During its Sept. 14 meeting, council heard a number of delegations from community groups, with motions from declaring September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Cochrane to increasing funding for the Rocky View Regional Handibus service.
Council unanimously approved the motion to declare September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Cochrane. Stewart Campbell, executive director of Prostate Cancer Canada Network Calgary Society (PROSTAID Calgary), spoke about the culture of silence among men around prostate cancer. “Guys: culturally you’ve been raised to not pay very much attention to your health,” Campbell said.
Anne Beatty and Helen Parnell of the Cochrane Activettes also presented their request for a $12,000 grant for 2016 to council, and the motion was carried. They informed council of a 27-per cent increase in use of their services over the past three years. The money, the same amount as last year, would be used to hire a part-time salaried employee to handle accounting and administrative duties.
Council also accepted the presentation by Rocky View Regional Handibus general manager Paul Siller. Siller presented their 2016 operating grant request of $143,120.80. The money would help go towards funding two new vehicles, new software and a phone dispatch system.
Siller informed council that the number of trips in Cochrane increased from 1,482 (January to June 2014) to 1,641 (January to June 2015), with a 21 per cent increase in passenger registration. The cost would increase from $5.70 in 2014 to $6.70 this year per capita.
The town’s senior manager of corporate services, Paige Milner, presented ATCO Gas’ request to renew its annual franchise fee agreement with the town, with the rate lowered from 23 to 20 per cent.
In light of the decrease, the utility company would pay its future property tax bills in place of the costs coming out of the rate.
Milner said the town would receive the same amount of revenue because ATCO “would pay its own bills.”
Residents wouldn’t see a decrease in monthly costs, but they would see the lower amount of franchise fees on their bill.
Council unanimously carried the motion to give the first reading of the new agreement under Bylaw 17/2015. ATCO will file the agreement with the Alberta Utility Commission, with the commission advertising the new deal in local newspapers for 45 days.
The town’s economic development manager, Mike Korman, reported to council that the temporary washrooms located downtown have been open 85 per cent of the time. This was due to the washrooms’ generator running out of gas, he said. Alternatives were looked into but none were found, Korman said. The washroom will be removed Sept. 30.
According to visitor centre statistics, Korman also reported a decrease in visitors during May 15 to Aug. 31 from 2,536 in 2014 to 2,082 this year.
Drew Hyndman presented administration’s recommendation to reject Vantage Land Corporation’s offer of $1 million in exchange for the town’s option to lease and purchase a one-acre parcel in the Quarry area.
Hyndman said the property was undervalued by $100,000 according to the administration’s own evaluation.
Mayor Brooker disagreed.
“My feeling and opinion is this is a very fair and accurate number,” speaking on the original $1-million offer, which he said was based on “other opportunities.”
Council agreed to discuss the matter further in camera, and came to the agreement to accept the $1-million offer.
Council also carried the motion to increase the budget for West McDougal playground revitalization from $85,000 to $135,000 for the purchase of a $50,000 Liberty Swing funded by a federal grant. The motion was to account for the swing in the capital budget; the device would be paid for by the $50,000 grant.
The specialized playground device allows users with disabilities to roll their wheelchairs into the swing’s bucket.
In Brooker’s mayor’s report, he told council that after the tragic Aug. 24 crash on Hwy 1 that backed up Hwy 1A for hours, they have confirmed a meeting with Alberta Transportation in Edmonton for October to discuss Highway 1A, 22 and the intersection.
Brooker said they’ve received more emails this year from Calgary residents about the traffic problems. He added that Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead has heard from a number of Calgary MLAs with concerns from their constituents.
Councillor Morgan Nagel presented a notice of motion that council direct administration to prepare an amendment to Cochrane’s local road standard to increase the width of new roads from 9 to 10.5 metres. The amendment will be presented to the Cochrane Planning Commission for comment before the next council meeting.
