Council gave third and final reading to Bylaw 13.25 2025 Municipal Election Bylaw. This will establish modifications to the election process during the upcoming 2025 Municipal Election on October 20, as determined by Council and as permitted under the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).
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Council gave second and third reading to Bylaw 33.24 Lehigh Road Closure. First reading was held in October 2024 with a public hearing in November 2024, after which it was sent to Alberta Transportation for review. Approval was returned on February 25, 2025.
This will close all roadways in the Lehigh community as per the Drumheller Flood Mitigation Project; the Town is currently restoring land in the neighbourhood to its natural state and transforming it into an Environmental Reserve, including the removal of utilities and old roadways.
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Council approved an eight-week extension to Councillor Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk’s leave of absence due to medical reasons. This will extend Councillor Hansen-Zacharuk’s leave of absence to May 5, 2025.
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Council awarded the Managed IT Services contract to Reality Bytes Incorporated for a five-year term with the potential of two one-year extensions.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski explained the previous contract with Reality Bytes Inc. expired on January 31, 2025, and the Town has since renewed the agreement month-to-month. A Request for Proposal was issued in February, and 74 suppliers expressed interest with 17 formal submissions received. Following evaluation, it was determined based on technical and cost assessments the top three providers were Reality Bytes Inc, iTopia Corporation, and The iTeam Ltd, with Reality Bytes receiving the highest score among these.
The IT Managed Services contract has an annual cost of $177,600, with an expected two per cent annual increase for the life of the contract.
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Council gave all three readings to Bylaw 14.25 Line of Credit Borrowing Bylaw, repealing Bylaw 01.23 Authorization for Borrowing Bylaw.
Director of Corporate and Community Services and Chief Financial Officer Victoria Chan explained the Nacmine and Rosedale-Scarlett berms require authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which requires a financial guarantee by the Town of $213,803.60 for work that will be completed. This guarantee is considered a form of financial security, much like a performance bond. The total borrowing requirement includes two letters of credit totaling $310,000 per the DFO request.
This financial guarantee may need to be in place for up to five years; however, Ms. Chan noted funds are typically released in a two to three-year period provided habitat offsetting work has been successful. A similar letter of credit was required by DFO in 2023 for work near Willow Estates and the Flood Mitigation Office is expected to request a release in spring 2025.
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Council gave all three readings to Bylaw 16.25 Supplementary Assessment, repealing Bylaw 13.24 Supplementary Assessment. Ms. Chan explained the Town levies taxes twice a year for properties that have been destructed or constructed and completed within the first six months of a given year. To ensure fairness and equity amongst all properties, a supplementary tax levy is issued each year to account for improvements completed after December 31 and only applies to the period from completion to the end of the year.
In 2024, the Town reassessed additional taxes of $2,209.30 for residential and $122,364.69 for commercial properties; administration estimates an additional $5,000 to $6,000 in property taxes due to reassessment for 2025.
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Council approved the extension of the contract with Wild Rose Assessment Services for five years ending March 31, 2030 and appointed Riley Kloss as the designated assessor for the Town.
The contract includes a rate of $20.25 per parcel.
