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Home My WebLink About1993-01-05 Council Minutes:7 C of AGENDA COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 5th, 1993 1 Approval of Agenda 2 Approval of Minutes - December 10th, 1992 3 John C Jeffery Report 4 Executive Committee Report 5. Approval of Accounts APPOINTMENTS. 10.30 A M Oris Rodger and Bud Haskell 1.30 P M George Boles - See Item 13A PRIORITY ITEMS• nil TABLED ITEMS. nil GENERAL ITEMS. 6. Dec 12/92 Budget Comparison Report 7 1993 Local Government Officials - Combined Meeting 8 Wage and Salary Survey 9. Report re- meeting with Drumheller Hospital Administrator re new hospital and ambulance area 10 1993 Employee Day 11 AAMD &C Survey on Farmland Exemptions 12 Big Country Tourist 1993 Membership Fee 13 Hudson Bay Route Association membership 13a Meeting with George Boles TRANSPORTATION ITEMS 14 Require motion to cancel unused road Plans on SR 837 15 Review Bill Howard request for reimbursement for drainage ditch work and December 16th Road Committee Report 16 Price quote for hot asphalt from Richardson Bros 17 Quote for SR583 asphalt paving (12 9 km ) from Border Paving 18 Derrick Page brushing project UTILITY OFFICER ITEMS A S B 19 Dec 17/92 ASB Minutes PLANNING ITEMS' nil PARKS nil LATE ITEMS, 20. Hutterian Brethren Valleyview - Land Purchase 1 3 AGENDA COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 5th, 1993 21 Gravel Inventory Report - December 31st, 1992 22 Report re R Echel - Possible Gravel Source 23 Letter from H Gough, Solicitor, re V Nielsen DISCUSSION ITEMS• is 11 Committee Reports • • ADJOURNMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC HEARING• NIL 2 1 COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 A regular meeting of the Council of the M D of Kneehill #48 was held on Tuesday, January 5th, 1993, commencing at 9.00 A M The following were present for the meeting - PRESENT Reeve Richard A Marz Division Four Councillors. Marylea Lowen Division One Otto Hoff Division Two Robert E Boake Division Three James M. Hanger Division Five Richard M Vickery Division Six _ Glen Wagstaff Division Seven John C Jeffery, Municipal Administrator Mrs Jean Wilkinson, Assistant Administrator was present and recorded the minutes Reeve Marz called the meeting to order • Mr Boake moved approval of the agenda for today's meeting APPROVAL CARRIED AGENDA Mr Hoff moved approval of the December 10th council meeting minutes APPROVAL CARRIED MINUTES Mr Jeffery' s report was reviewed and various items discussed The gravel records which indicate a loss of 1 J C JEFFERY 1/2 gravel from the Silver stock pile were reviewed by the REPORT gravel foreman and Mr. Jeffery and it appears the records are correct and the gravel loss should be written off ' There was also discussion regarding the December 15th accident which involved T -22 - a gravel truck It appears TRUCK the gravel trucks are normally left in neutral and started ACCIDENT from the ground The truck was started in this manner and T -22 REFERI i it rolled ahead and hit the g ravel shack. The safety of �. I doing this was discussed and it was suggested the safety SAFETY' r committee should review the situation COMMITTEE i Mr Wagstaff moved approval of Mr Jeffery's report. APPROVAL CARRIED REPORT I' The Executive Committee report was reviewed and various EXEC COMM items discussed There was lengthy discussion regarding the concept put 100% forth by the Minister of Municipal Affairs regarding using MARKET VALUE 100% market value for assessment purposes rather than using ASSESSMENT 100% of replacement value CONCEPT Mr. Vickery moved approval of the Executive Committee report APPROVAL CARRIED EXEC REPORT Mr Boake moved approval of the accounts presented for APPROVAL payment today, subject to further review by the finance ACCOUNTS 1 40 • �1 U i COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 committee of R A Marz, Otto Hoff, R M Vickery and Glen Wagstaff CARRIED Mr Jeffery reviewed the December 12th budget report He noted he will have the M D auditor meet with Council on January 26th to discuss the 1992 financial report He also reviewed a very preliminary rough 1993 budget he worked on yesterday and suggested the Budget Committee meet to start work on the 1993 budget as soon as possible after the 1992 figures have been finalized. The date for the Local Governing Officials meeting was discussed Mr Arnold Malone, M P cannot attend on January 29th, Mr. Stan Schumacher, M L A can attend, and no reponse has been received from Mrs Feltham, M P or Donald Macdonald, M L A for the Three Hills Constituency The agenda for the meeting was discussed and various topics mentioned including. machinery and equipment assessment, the success of the G S T and the suggestion it may be increased to 10 %, The Young Offenders act and the new gun control legislation Mr. Wagstaff moved the meeting be held on Friday, January 29th, 1993 at 1 30 P M CARRIED Council requested