Drumheller's Town Council has started budget talks for 2015. (l-r)Councillor Tom Zariski, Mayor Terry Yemen, Chief Administrative Officer Ray Romanetz in Council chambers.

    Drumheller Town Council kicked off official budget deliberations December 1 on what the Mayor describes as a “stay the course” operational budget.
    The Mayor said Town administration is recommending a two per cent increase needed for 2015, which is the same increase taxpayers saw in the 2014 budget.
    “It seems kind of a status quo. There’s no big projects that are going to need funding. The one thing - but it won’t be part of this discussion- is still the flood mitigation. That’s in the hands of the provincial government, but there may be some very  real dollars the Town’s going to have to spend, but we don’t know yet.”
    One of the projects the Town plans is enhancements to the pool, said the Mayor, but they want to get the waterslide installed first.
    The work for the Aquaplex that will be a part of the 2015 budget discussions is a gradual or sloped entry for the indoor pool, as an alternative to users just having ladder entry.
 One of the challenges the Town will face this year is the elimination of some provincial monies. In previous years, the Town received funding from both Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) grants and the gas tax.
    Yemen explained the province has rolled MSI and other grants now into one source of funding through the gas tax, at the same rate as last year.
    The Mayor said the Town will ask the province if they can provide more funding for much needed local seniors’ housing. Currently the municipal and provincial cost share is half and half.
    “In the past they’ve provided it at 90-10, 70-30, but not 50-50, so we are looking at more from them. But they are looking at other alternatives where they may have some room in Hillsview and they may be able to facilitate some extra beds in there.”
    The Mayor said he’s hoping the Town can keep the tax increase at two per cent, which would still bring it in under the cost of inflation.

Hanna area landowner Gottlob Schmidt has donated 380 hectares (940) acres to the province of Alberta

to create the new Antelope Hill Provincial Park. photo courtesy province of Alberta.

A landowner in the Hanna area has gifted his family’s land to the province of Alberta.
    Gottlob Schmidt’s donation of 380 hectares, or 940 acres, of undisturbed native grasslands  will create the new Antelope Hill Provincial park.
    The land is located about 10 kilometres north of Hanna.
    “I’m very happy to make this donation to the province and the people of Alberta.” said Schmidt.
    “I’ve lived on this land since 1933, and my wish is to preserve the land in its natural state for future generations to enjoy.”
    Mr. Schmidt will continue living on the land he gifted.
    The province said it plans to open the new park for public use, and manage the land in accordance with the wishes of Mr. Schmidt, when he decides to leave.
    The province rates the land as having high ecological value, because it has never been cultivated.
    The land contains rare native grasslands, aspen groves and healthy wetlands, and is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, and a ground squirrel species found only in the grasslands of North America.
    Antelope Hill will become Alberta’s 76th provincial park.
    The province says it will be manage the park for wildlife purposes and use for low-impact recreation such as hiking.