Rocky View County (RVC) council approved funding Feb. 26 for the 2015 Langdon Recreation Special Tax Grant to cover a number of projects within the hamlet.
The special tax will provide funding to increase a service delivery model for programs, amenities and events in Langdon.
The administration’s report indicated nine applications were received during the 2015 intake period, but only seven satisfied the criteria that applicants must reside in Langdon. Of the seven remaining requests, administration recommended six be approved. An application from the Langdon Community Association (LCA) for $14,800 to pay for snow removal and cleaning services was recommended for denial.
The total approved amount is $51,033 of the $88,815 available through the Langdon Tax levy.
“We’re here for one reason, and that’s to make the lives of our RVC residents better,” said Area Councillor Rolly Ashdown. “This is a recreation tax to be made available for groups in Langdon, for Langdon, paid for by Langdon, and I think it’s appropriate to spend the money there.”
A motion from Ashdown to have administration review the LCA’s request to determine how much of the request would qualify for funding under RVC policy was also carried unanimously.
North Bow recreation
RVC will take responsibility for directly administering the North Bow Community Facility Board’s community recreation funding, following a unanimous council vote. Community Development Co-ordinator Lindsay McCann said the board was approved for capital funding from the Bow North, District General and Rocky View Schools sections of the public reserve, and requested the project be managed by RVC on their behalf, as a means to achieve cost savings through GST exemptions.
According to administration’s report, the board has been working on the development of recreation amenities since its inception in 2004.
In 2006, in collaboration with Rocky View Schools, the board purchased approximately 45 acres of land just outside of Langdon to house a future high school and recreation amenities. Since that time, a master site plan has been designed and a land swap, to allow better access to the land, has been completed.
Handibus grant
A request from the Rocky View Handibus Society asking RVC to participate as a managing partner in a collaborative project to seek provincial funding for the regional Handibus program was approved by RVC council. Administration will apply for the Alberta Community Partnership grant of $250,000 and enter into a grant agreement with the Province, to assist the society with capital projects.
According to Pauli Kruger with RVC’s recreation and services department, this grant would encourage a regional approach to supporting specialized transportation services in RVC and the surrounding area.
Flood mitigation
RVC council approved a budget adjustment of $32.8 million, to receive grant funding from the Government of Alberta for the completion of Bragg Creek Flood Mitigation projects. The funding will be used to construct flood defenses to protect the hamlet, and the Government has requested the County complete the project on their behalf.
“Throughout the process, the County will be updating Bragg Creek residents on the different stages of the project and will present detailed project information at a public information session,” said a press release from RVC’s Communications Co-ordinator Amy Dunn Moscoso. “The overall project will be undertaken in phases, and is expected to take several years to complete.”
Aerial photography
RVC will submit a joint grant request with Wheatland County for the 2016 Aerial Orthophoto Project for the sum of $120,000. Aerial photography is updated every two years, according to administration, as it is essential for Emergency Services and Emergency Management, beneficial to Bylaw officers, to identify changes to a property, and for a more accurate inventory of road construction.
If the application is successful, Information Systems Manager James Pinkett said the expense would be paid by the Province with the Alberta Community Partnership Grant Program, saving the County approximately $60,000.
