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Alberta’s First ‘A’ Rating Expected in Second Phase of Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Rating Study – With the news that Phase 1 study findings indicate an expectation to receive the very first A-rated woody biomass BDO Zone designation in Alberta, Council directed administration to pursue the second phase of the study in partnership with the M.D. of Greenview at a cost of $31,130. Obtaining an ‘A’ rating in Phase 2 will mark the County and the M.D. as a stand-out for its woody biomass supply and supply chain resiliency, and optimal for attracting bio-based economic development. Details of the rating will be available at www.bdozone.org once the study is completed.   

2023-2025 Divisional Road Projects Approved – Council approved the 2023-2025 Divisional Projects list as presented and directed administration to proceed with engineering services early in 2023. Project decisions for the three-year period were the result of collaborative meetings between Councillors and administration. Divisional projects refer to the construction, re-construction, paving of major roads, surface water management which includes drainage, and other Public Works Divisional infrastructure priorities. Funding for this program is approved through the annual budget process. 

County Business Plan Update – Council received a report on updates to the County’s Business Plan ahead of Council’s review of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan in February. The County Business Plan is a living document that identifies administrative priorities aligned with Council’s strategic direction and outlines specific actions and timelines for completion. 

Contract Awarded for FireSmart™ Fuel Reduction – Council directed Administration to award the contract in the amount of $277,200 to Wildfire Property Protection Ltd. for the FireSmart™ fuel reduction of up to 23 hectares of treatment area with a total project cost of $330,700. The Forest Resources Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) FireSmart™ Vegetation Management Grant provides $200,000 for all grant-eligible expenses, with the remaining $130,700 non-grant-eligible expenses covered by the County. The work, which will further the County’s success with wildfire risk mitigation in the Highway 40 West project area, will be completed in two phases with as much as possible completed prior to spring 2023. The first phase involves firewood salvage which will be delivered to County campgrounds for the 2024 camping season, followed by debris removal in the second phase which includes brush pile burning after snowfall in winter of 2023.  

Changes to Winter Road Maintenance Policy Approved – Council approved Policy N5 – Winter Road Maintenance as presented. After a snowfall event, crews follow a priority system for clearing to manage snow and ice control on winter roads.  

  • High-volume arterial/hard-surfaced roads are cleared first, once 8 cm of snow has collected. A reasonable effort will be made to ensure these roads are cleared within three business days. 

  • Gravel surfaced roads are cleared once 15 cm of snow has collected. A reasonable effort will be made to ensure these roads are cleared within five business days. 

  • Hamlets and residential subdivisions (subdivisions with a concrete curb and gutter) are cleared by a dedicated crew once 15 cm of snow has collected. Within these areas, high-volume (main) roads and school zones are priority, and a reasonable effort will be made to ensure these roads are cleared within a 12-day cycle. 

Regardless of road type, multiple snowfalls in a short period of time, or frigid temperatures, may affect this cycle. The County may suspend winter road maintenance operations based on conditions, including when temperatures dip to -35 degrees Celsius. Crews will aim to avoid leaving snow across driveways and entrances as much as possible at residential properties that appear occupied.   

Request for Special Council Meeting Approved – Council will hold a Special Council meeting on April 24, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. to review the 2022 Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report, as requested by administration.  

Getting to the Root of Rural Housing Insecurity – Council approved the Terms of Reference for the ‘Getting to the Root of Rural Housing Insecurity’ task force as amended. The task force's purpose is to identify and address rural housing insecurity challenges in the County of Grande Prairie and surrounding areas.  

Locations Selected for Annual County Open Houses – Council approved annual open houses held each June for the Crosslink County Sportsplex as the central location, Hythe and District Memorial Arena as the west location, and the Bezanson Community Event Centre as the east location.  

Notice of Motions – Council provided the following direction regarding two recent Notice of Motions: 

  • Teepee Creek Fire Hall Building Committee – Council directed administration to develop a bylaw to establish a Building Committee to oversee construction of a new County-owned facility on an ad-hoc basis, as required.  