Mr Jeffery and Mrs Wilkinson to leave at this time and they discussed the wage and salary survey The meeting then recessed briefly for 10 minutes Mr Jeffery and Mrs Wilkinson returned to the meeting Oris Rodger and Bud Haskell entered the meeting at this time Time 10.45 A M Mr Rodger noted Maclin Ford will take T -21 and T -40 - the two gravel trucks which are to be disposed of - in trade for between $16,000 00 and $18,000 00 each Does council wish to trade the vehicles in on the new units or try to sell them privately Mr. Boake moved the M D trade T -21 and T -40 in on the new gravel trucks being purchased from Maclin Ford at a value of not less than $16,000 00 each CARRIED Mr. Haskell reported the motor in T -20 - the 1984 sand truck - seized up The motor is being torn down now to see how much work is involved. This is the truck that was hit by the train and the motor may have been damaged as a result of the accident Oil samples have been sent in to see what may have caused the problem It was suggested the motor should be properly repaired and if necessary the motor can be used in another truck if this truck has to be disposed of in the next year or so It was agreed when the oil samples are received a final decision can be made about repair of the motor BUDGET ✓ REPORT 1993 BUDGET LOC GOVERNING OFFICIALS MEETING DATE Ie t&- rs Scent WAGE AND SALARY SIIRVFY TRADE IN T21 AND T -40 MACLIN FORD )-G, u I I C //4-, GdVIxd T 20 MOTOR SEIZED fi?/x • • i COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 Mr Haskell noted the back of the cab of T -25, the white sand truck, should be repainted It is badly pitted Cost will be between $400 00 and $500 00 Mr Haskell was asked to get prices from other body shops in the area Mr Hoff moved authority be given to get the back of the cab of T -25 repainted at the best possible price CARRIED Mr Rodger noted the M D will have to decide soon if they wish to contract out any of the divisional motor grader work or purchase a new grader Mr Rodger reported he and Mr Haskell reviewed the Derrick Page brushing project - East of the East half of 17- 31 -26 -4 The brush is quite small and due to the topography it would not be possible to use a cat It will have to be done by hand and sprayed with Tordon after to prevent re- growth Mr Wagstaff moved the brushing on the road allowance east of the east half of 17- 31 -26 -4 be done as time permits CARRIED Mr Jeffery reviewed a quote received from Border Paving and from Richardson Brothers for paving 12 9 KM of SR 583 east of Highway 21 Border quoted $575,000.00 plus G S T if the M D supplies the necessary crushed gravel Richardson Brothers quoted a price of $175 00 per tonne for 25,000 tonnes of hot asphalt and $18 00 per tonne to mix, lay and haul it It appears another layer of light coat surfacing will not solve the problem with the bad dips on the east two miles of this road The entire road should be re- surfaced and as this is a secondary road perhaps the Province should be asked to provide financial assistance for the job There was discussion about whether the road would meet provincial secondary road standards or not Mr Boake moved Alberta Transportation be contacted and asked to inspect the road with a view to providing financial assistance for this paving project CARRIED The December 16th road committee report was reviewed The request from John Gavin to purchase the 2 12 acre parcel owned by the M D in the Village of Carbon was discussed Apparently Mr Gavin cannot find water on his land which is immediately to the south of this parcel across a forced road There is a slough area on the 2 12 acres and he feels there may be water there Mr Dunay feels based on the assessment of the land by the Village of Carbon - $3880 00 - the land would be worth about $2000 00 He also noted if the land was purchased by someone other than a municipal government it would be subject to taxation and at the present village mill rate taxes would be about $100 00 per year Mr Vickery moved Mr Gavin be advised, based on the assessment of $3880 00, the M D would sell the land for $2000 00, and if this figure is not satisfatory the M D 3 PAINT T -25 CAB �.G U, r le 15k vise C1 DIV GRADER CONTRACT WORK? PAGE BRUSHING E 17 -31 -26 SR 583 SURFACE �k'V, se^r ROAD COMM. REPORT JOHN GAVIN PURCHASE M D LAND letOr �nY )r)"'d COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 Mr. Vickery moved approval of the road committee report CARRIED il Mr Wagstaff moved the Council of the M D of Kneehill 4 g # 8 do hereby close the following described roads, subject to rights of access granted by other legislation or regulations, as follows• �1 4 NAKASKA GORMAN ROAD �pierr�d S ly MEDING BLADE GRADE 12- 33 -23 -4 r r r cj LAWRENCE & LANG BACKSLOPING AGREEMENTS BILL HOWARD DITCHING WORK ACCOUNT YIELD SIGNS W NW 32 =33- 24 -4 APPROVAL RD COMM REPORT CLOSURE ROAD-'; e would have to advertise the land for sale to the highest bidder CARRIED