines two previous documents into a singular document for further clarity and transparency and removes references to the former Chief Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Officer, and the former Drumheller Land Corporation. The revised policy was also circulated to the province for review.
Ms. Blakely explained council previously approved $17.66 million for land acquisition purchases and $2.34 million for legal, appraisal, and land agent fees. As of October 2021, a total of $660,000 has been spent on administrative costs and $4.7 million of land has been purchased.
Councillor Tony Lacher noted lands acquired under the program are to be designated as Environmental Reserve and protected by the Town of Drumheller for a minimum of 40 years. It was also noted by Councillor Tom Zariski land acquisitions are a last resort and are only considered after every other option and possibility has been explored.
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Manager of Economic Development Reg Johnston presented council with revisions to the Residential Incentive program first passed in 2020. There has been no uptake for new housing development since the program was passed, and Mr. Johnston brought forward some suggestions, including increasing the maximum listing sales price.
Council passed first and second reading and discussed several considerations for further revisions to the program, including allowing secondary suites. Mayor Colberg directed Mr. Johnston to bring the policy back for review at a future Committee of the Whole or regular Council meeting.
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Mr. Johnston presented council with a request to repeal Bylaw 17.18 and 22.18. These two bylaws were amalgamated under Bylaw 19.19, the Non-Residential Incentive Program, and are now defunct. A request was brought forward in 2020 to repeal these bylaws, however, this did not happen and Mr. Johnston noted this was “a matter of housekeeping.”
Council passed first, second, and third readings to repeal the two bylaws.
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Communications officer Erica Crocker presented council with a request for direction on the Social Media Policy and Procedure which was developed in 2021 for Town employees. There have been some minor revisions since the policy was put in place as social media evolves.
Council passed the revised policy and procedure, which will be brought back for review in February 2024.
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Director of Infrastructure Dave Brett brought a request forward to council. Funding was approved in the 2022 Capital Budget for updates to the Michichi Creek sanitary crossing; this work must be completed in conjunction with flood mitigation work in the area. The full amount of the work was allocated, however, Mr. Brett explained there is an opportunity to apply for funding through the Alberta Municipal Water Wastewater Partnership. One of the grant requirements is a motion from the municipal council supporting the project and indicating there is funding for it.
Mr. Brett explained, regardless whether the grant is approved or not, the work must be completed to prevent issues for the flood mitigation project.
Council approved the motion and directed Mr. Brett to apply for the funding.
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Mayor Colberg adjourned the meeting and reminded the listening public the next regular council meeting is on Monday, March 7.

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


Council Notes from Committee of the Whole Meeting Monday, February 14, 2022

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Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Monday, February 14 (continued)

