Tax penalty cancellation denied Resident Bev Noel was visibly upset following her emotional presentation to council seeking relief for property tax penalties of $134.65, resulting from a late payment in July. "I have always been a good neighbour to the town and now I'm asking the town to be a good neighbour to me," said Noel, explaining that she has been very sick during the summer – citing the toxins used on park spaces maintained by the town as a factor contributing to her deteriorating health. "Is this really what we do to our fellow neighbours when they fall on hard times?" remarked an exasperated Noel, adding that she has grown tired of the lack of maintenance in front of her house on the part of the town, where improper drainage results in garbage piling up. Noel likened the tax penalty amount to "loan sharking" and questioned how the town arrived to that figure. Council expressed their sympathy toward Noel for her personal circumstances, but voted 7-0 against waiving the fine as a matter of principle. Coun. Susan Flowers advised Noel that she could look to Family and Community Support Services for resources to help her through a difficult time, while stressing that if Noel's penalty was waived considerations would have to be made for other late filers. Mowing concerns continued Kevin Roth, Bow Meadows resident, delivered a delegation to council on Monday, imploring members to reconsider reinstating park maintenance of the area behind houses 22-46 that back onto the park space. Mowing ceased two years ago, as part of flood mitigation efforts. While administration is in favour of keeping the grasses long to aid in staving off flood, Roth said the area of concern was never flooded and that the fire concerns from the unmowed area trump flood risk. "We are unanimous in getting the green space mowed behind our houses," said Roth, who showed examples of other park areas in town that continue to be mowed, although they are in floodways not fringes – like the space behind his house. He referred to these observations as "frustrating and inconsistent." Coun. Alex Reed's investigations revealed that it would be highly unlikely there would be any liability attached to the town should mowing resume and the area ever be submerged in water. No trees would need to be removed to resume mowing. This follows Coun. Morgan Nagel's recent motion to reinstate the mowing, as per concerns brought to him on behalf of the Bow Meadows residents. At last council, members of the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee presented to council their appeal to not mow, as per flood mitigation efforts in the area. Draft budget A more in-depth preview of the draft budget for 2019 was delivered to town council on Monday night, with a projected 3.60 per cent hike next year, 3.66 per cent in 2020 and 2.95 per cent in 2021 – or between $5 to $7 per month to the average tax bill. Opportunities for public engagement will take place on Nov. 5, where there will be two budget cafes held (visit letstalkcochrane.ca for details). Oct. 17-Nov. 9 is the outreach campaign on the budget with council set to deliberate in council on Nov. 15-16 and, if necessary, Nov. 19. The slight increase for next year's increase since last previewed two weeks ago, the 3.60 per cent hike next year would cover a $97,000 operating budget shortfall in growth, net costs of $300,000 for an on-demand transit service and a two per cent increase to the infrastructure reserve fund, as well as staffing increases related to inflation and overtime. Other highlights include 7.5 full-time equivalent hires to keep up with growth; one additional RCMP member; a $20,000 increase to the community grant program; a $49,976 increase to the library; a $20,000 boost to the snow removal budget and another $30,000 for reserves; and a $25,788 increase to the Rocky View Handibus Society. For a full list of capital plan highlights, which are largely centered on infrastructure as it relates to traffic, visit cochrane.ca/budget. Banning single-use plastics, straws in town Jade Janzen, a Grade 8 Mitford student, delivered a confident presentation to town council that won her applause from a full gallery. The founder of @liveswithlessplastic brought with her a bag of tricks with plastic alternatives for council to check out, with cloth shopping bags to hand out to mayor and council. Janzen is looking to win council's support to ban single-use plastic bags from stores and plastic straws in sit-down restaurants. Her presentation included alarming facts about plastic not breaking down, only turning to micro plastics and the impact of single-use plastics on wildlife and ocean animals. Municipalities around the world are falling in line with such bans, including Vancouver and Deep Cove in B.C. and Seattle. She left council with a quote: "The world is not going to change itself. We made it the way it is, so it is our responsibility to change it back to the way it was." Boosting community grants Coun. Pat Wilson's motion to boost community grants and change the process was brought back to council. Changes to the Civic Partnership, Community Grants and Arts and Culture Endowment will be debated at the Nov. 12 council meeting, with options brought back to council for consideration. Incorporation for large event grants, as well as increase the community grant dollar matching ceiling while updating parameters to encourage and foster civic partnerships while enhancing self-sustainability will be examined.