There was discussion about the condition of the Nakaska- Gorman road and how the problem with the road had arisen Mr Wagstaff moved Councillor Hanger discuss the situation with Frank Gorman and bring a report back to council at a later date CARRIED The Meding blade grade 12- 33 -23 -4 was discussed Road committee could not see the need for the blade grade Mr Vickery moved Councillor Wagstaff check into the situaton and determine if the road is still required and bring a report back to council at a later date CARRIED The backsloping agreements entered into with Pat Lawrence and Dallen Lang - N W 4- 34 -22 -4 and S W 16- 34 -22 -4 were discussed It would not be possible to do the backsloping • with a motor grader It would take a buggy and there would be alot of dirt which would have to be moved and there are alot of rocks in that area It was agreed Councillor Wagstaff should look into the situation and bring a report back to council at a later date. Mr Vickery reported he had discussed the account submitted { by Bill Howard for ditching work he did in the area of the M D road north of the N E 19- 34 -25 -4 - Crossroads road project Mr Howard felt a low area was left after the road project was finished and it was necessary to do this ditching work in order to get water to drain back into a slough Mr McCook indicated he had planned to do this work for Mr Howard, but time and weather did not permit him to get it done. Mr. Howard did the work himself with a pull scraper when there was frost in the ground There was lengthy discussion about whether the M D should accept responsibility for costs incurred for work undertaken by a ratepayer when there was no previous agreement or consent from the M D. to do so Mr Hoff moved the account submitted by Mr Howard in the sum of $140 00 be paid CARRIED Mr Vickery moved yield signs be erected at the intersection West of the N W. 32- 33 -24 -4 to make the north south traffic yield to the east west traffic CARRIED Mr. Vickery moved approval of the road committee report CARRIED il Mr Wagstaff moved the Council of the M D of Kneehill 4 g # 8 do hereby close the following described roads, subject to rights of access granted by other legislation or regulations, as follows• �1 4 NAKASKA GORMAN ROAD �pierr�d S ly MEDING BLADE GRADE 12- 33 -23 -4 r r r cj LAWRENCE & LANG BACKSLOPING AGREEMENTS BILL HOWARD DITCHING WORK ACCOUNT YIELD SIGNS W NW 32 =33- 24 -4 APPROVAL RD COMM REPORT CLOSURE ROAD-'; e is COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 1. Road Plan 6366 B M in the N E. 33- 29 -21 -4, N W 34- 29 -21 -4, S W 34- 29 -21 -4 2 Road Plan 6851 B M in the S W 34- 29 -21 -4 and N W 27- 29 -21 -4 3 Road Plan 5618 J K in the S E 4- 30 -21 -4 and the land be returned to title of the lands from which w it was taken CARRIED Mr. Haskell noted permission was granted to fix the pads on C -2 However it would be cheaper to buy new pads at a cost FIX PADS of $28 00 as it would take at least an hour of welding per ON C -2 pad to repair them plus the cost of the repair material Mr. Wagstaff moved authority be given to purchase new pads for C -2 CARRIED Mr Jeffery reviewed the final gravel inventory for 1992 He also reviewed the inventory corrections and the net write down required of 5432 cubic yards The actual GRAVEL inventory at the end of December, 1992 is 407,763 yards INVENTORY which is valued at $1,406,218 16, and the book inventory of WRITE DOWN 413,195 cubic yards must be adjusted down by 5432 cubic yards to match actual inventory Mr Boake moved approval for the write down of the 1992 gravel inventory by 5432 cubic yards CARRIED The meeting adjourned for dinner at 11.50 A M Mr Haskell and Mr. Rodger left the meeting at this time The meeting reconvened at 1 00 P M It was noted that the A S B board members, Mr Thomas and Mr Sommerville will be attending a Soil Conservation Workshop in Edmonton January 18th, 19th and 20th Mr Jeffery read a letter received from George Boles of Three Hills regarding unsightly abandoned buildings in the M.D He felt the M D should impose a derelict building tax on the landowners to encourage them to fix them up or demolish them Mr Marz noted he had discussed this matter with Mr Boles and had reviewed some concerns he had about the idea The idea will be discussed with Mr Boles later today. Mr Jeffery reported on a recent meeting he and other municipal government administrators had attended at the Drumheller Hospital The hospital administrator, Mr Ramsbottom, had reviewed the plans for the new hospital Costs for the building will exceed provincial funding and he wished to know what the participating municipalities would feel about accepting a voluntary requisition to cover these extra costs There was lengthy discussion about this matter The extra costs would be around $400,000 00 for W DINNER SOIL CONS ✓ WORKSHOP GEORGE BOLES DRUM HOSPITAL PLANS 0 0 00 y COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 the laundry