It may seem like we are dealing with water everywhere this week in the aftermath of the flooding in other Rocky View County, but water prices might be going up for members of Aqua 7 Water Commission and Beiseker Mayor Ray Courtman is not happy about it.
“I’m just not willing to stand back and just fork out money,” Courtman told council on June 24.
The mayor is a vice chair of the Commission and informed Beiseker council of a letter Aqua 7 had received from the Town of Drumheller, which provides the treated water for Aqua 7 members.
The letter states water rates will rise by five per cent as of July 1, which will bring the water rate to over $1 per cubic metre.
The rate increased by five per cent in 2012 as well.
“It’s getting pretty expensive,” Courtman said. “Ten per cent in two years, that’s a hefty increase.”
Courtman made the motion to compose a letter to the Town of Drumheller on behalf of the Village expressing concern over the water price increases.
Councillor Fred Walters suggested the letter should come directly from Aqua 7 but Courtman suggested if letters were sent from all Aqua 7 council’s it would make more of an impact.
He also said Aqua 7 has asked to meet with Drumheller to discuss the price increase further.
“It will probably be a while,” Courtman said of when the meeting might take place. He added they will have to wait for members from both the Commision and the Town of Drumheller to get back from holidays and co-ordinate their schedules.
The motion to compose a letter was passed unanimously.
Aqua 7 members include: the Village of Beiseker, Kneehill County, Rocky View County, the Village of Acme, the Village of Carbon, the Town of Irricana and the Village of Linden.
Public Works
Bill Hnybida, Beiseker’s public works department supervisor, will be removing the deadbolts from the Community Hall due to safety concerns.
He was tasked by council to fix the deadbolts in the hall, but suggested they be completely removed instead citing a concern around fire escapes.
“The risk overrides the breaking and entering issue to me,” Councillor Warren Wise said in support of removing the locks.
He said if a fire marshal went into the hall as it is locked with the deadbolts, the building would not pass inspection.
The issues of the deadbolts was discussed at previous meetings but it was suggested the hall’s caretaker would be responsible for unlocking and locking the deadbolts after events in the building.
“We can’t patrol them,” CAO Jo Lambert said of the deadbolts.
She added the deadbolts can easily be locked while people are still in the hall, which could result in people being trapped in the building if a fire were to occur.
“We’ve got to do one of two things,” said Walters. “We’ve got to put an alarm in there or put in electric locks.”
The cost of installing electric locks was deemed to be too high for the Village to accommodate at this time and it was decided Hnybida will look into an alarm system for the hall.
