Deputy Reeve Earl Solberg, Councillor Lois Habberfield and Councillor Bruce Kendall have been appointed by unanimous vote as members of the mediation team for the Conrich Area Structure Plan (ASP) mediation processes with the City of Calgary and the City of Chestermere. Administration will also participate on the team, including members from Planning and Engineering. According to administration’s report, recommendations of the team will be brought to council for final decision.
Council has also directed administration to apply for a Municipal Dispute Resolution grant from Municipal Affairs to cover a portion of the costs for mediation.
Permit renewed
A development permit was approved unanimously for the renewal of a gravel mining, crushing and storage operation owned by Wheatland County. Located in Rocky View County (RVC) north of Highway 9 on the east side of Range Road 263, the operation is used primarily to replenish existing stockpile sites within the boundaries of Wheatland County, according to Development Assistant Jacqueline Targett. Targett added gravel is crushed once every two years, and the gravel is hauled from the stockpiles during the winter months.
Disposal of lands
RVC administration will obtain proposals to purchase County lands currently occupied by the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society (CDAS) following a resolution by council that was carried by a vote of 7-2 – with Councillors Jerry Arshinoff and Margaret Bahcheli voting in opposition. According to Municipal Lands Administrator Corey Graham, the lands have been identified as “surplus to the County’s needs.”
“I think it behooves us to embrace the economic reality that we are contemplating selling something at the bottom of the market,” Bahcheli said.
The current lease is set to expire on Feb. 15, 2025, and Graham said the County will continue under the terms and conditions of the existing lease until the full understanding of and potential disposal is known, but will decline the request of the CDAS to extend the lease for a period of “not less than 50 years.” He added should CDAS desire, RVC will work with them to find possible relocation options.
Tax levy cancellation
Council unanimously approved a request to cancel a portion of the 2015 tax levy in the amount of $690, due to fire losses. According to Chief County Assessor Ted Boyda, there were two major fire occurrences from January 2015 to December 2015. These property owners will receive refunds for the municipal, emergency services and Rocky View Foundation taxes paid in 2015.
Line of credit renewal
A renewal of RVC’s annual $5 million line of credit with ATB Financial, which has been renewed consistently throughout the last ten years, was approved unanimously by council. According to Manager of Financial Services Barry Woods, the line of credit is accessed “infrequently” to provide cash flows for paying invoices when invested funds may not have matured, grants have not been received, or when payment obligations are exceptionally high.
Approvals
Third reading was carried by a vote of 5-2 on a redesignation application that received first and second reading on Jan. 12, on land located at the northwest junction of Range Road 13 and Township Road 264. The proposal creates a 50-acre parcel, a 48-acre parcel, and a 50-acre remainder, which will facilitate a proposed new agricultural use of swath grazing on the three separate parcels. Traditionally used for grain crops, the land will now be seeded with green-feed in order to rotate cattle through the fields during the winter.
Council also approved a subdivision on the land, despite continued opposition from Arshinoff and Bahcheli.
“I think there is a problem, as this is not a new agricultural use,” Arshinoff said.