facilities, ambulance garage, food services and chapel The participating municipalities would also be requi.stioned for demolition of old buildings, parking lot facilities and other costs which are authorized under the Hospital Act Mr Marz moved the M D would not accept any voluntary requisitions from the Drumheller Hospital Board CARRIED Mr George Boles and Mr Don Pryor entered the meeting at this time They were .introduced to the new councillors Mr Marz advised Mr. Boles council had read his letter Mr Boles noted he had discussed his idea with some of the people living on his road and his son had discussed the idea with Mr Pryor Most everyone felt it was a good idea Mr Marz noted implementation of this kind of a tax or penalty may require a change in legislation which would take time As well it would require the services of someone, such as the assessor, to determine if a building is in fact derelict, and setting up some type of appeal process, both of which would cost more money Mr Boles noted some people felt the fee of $50 00 was too low and the rate should be much higher Mr Marz advised Mr Boles implementing this kind of tax or penalty might also lead to requiring the services of a building inspector as it would be difficult for someone to determine what was actual a derelict building What was unsightly or derelict in one person's opinion is subjective and the owner might feel the building still have a value for his purposes. Mr Boles noted oil companies must clean up an oil well site in a satisfactory manner before they are released from any responsibility or liability for that site He felt abandon buildings create an environmental hazard as well as being unsightly and there should be some way to force the landowner to clean up their land as well Mr Pryor suggested this tax would only be applicable to abandoned or derelict buildings, not to an inhabited farm site Mr Marz advised Mr. Boles and Mr Pryor the concept is good, but it would take time to review the suggestion to see if and how it could be implemented Council agreed if possible to discuss the suggestion at the next meeting of the Central Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, and if a change in legislation is required to try to get a resolution considered at the Fall Convention of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties Also the idea could be reviewed with ratepayers at the divisional meetings to be held later this year Mr Boles and Mr Pryor were thanked for coming and they left the meeting at this time 0 NO VOL i REQUSITIONS t e!k Y S -rt i BOLES AND PRYOR IN DISCUSSION RE, DERELICT BUILDINGS C!omet J o- n -7)113 ��J Ll i is W, COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 Mr Jeffery reviewed the ideas put forth by Mr Ramsbottom, Administrator of the Drumheller Hospital, about the possibility of requsitioning that area of the M D which is in the Drumheller Hospital District, for funds to replace the Drumheller Hospital ambulances Mr Jeffery had advised Mr Ramsbottom as the entire M.D area currently supports the Kneehill Ambulance he did not believe council would be willing to accept a requisition for this purpose The Kneehill Ambulance Service has applied to the Province for authority under the new Ambulance Act to operate their ambulance service within an area co- terminious with the M D of Kneehill boundaries He felt council would be opposed to the idea of authority being given to another jurisdication to requisition a portion of the M.D for ambulance service as it would fragment the ability of the M D. to fund their existing service Mr Hanger moved the Drumheller rumheller Hospital Board be advised the M.D would not be in favour of any infringement by the Drumheller Hospital Ambulance Service into the Kneehill Ambulance area CARRIED Mr. Wagstaff moved, if the Drumheller Hospital Board is successful in obtaining authority from the Province of Alberta to requisition funds for their ambulance services in an area of the M.D of Kneehill, Council request a per capita basis be used to calculate the requisition, and if that is not acceptable the requisition be based on the number of calls made into the M D area, and their last choice would be use of the equalized assessment CARRIED Mr Jeffery reported Dean Marchand of Jubilee Insurance will come for employee day - March 25th - and give a presentation about insurance and liablity claims. The presentation will take about 3 hours. It was agreed the afternoon be kept open for discussions with the employees about various issues, particularly safety issues and liablity claims and lunch be provided for the employees It was also agreed Mr. Marz and Mr Jeffery should prepare a proposed agenda for the day and bring same back to council for review at a later date. DRUM AMB SERVICE POSSIBLE REQUISITIONS (ettor scr,i EMPLOYEE DAY AGENDA Mr Jeffery read a letter from AAMD & C The Association wish to know if the M.D favour retaining the