  • Intersection Improvement – Council directed administration to explore options for installing advance stop line rumble strips at Range Road 85 where it intersects with Township Road 710.  

Ron Pfau Scholarship – Sydney Olderskog, County resident and fourth-year Commerce student at the University of Alberta, is this year’s recipient of the County of Grande Prairie’s Ron Pfau Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Pfau was an Administrator with the County of Grande Prairie whose legacy lives on with the scholarship. Read the media release.  

Funding Request – Council approved $3,000 in Community Assistance Grant funding to the OasisGP for the Grande Prairie Night Market and recommended that the foundation work with administration to determine which grant stream they may be eligible for in the future. 

Grande Prairie Stompede Sign Re-location – Council directed administration to re-engage with the Grande Prairie Stompede Association to find options for a suitable location for the sign on Evergreen Park grounds. 

Office Space – Council approved $40,129.43 for furniture and equipment costs to accommodate immediate office space needs in the County Administration building.  

Two Awareness Events Proclaimed – Council joins the Eating Disorders Support Network of Alberta in proclaiming February 1 to 7, 2023 as Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Council joins the Canadian Women’s Hearth Health Alliance (CWHHA) in proclaiming February 13, 2023 as Wear Red Canada Day recognizing heart disease as the number one killer of women worldwide and the leading cause of premature death in women in Canada. 

Bylaws Approved – Council approved the following bylaws: 

  • Bylaw 3199 – Crime Prevention Committee Bylaw as presented. Council gave the bylaw third reading and appointed Councillors Balderston, Peterson, Rosvold, and Zimmerman to the Crime Prevention Committee for a term expiring October 30, 2023. The bylaw provides Council with strategic recommendations related to reducing crime and engaging and educating the community on crime prevention and reduction.  

  • Bylaw 3201 - Bylaw to Provide for the Lease of Environmental Reserve Lands to the Aspen Ridge Community Association as presented. Council gave the bylaw third reading. 

Municipal Reserve Designation Removal and Bylaw 3200 – Council recessed the public hearing to the Council meeting on February 27, 2023 to hear comments regarding Bylaw 3200 – Public Utility Lot Designation Bylaw and the proposal to remove a portion of a Municipal Reserve Designation for the purpose of creating a public utility lot. The public hearing was recessed to meet the advertising requirements outlined in the Municipal Government Act. 

Public Hearings – Council held the following public hearings:  

  • For Bylaw 2680-23-001 to re-designate 9.38 acres of land, located five kilometres west of Wembley, from the Agricultural (AG) District to the Intensive Recreation (IR) District. Council recessed the bylaw to a future Council meeting. 

  • For Bylaw 2680-23-002 to redesignate 13.88 acres of land, located 500 metres west of Highway 2, immediately south of J.D. Barr Estates, from an Agricultural (AG) District to a County Residential (CR-5) District to accommodate the subdivision of one lot for county residential use. Council gave the bylaw third reading.  

  • For Bylaw 2680-23-003 to redesignate 10 acres of land, located 3.2 km north of Saskatoon Mountain Provincial Park, from an Agricultural (AG) District to a County Residential (CR-5) District to accommodate the subdivision of one lot for county residential use. Council gave the bylaw third reading. 

  • For Bylaw 2680-23-004 to redesignate 0.83 acres of land, located in the Hamlet of Valhalla, west of 100 Street and north of 100 Avenue, from the Urban Reserve (UR) District to the Rural Residential Mixed (RR-4) District to accommodate a boundary adjustment to the existing lot at 10212-100 Street. Council gave the bylaw third reading.  

Policy Approved – Council approved Policy N36 – Divisional Projects.  

Development Officers Appointed – Council appointed Tyson Selinger and Samuel Loran as Development Officers under the County of Grande Prairie Land Use Bylaw. Both have successfully completed a six-month probationary period and this appointment grants them authority to sign decisions.  

Alberta Agricultural Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Attendance – Council authorized Reeve Marshall and Councillor Chrenek to attend the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame induction ceremony honouring Walter Paszkowski on February 2, 2023. 

The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on February 13, 2023. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on February 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.