Multiple areas in Rocky View County (RVC) have been allocated provincial funding to receive pathway upgrades.
In a report unanimously accepted as information presented by Iain Smith with Transportation Services during a regular council meeting Nov. 24, council was shown multiple projects that $1.8 million in Municipal Stimulus Program funding could be used for, per administration’s recommendation.
“Proposed pathway projects will encourage healthy, active living for county residents and address preliminary recommendations from the Recreation Master Plan,” Smith said.
The funding is a part of the more than $4.6 million budget adjustment council made Sept. 1, which accommodated for the funding from the provincial government.
Smith presented council with nine projects for council for approval. Projects included a $450,000 upgrade to the Banded Peak Trail in Bragg Creek, a $425,000 replacement of the Elbow Valley Pathway and a $360,000 replacement of the existing Langdon Park Pathway.
Termination Agreement
Council also voted to approve a termination agreement between the County, Rocky View Schools (RVS) and Calgary Catholic Schools.
According to Dari Lang, community project coordinator with RVC, administration has been directed by council on Oct. 22, 2019 to terminate the 1998 reserves agreement, which expired Dec. 1 and gives one-year written notice. Reserve funds are to be released in accordance with the termination agreement.
“Administration sought advice and observed that as a result of the termination of the reserve agreement, the County should release the funds,” Lang said.
According to Lang’s report, the release of the reserve funds means RVS will receive more than $2 million from the County. Calgary Catholic Schools’ portion of the reserves is more than $880,000.
Lang said until a new agreement is in place, all matters pertaining to funding will default to the subdivision authority.
According to the agenda report, municipalities must establish joint use planning agreements with school authorities that operate within the County’s boundaries. With RVC having the agreement in place since 1998, the announcement of the formal termination was met by school boards requesting the funds be released through a written request in September. RVC administration has begun drafting framework for a new agreement.
Council voted unanimously on three motions Coun. Kevin Hanson put forward. One motion was for the termination agreement to be approved, the second was to release the funds and the third was to authorize administration to develop a new agreement.
Sewer expansion
Council approved a motion that will see administration enter discussions with the City of Calgary to expand RVC’s current sanitary sewer system.
Coun. Kevin Hanson brought the consideration of motion forward in hopes of expanding the sewer system in the Elbow Valley area to include a tie-in for homes in the Mackenas Estates community.
“Economies of scale as well as protection of the environment are at the core of this,” Hanson said. “There are groundwater issues in that neck of the woods.”
Hanson said he brought the motion forward to see if the City of Calgary would take the capacity of an additional 21 houses. He added he did not know the exact number, but estimated there are already around 1,600 houses currently on the system.
He also said the residents are willing to fund the 281-metre connection through a local improvement tax.
“There is no cost to the County. It may actually reduce through economies of scale our sewer in that area,” Hanson said.
The consideration of motion was read by Hanson and passed with a vote of 7-2. Couns. Greg Boehlke and Jerry Gautreau opposed.
Boehlke said he would support a one-time request through the City of Calgary, but as the second part of Hanson’s motion required multiple status updates from administration on negotiations, he added he could not support it in full.
“The City has a policy to not extend services to rural municipalities,” he said. “They have refused to change that policy.”