existing ASSESSMENT policy whereby an exemption or reduction in assessment on POLICY farm residences is provided, based upon the amount and RESIDENCE assessed value of agricultural land in the residence EXEMPTION owner's unit There was lengthy discussion about this issue AAM Da Mr Hanger moved the M.D would be in favour of retaining a8visal the existing policy CARRIED The Big Country Tourist Association has submitted an account for the 1993 membership fee Fee is 25 cents per BIG capita for a total of $1178 00 COUNTRY Mr Boake moved the 1993 membership fee be paid TOURIST CARRIED MEMBERSHIP w <, a d vs�J 7 el • �J COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1993 The Hudson Bay Route Association has submitted an account for a 1993 membership in their association Fee is $200 00 Mr Jeffery noted the M D has not belonged to this association for several years Mr Vickery moved to accept and file and the membership fee not be paid CARRIED Mr Jeffery reviewed the December 17th Agricultural Service Board minutes Various items were discussed Mr Vickery moved approval of the minutes CARRIED Mr Marz noted he, Mr Hoff and Mr Cunningham will meet tomorrow with the Hutterian Brethren of Valleyview to discuss the gravel and land acquisition matter Mr Vickery moved to accept the report.from Mr Marz CARRIED Mr Jeffery noted Robert Echel of Didsbury has entered into a lease with the County of Mountain View to sell the County gravel from his land He is receiving 50 cents per cubic yard royalty. He will see how the agreement works out with Mountain View and may consider the possibility of selling gravel to the M D at some future date Mrs Lowen moved to accept the report as information CARRIED HUDSON BAY ROUTE ASSOC MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL A S B MINUTES MEETING HUTTERIAN BRETHREN VALLEYVIEW R ECHEL GRAVEL cniiRrF Mr. Jeffery read a letter from Harry Gough, solicitor for VIKTOR Viktor Nielsen Mr Nielsen has requested the M D NIELSEN undertake proper preparation of the seeding area before the trees are planted, would require a one year guarantee that the trees will live, and further that the M D pay his legal costs It was agreed Mr. Boake should check with the tree supplier to see what type of guarantee he provides with his trees 1� Mr Wagstaff moved to table this matter to the January 12th meeting of council. CARRIED Mr Jeffery and Mrs Wilkinson left the meeting at this time - 3.15 P M Council continued with discussions about the wage and WAGE AND SALARY salary survey . SURVEY Mr Vickery moved this meeting do now adjourn CARRIED ADJOURN Time 5:02 P M Reeve Administrat -r 13 AGENDA FOR LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICIALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 1. Call to Order and Welcome from Reeve Richard A. Marz 2 Introduction of Members of Parliament • P Louise Feltham, • P Arnold Malone (will attend if at all possible) Introduction of Members of Legislative Assembly • L A Gary Severtson • L A Stan Schumacher (advised he will be late) M L A Don Macdonald is unable to attend 3 Possible Items for Agenda. Comments from Mrs. Louise Feltham, M P (Must Leave Early) Comments from other M P or M L.A. (From Village of Linden) Impact of Proposed New Assessment Act Impact of Proposed Revision to Building Standards (From Town of Trochu) Use of M.D. equipment in urban centers Sale of Used M D equipment to urban centers (From M D of Kneehill) Has G S.T. been successful? Young Offenders Act Gun Control Legislation Is there a real need to do a Annual General Assessment? Tire Tax GATT and its affect on Canada Need for Enhanced Level of Police Service in the region and cost for same 4 Any other items? 5 Date for Next Meeting 6. Adjournment THE M D COUNCIL EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO THOSE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. COFFEE AND DONUTS WILL BE SERVED AT THE COMPLETION OF THE MEETING f A 0 �i a LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 A meeting of the Local Governing Officials was held in the M D of Kneehill Council Chambers, Three Hills, Alberta, on Friday, January 29th, 1993, commencing at 1.30 P M. The following were present for the meeting. M P Louise Feltham M P Arnold Malone was unable to attend. M.L.A Stan Schumacher • L A. Donald MacDonald (after 3.30 P.M.) • LA Gary Severtson was unable to attend M D of Kneehill Reeve R A Marz, Robert E. Boake, Wagstaff John C Jeffery, Mrs Jean Wi.lkin #48 Councillors Marylea Lowen, Otto Hoff, James Hanger, Richard M Vickery and Glen Administrator son , Assistant Administrator City of Drumheller Mayor Brock Wood, Ray Romanetz, City Manager Town of Three Hills Councillors Roy Butler and Bill Chapman, Jack Ramsden Administrator and Terry Nash Village of Linden Mayor Joyce McDonald, Councillor Darwyn Moon Ross Dean, Administrator Village of Torrington Mayor Harold Ehrmann Village of Carbon Councillor Guss Nash Village of Acme Mayor