Funding approved for Langdon Library
At a recent meeting, Rocky View County (RVC) council approved $70,000 in one-time bridge funding for the new Langdon Library to tide it over until it can be fully funded from the County’s annual library distribution reserve funding next June.
The Langdon Library Society had to apply for the bridge funding because it will not be operational until next March, and had missed the June 2022 deadline to receive funds from the RVC reserve.
The Langdon Library, when operational, will be the first public library ever constructed in Rocky View County by the municipality.
Up until this time, library reserve funds had been spread out to support libraries in several local towns and the City of Chestermere, which abut RVC and serve Rocky View residents, but do not fall within RVC’s municipal jurisdiction.
While a modest start, Langdon Library had originally stated it would require $58,000 per year to operate, but had to revise its budget estimate up to $70,000 this year in time for its funding application at the RVC council meeting of Nov. 29.
Next year, the library will be fully funded out of the library reserve, and council will have to consider whether it will continue to support other libraries, in particular the Chestermere Public Library, when Langdon comes online, at the same rate it has.
Div. 7 Coun. Al Schule, who represents Langdon, wondered openly at the council meeting if the standard of $4 per person in County funding annually for the library reserve would be enough going forward, or if that might need to be increased.
RVC staff said it would bring back several funding models and options to consider before council approves the distribution of library reserve funds next June.
Schule then made the motion to approve the $70,000 in bridge funding for Langdon Library.
The motion passed unanimously.
Recreation cost-sharing agreement with City of Airdrie
RVC council approved a new five-year recreation facilities cost-sharing agreement with the City of Airdrie at the Dec. 6 council meeting. This will be the first cost-sharing agreement between the County and City since their previous agreement expired in 2014.
The City of Airdrie has yet to approve the agreement, as it will be voted on at that council’s Dec. 19 meeting. However, if approved by the City's council, Airdrie residents and Rocky View residents will have equal, reciprocal access to each other’s rec facilities at the same level and membership cost (if applicable) in each other’s jurisdictions.
What is different about this agreement from the previous one that expired in 2014 is that the County will contribute six per cent to the operating and general maintenance costs of three specific Airdrie-based regional facilities: Ron Ebbesen Twin Arena, Genesis Place Recreation Centre, and Ed Eggerer Athletic Park.
The County will not contribute to the maintenance or operating costs of other recreation facilities in Airdrie, or expect the City to contribute to the operating costs of County-based recreation facilities, but will ensure reciprocal access to County-run facilities for Airdrie residents instead.
Because the County’s funding at the six per cent level is going toward general maintenance as well as operational costs at the three regional facilities identified in the agreement, the annual cost to RVC will likely be variable. Staff estimated it could cost anywhere between $1 million to $2.5 million annually from County reserves.
Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke said he was extremely happy to make the motion to approve the agreement, and hoped it wouldn’t take nearly nine years to come to another agreement with “one of the (County’s) closest neighbours” in Airdrie when this agreement expires in five years.
RVC council then approved the cost-sharing agreement unanimously.
Coalition formed to lobby renewable energy project sitings
Rocky View County (RVC) council passed a motion on Dec. 6 that seeks to form a coalition with other like-minded jurisdictions to lobby the provincial government for more control over local renewable energy development, including the siting of solar and wind projects.
The motion, introduced by Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke, is in response to recent debates about the proper siting of renewable energy projects such as solar farms and wind farms within the county.
While RVC council can reject a proposed project in its jurisdiction if it feels it is improperly situated, these decisions can be overturned by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC). Final say ultimately rests with the commission, and not the County, explained Boehlke, and the County is not even allowed to have standing at these AUC hearings to state its own case for or against any proposed development.
Boehlke felt that needs to change, and told councillors at the Dec. 6 meeting that he had reached out to five other neighbouring jurisdictions so far who might take RVC’s lead if such a lobbying coalition were proposed.
Boehlke’s motion included a provision allowing RVC staff to allocate up to $10,000 toward the payment to consultants in order to fund this joint lobbying effort.
The motion also included a second clause that would encourage the provincial government to create a policy to protect municipalities from the financial liability of the cost of reclaiming these renewable energy sites in the future.
Boehlke’s motion passed unanimously.
Council updated on completed capital projects
Rocky View County (RVC) council was given an update on the municipality’s various completed capital projects in 2022 at their Dec. 6 meeting.
Included on the list of projects completed this year was the Bragg Creek Flood Mitigation project, which is substantially complete as of December. The original projected cost of the project was $42.2 million, but it came in under budget at $38,720,421.
Meadow Drive Drainage was also substantially completed as of December. The original budget for the project was $7 million, but was also completed under budget at about $6.1 million.
Country Lane Estates Phase 2 was substantially completed in November and came in on budget at about $200,000.
East Rocky View Waste Water Treatment Plant was also substantially completed in November. It came in on budget at about $7 million.
The Prince of Peace Waterline was considered substantially complete in November as well; at a final cost of $4.3 million on a budget of $4.7 million.