The Committee was presented with a Strategic Priorities briefing update by the various Town departments.
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CAO Darryl Drohomerski shared the Drumheller and District Solid Waste Association (DDSWA) board discovered an unfair imbalance with commercial garbage collection in Drumheller. Each of the 15 member municipalities pays a requisition based on population, however, Drumheller’s commercial garbage collection equates to about 50 per cent of total garbage tonnage and was being subsidized by residential customers.
DDSWA passed a motion in December 2021 to begin charging fees missed on commercial garbage and has been working with a collector to implement a fee system for these customers. Letters went out to commercial customers, and this change will take effect April 1.
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Director of Corporate Finance Maurico Reyes provided an update on the Utility Rate Model terms of reference. This has been drafted, and a Request for Proposal is expected in April; it helps calculate utility revenues between 2023 and 2027 and will assist with reserve planning and budgeting purposes.
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Human Resources manager Val Lefin provided an update on the Salary Survey. The department is focusing on developing 30 unique jobs and are looking at rural municipalities closer to a larger centre, similar to Drumheller. The survey will provide information about current recruitment challenges and help with negotiations later in the year.
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Manager of Recreation, Arts and Culture Darren Goldthorpe provided an update on the Recreation Membership Program and marketing. The new membership model was brought before council in December 2021 and was rolled out in January 2022; it has been promoted through social media, print and radio releases, staff engagement, utility bill inserts, and some 2,700 postcards will be mailed out soon.
Mr. Goldthorpe also gave an update on the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) banquet hall. With COVID restrictions easing, they are looking at how to bring events back to the facility; promotional packages have been revamped and promotional material are in the process of being printed.
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Director of Protective Services Greg Peters noted the Remedial Properties Policy is completed and was passed at the February 7 regular council meeting.
Mr. Peters also provided a COVID update for the Town. The Town is participating in a wastewater COVID analysis by the Universities of Calgary and Alberta, which tests wastewater for COVID-19 mRNA. This data provides insight into the potential for an increase in community cases up to a week in advance.
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Director of Infrastructure Dave Brett asked the Committee for direction on the next steps of the Beautification program. Beautification work along the Highway 9 corridor has been ongoing for several years; work previously identified is ongoing. Funds for the 2022 program are being carried forward from the 2021 Capital Budget, and no additional funds are being requested. However, Mr. Brett shared he would like to ask council’s direction about the Beautification project becoming an annual program. Feedback would help plan the 10-year Capital budget.
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Communications officer Erica Crocker shared a staff portal was developed throughout 2021 to have a singular area for policies, procedures, and internal correspondence. There are still some areas under construction, though the portal is operational. An Internal Communications Policy has been drafted and submitted to CAO Drohomerski and Human Resources for review.
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Community Development and Social Planning (CDSP) manager Tiffany Scarlett presented the Social Needs Assessment. An assessment was conducted in 2017, which helped influence programming choices for the following years, with the intention to conduct the assessment every five years. Due to recent challenges, needs could potentially change, and a new assessment is ready to be distributed.
Ms. Scarlett also presented council with the Wellness Education plan, a new project to support other departments with cross-training and information to advocate for residents where needs are; this can range from delivering difficult information and understanding emotional responses, to advocating for mobility needs during infrastructure construction or upgrades.
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Economic Development manager Reg Johnston shared the Housing Strategy terms of reference is complete and expected to be released by March 1. This will allow the Town to hire a consultant to assess and position the valley’s residential real estate based on four main focus areas-inventory mix, rental unit availability, affordability, and short-term rentals. A letter of inquiry has been submitted to the Alberta Real Estate Foundations Investment Grant for a $25,000 grant.
Mr. Johnston also presented an update to the Downtown Plaza design review and budget. See story on Page 2.
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The Committee adjourned to a closed session to discuss Drumheller & District Seniors Foundation and advice from officials for the Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation activities.

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

Council Notes from Committee of the Whole Meeting Monday, February 14, 2022

TownofDrumhellerCrest

Council Overview
Information from Drumheller Town Council
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Monday, February 14, 2022

Mayor Heather Colberg opened the Committee of the Whole meeting.
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Council members presented the minutes from their various committee and board meetings for approval, including the Drumheller Public Library Board and Drumheller Housing Administration.
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STARS senior municipal liaison Glenda Farnden provided the Committee of the Whole with an update on the foundation’s efforts. The foundation has identified operational and funding deficiencies throughout the pandemic. To help support fundraising efforts, the foundation continued to hold the STARS Lottery in 2021, which sold out, and the 2022 STARS Lottery is underway.
The mission rate continues to increase year over year, and STARS carries out an average of 21 missions per year in the Drumheller area, representing over $150,000 in annual service value. In 2021, there were a total of 31 missions for critical transfers and scene calls for the Drumheller area.
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Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Bitz and President Martina Morrison provided the Committee with an update. The Chamber is governed by a volunteer board of directors; currently, there are 11 board members from various local businesses, along with Town appointed member, Councillor Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk. The Chamber registered 23 new members in 2021 and ended the year with 243 members; in 2020 they finished the year with 242 members.
The Chamber was responsible for administering the Building Enhancement Grant program, previously the Storefront Enhancement Grant and a total of $35,000 in funds were made available through the Chamber, Town, and Community Futures Big Country to support businesses enhancing and modernizing building exteriors or interiors. 10 business projects were supported in 2021; applications for the 2022 program, which has some $40,000 in funding available, closed February 15.
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Drumheller and District Seniors Foundation (DDSF) Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Glenda Youngberg provided an update on the foundation. DDSF serves the Town of Drumheller, and Starland County in the villages of Morrin, Munson, and Delia. Drumheller and the cooperative municipalities fund DDSF through requisitions, and some 50 per cent of these requisitions primarily help with debt repayment for the remodelling of Sunshine Lodge in 2003 and construction of Hillview Lodge in 2008; the Sunshine Lodge renovation loan was paid off in August 2021 and the Hillview loan is expected to be paid off by August 2023. The foundation will use part of the requisitions towards the new Sunshine Lodge remodel loan to complete upgrades at Sunshine Lodge to accommodate higher levels of supportive living. This project is still in the pre-construction stage.
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The Committee was presented with a Strategic Priorities briefing update by the various departments.
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Strategic Priorities reports will be printed in the Wednesday, February 23 edition of The Drumheller Mail.

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


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