The new water meters and recent water line repairs have resulted in a substantial drop in water use recorded by the Village. In fact, the February bill from the Aqua 7 Water Commission was under $30,000, down from Januaryís $43,702.
About three quarters of residential homes in the village now have the new meters. In addition, it is anticipated the cost of water from Aqua 7 may drop by 66 cents per cubic meter due to recent restructuring of the commissionís debt.
Council and staff will continue to monitor the situation.
Beisekerís Chief Administrator Joanne Lambert informed council the Villageís insurance company has agreed to provide a new firehall, after wind damage rendered the building unusable late last November.
At first, it was expected that only a new roof would be installed, but upon further investigation, it was decided that replacement of the building was in order. The new building will be coming from Fort McMurray within a few weeks.
Beiseker is one of, if not the only, municipality in Alberta to have preserved all its minutes and records in a climate controlled facility in Calgary, according to Deputy Mayor Ray Courtman. The Glenbow Museum now has Beisekerís records in its care while microfiche copies are available locally. Eventually, all the historical minutes will be scanned and posted on the Villageís website. Council thanked the Museum Society and Jeanette Richter for all the hard work and dedication put into this project. Beiseker Recreation Director Rob Adams has also been very helpful with this project, noted Courtman.
Councillor Fred Walters told council there is sill no confirmed date for the long-awaited train station move from Bassano to Beiseker.
Alberta Transportation temporarily halted the move until certain conditions can be met.
Councillor Karen Ursu told council that the library is hosting a fundraising movie night one Friday per month.
The $5 per person fee includes popcorn and a soft drink and all movies will be family-oriented. The next movie will be April 13.
Councillor Al Henuset reported that residents will be moving into the new seniors lodge in Crossfield, June 10-12.
There will be a grand opening in September.
All the seniorsí facilities in the region are fully occupied and have waiting lists.
The next meeting of Beiseker council is March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers. The public is welcome.
