MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS July 8, 2020
Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Emergency Alert – Council approved the unbudgeted purchase of an emergency notification system for $4,900 for Voyent Alert, to be funded from the Public Safety Budget. The application will assist in alerting residents to emergencies and incidents in the M.D. via a mobile app. Keep an eye on the M.D. website (md.bonnyville.ab.ca) and/or Facebook page (facebook.com/MDBonnyville) for updates on the rollout of this helpful app.
#2 Road Tender Awarded – Council awarded the $5,696,343 tender to Knelsen Sand and Gravel Ltd. for the reconstruction and paving of four miles of Township Road 630 from Secondary Highway 881 to Range Road 485. The project was approved in the 2020 budget as a cost-share project between CNRL and the M.D. CNRL will not be able to cost share this year. The approved budget for the M.D. share is $4 million, with the shortfall of $2,248,330 to be funded from the road improvement reserve. Total cost of the project, including construction, engineering and contingency is $6,248,330. Council agreed to move forward with the project as industry traffic is high on this section of road.
#3 Parks Update – Council awarded the tender for the construction of two steel outdoor rinks to GenMec ACL, with an overall budget of $2.4 million, funded from the 2020 Parks Capital Budget. The rinks will be built in Cherry Grove and Ardmore. The Cherry Grove Ag Society has signed an agreement with the M.D. to take responsibility for the day-to-day maintenance and operation of the rink. Negotiations are ongoing with the Ardmore Community Society.
#4 Crane Lake Project Update – In response to a letter from the Crane Lake Advisory and Stewardship Society (CLASS), Council was updated on a variety of projects around the lake. Infrastructure Services has put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Crane Lake Master Drainage Plan to address issues in the subdivisions. The plan is scheduled to be completed in October 2020. Agricultural Services staff have addressed issues with beavers on the west side of Crane Lake. A beaver dam was removed in the fall of 2019 within the M.D. right-of-way. The removal was done in accordance with M.D. operation standards, following the code of practice. The action was complaint driven, as a nearby landowner had water flooding their septic field area. As of the spring of 2020, the beaver did not return to rebuild the dam and the stream has reverted to its original state. The Crane Lake Weir, as per an agreement signed in 2001 when the M.D. and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DU) shared the cost of installing and constructing a weir on the east side of the lake, is under the control, operation and maintenance of Ducks Unlimited through to 2031. The Crane Lake Riparian Restoration Project started in 2016 and carried through to 2018 with the assistance of grant funding. A subsequent grant application was unsuccessful. The Planning and Community Services Department will be including a riparian restoration education and awareness campaign for the whole M.D. in its 2021 budget presentations to Council.
#5 M.D. Representation On Board – Council approved a motion to request the Bonnyville Municipal Library Board adjust their terms of reference to provide the M.D. with a representative seat on the board as a municipal funder of the library.
#6 Public Participation – Council agreed to hear a presentation from an unsuccessful bidder on a Grazing Land Lease for SE 01-59-08-W4M and SW 01-59-08-W4M, with the clear statement that the June 24 tender approval based on the highest price-per-acre will not be rescinded.
#7 Funding Support – Council agreed to match $1,545 raised by staff for the Bonnyville Food Bank during a #TakeItToTheLake social distancing t-shirt sale.
#8 Briefly – Council Committee meetings for July 15, and August 5 and 19, 2020 have been cancelled. The public can now attend Council meetings in person. There are limited seats available, in order to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Scheduled Council and Committee meetings will continue to be streamed on the M.D.’s YouTube channel.