Back to Search2022-2026 Strategic Plan – Council approved minor updates to the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan as presented. The updated document will be made available on the County’s website. Council also directed administration to conduct a review of the facilitator of the County’s Strategic Plan and bring the information to a future Council meeting for discussion.
Council Provides Clarity – Council provided clarification and answers to questions presented by a delegation group identified as the ‘County of Grande Prairie LUB and Green Watchdog’ and directed them to visit the County’s website for meeting agendas and transparent, easy-to-access information, including the webpage, Fact Check: Growth and Development in the County of Grande Prairie at www.countygp.ab.ca/factcheck.
2023 Fire Guardians Appointed – Council approved the appointment of this year’s fire guardians to assist the County with issuing permits during fire season which begins March 1, as well as educating and informing residents on safe burning practices. Contact information for this year’s fire guardians will be available at www.countygp.ab.ca/fireguardians.
Lake Saskatoon Parent and Tot Program Approved – Council approved the addition of the Lake Saskatoon Hall location to FCSS Parent and Tot programming, to be offered twice monthly at a cost of $3,500 per year. The location started as a trial in November 2022 and is showing good attendance. FCSS Parent and Tot programs are also offered in Bezanson, Clairmont and Hythe.
County Campground Approved for 2023 STARS Fundraiser – Council approved the request from STARS Foundation to use Pipestone Creek Campground, or another County park, as the venue for their 2023 Rescue in the North fundraising event. Historically, the foundation’s mock rescue fundraising events have been held in urban centres such as Edmonton or Calgary. For their planned May 25, 2023 event, STARS will showcase the unique challenges of operating in the northern half of the province while acknowledging the County’s funding contributions to date and will feature key partners such as County Regional Fire Services, County Regional Enforcement Services, and the local Technical Search and Rescue.
West Grande Prairie Solid Waste Authority Bylaw – Council gave third reading to Bylaw 3196 – West Grande Prairie Solid Waste Authority Bylaw. The joint authority between the County and surrounding participating municipalities maintains, controls and manages a regional solid waste landfill system in the West County. Following the dissolution of Hythe, the authority’s representation and agreements needed to be modified to reflect the change.
Bylaw Approved – Council gave third reading to Bylaw 3205 – County Owned Facilities Building Committee Bylaw.
Funding Requests – Council approved the following funding requests:
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$200,000 to complete the County’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Unit 4 project implementation.
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$2,500 per year for the Grande Prairie & District Rural Crime Watch Association for three-year operating costs from 2023 to 2025. The funding will support the organization’s website and half of their current call fan-out costs. The volunteer group works collaboratively with law enforcement to help prevent crime by providing education and information and having a presence in rural communities in areas of County of Grande Prairie and the M.D. of Greenview.
Public Hearings – Council held the following public hearings:
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For Bylaw 2680-23-005 to re-designate one acre of land, located approximately 2.5 miles east of the Town of Beaverlodge, one mile north of Township Road 720, adjacent to Range Road 94, from the Agricultural (AG) District to the County Residential (CR-5) District. Council gave the bylaw third reading.
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Council directed administration to request that the Registrar of Land Titles remove the portion of Municipal Reserve designation on Lot 2MR Block 1 Plan 2022467, containing approximately 0.229 hectares, to accommodate registering a Public Utility Lot near Five Mile Hall. The proposal was initially recessed at the public hearing on January 30, 2023 to ensure advertising requirements of the Municipal Government Act had been met.
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Council gave Bylaw 3200 – Public Utility Lot Designation Bylaw third reading. The purpose of the bylaw is to create a Public Utility Lot for the lift station located near Five Mile Hall. The proposal was initially recessed at the public hearing on January 30, 2023 to ensure advertising requirements of the Municipal Government Act had been met.
Human Resources Policy Approved – Council approved Policy L20 – Human Resources as presented which guides the County’s human resources programs, services and practices. Council also approved rescinding four current Human Resources policies which are now all covered in the Employment Policy Handbook: Policy L3 – Grader Operators Minimum Wage During Snowplowing Season, Policy L5 – Salary and Wage Administration, Policy L6 – Performance Management, and Policy L7 – Personnel.
Policies Presented for Approval – Council is reviewing all County policies. The following policies were reviewed:
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Council approved Policy S2/F14 – Promotions and Donations as presented.
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Council approved Policy F10 – Council and Board Honoraria and Expense Reimbursement as presented.
Space Needs Analysis – Council approved the annual workplan for the 2023 Staff Accommodation Space Needs Analysis Committee. The workplan will address short- and long-term planning for staff capacity in the County Administration Building, Public Works Building, and the Heavy-Duty Shop. The committee will prioritize determining short-term needs and provide Council with a financial report for budget prior to the 2023 Organizational Meeting.
Tabled Items – Council tabled the following items:
- Develop permit application from Heidelberg Materials Canada Ltd. was tabled to the next Council meeting.
- Funding request for improvements to Bear Lake Campground was tabled to a future Council meeting.
Letters of Support – Council directed administration to provide the following letters of support:
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To the Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park for their grant application to the provincial Community Initiatives Program (CIP) Grant to support rebuilding areas of the park that were damaged in the 2020 landslide.
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To the Maskwa Medical Centre (Canada) Inc. based on the changes and progress they have made to date in preparation for their Board meeting with the Minister of Health. In March 2021, Council provided $25,000 in funding and a letter of support to assist with developing a business plan and cost benefit analysis for the proposed Centre in Grande Prairie.
Welcome Process for New Businesses – Council directed administration to bring back recommendations on the process of identifying and acknowledging new businesses established in the County.
La Glace & District Agricultural Society Recreation Centre Update – Council received an information update from the society’s president on the remaining funding required to bring the La Glace Recreation Centre to a “minimum ice fit-out" status, a facility naming rights sponsorship opportunity, and the amount of federal and provincial grant funding sought and awarded to the society for the project. The presentation was provided as support to the society’s original 2023 Capital Grant request which Council will revisit at final budget deliberations in April.
Staff Introductions – Council welcomed Lyndie Ruthven to the Legislative Services team where she is completing a practicum as a student of Northwestern Polytechnic.
The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on March 13, 2023. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on March 16, 2023.
Council and Committee meetings are available to the public via live stream. Find connection instructions and meeting agendas through the events calendar on the County website.