Interim CAO Annette Culp was instructed to invite Rocky View Schools Transportation Department officials to the next council meeting in anticipation of holding a public discussion to address school bus stops, The school board had proposed three bus stop changes, but council has not accepted their recommendations yet because residents and school bus drivers have brought up many concerns that council feels needs to be dealt with.
Following the recent resignation of the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, council appointed the Development Officer Annette Culp to fill the position on an interim basis. A temporary bookkeeper/accountant will be hired as soon as possible to fulfill the Town’s financial needs until it is determined if and when a new CAO will be hired.
Two members from the Irricana and District Ag Society attended council to update them on how the 2010 RinC grant had been spent and discuss future needs - both capital and operating - of the Irricana Rec Centre. The society is also requesting a review of the current five-year lease agreement as a few issues have arisen. Council subsequently agreed to review the lease, but decided that until budget talks resume, the Town will not be able to make any financial commitments.
Irricana’s new assessor, Steve Washington from Wild Rose Assessments, attended council and assured them that values used last year were reasonable, and that a new review is unnecessary at this time. Council accepted his recommendation.
• Economic Development - Councillor Larry Martin informed council that the long-awaited centennial book is now complete and waiting to be edited. The Alberta Treasury Branch is the commercial sponsor of the book, which will sell for $25 per copy. It should be available in late May. A familiarization tour from Boomtown Trail Tourism will stop at the Grasshopper Gallery on June 25 at 9:30 a.m. It is expected the tour will include 40 to 60 people. Irricana has sent a letter to the Calgary Police Service regarding their hopes to relocate their training centre in this area. EDTC is currently in talks with Fortis about lighting the sign at the Highway 9 entrance to town.
• Emergency Management - Councillor Lisa Constantini reported on the March 10 meeting where the committee agreed to send only three members to the conference in Banff and limit them to only the main conference and not the supplementary sessions. This will allow for a 30 per cent cost savings.
A functional needs survey went out with the utility bills in May. Beiseker will be contacted to see if they are willing to be Irricana’s backup Emergency Operations Centre in the event that people need to be evacuated. The phone system, expected to be put in the Centennial Centre was discussed and keeping budget constraints in mind, committee chair Dean Lailey, is going to inquire with Encana and the City of Calgary to see if they have any older systems they would be willing to part with. The next Emergency Management meeting will be April 7, 7 p.m. at the Centennial Centre.
The next meeting of Irricana council is April 4, 7 p.m. in the Centennial Centre. The public is welcome.