Jane Allan Drumheller Hospital Jim Ramsbottom, Administrator Three Hills Hospital Board Members Jim Bishop and Louis Perrault Elnora Hospital Board Member Michelle Wagstaff Three Hills School Division Trustees Stan Price and Bill Postill Drumheller Health Unit Todd Reinholt Judy Watson, Representative from the Three Hills Capital Reeve Richard Marz welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly Mrs. Louise Feltham, M P for Wild Rose. ,mow, L • 0 • 11 LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 As it was necessary for Mrs Feltham to leave early, Reeve Marz asked if she had any comments to make to the meeting at this time Mrs Feltham indicated she did not have a formal presentation and would prefer to just answer questions Questions were asked as follows. Is the G S T successful? Mrs. Feltham indicated as far as bringing in more money no There will be at least a $1 billion shortfall However there would have been more of a shortfall under the previous MSt tax because of the recession and the economic downturn Total revenue is over 6 billion and GST is on par with other revenues given the recession Government feel it is a good tax to replace the MST tax People with lower incomes are better off with the GST Middle income people pay about 1 1/2% more under GST. People with higher income pay about 2 1/2% more Government feel in a few years with a better economy the 7% tax will generate revenue in excess of what the MST would have brought in The procedure may be a problem, there is more paper work for people It is bringing to light some under the table businesses which now must register in order to reclaim the GST they are paying Some goods are cheaper than they were under the MST Government is trying to work the bugs out of the system. MST was a difficult tax and it slowed down business other alternates were income tax and a goods and services tax Income tax was a problem because the middle income person still pays the biggest portion of income tax and they would pay more if the GST was not in place GST was the way to go Question Will the amount remain the same? Mrs Feltham: It is not likely any government will do away with the GST If the rate was lowered it would generate less money and increase the debt An increase would create alot of problems and more expense for business 7% will likely be the figure for some time. Our government will likely not change the system Question- It was designed to reduce the debt - has it done that? Mrs Feltham* The government's idea was any excess over MST revenue would go to reduce the debt, but not as much revenue has been received She discussed the need for the government to cover the costs of all the programs in place and noted this has been accomplished All program costs are now covered every year, but the government is still paying off the debt and interest costs from previous budget years M L A Stan Schumacher entered the meeting at this time - 1:55 P.M. Mrs Feltham noted in some areas the government is under budget, but will still have a deficit this year u C 0 0 LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 Reeve Marz welcomed Mr Schumacher to the meeting Question- Is there a hope of a municipality being exempted from paying G S.T. for such things as water or sewer materials or fire equipment Mrs Feltham: Likely not Comment Municipalities will have to replace utility lines all over Canada and an exemption on this type of material would be helpful Mrs Feltham I will discuss this with the Minister of Finance There was discussion regarding the Alberta Government challenge in court regarding G S T The Province will not pay G S T to a local area for any project undertaken by the municipality and funded by a grant from the province Mr. Schumacher noted the only resolution to this problem would be an amendment by the Federal Government to the GST legislation. Mrs. Feltham noted nothing is being done at this time Technical changes can be made to the regulations, but any major change has to come forward to the government. There was discussion about the amount of the Federal Government deficit and concern about the size of same Mrs. Feltham noted Canada is still considered to be a has country and can still borrow money anywhere in the world There was further discussion abut muncipalities having to pay G.S.T. on capital projects which are funded by the province and not being able to claim back the costs incurred for same from the Province Mr. Schumacher noted the Province under its fiscal conditions likely cannot afford to do this when it is already borrowing too much money He noted part of his new job is to try to shink government expenditures considerably in the near future and if his committee is to be successful the government cannot accept more expenses. Comment. All three levels of governments find it difficult to balance their budgets and the local governments do not want to see any more shift to their level Mr. Schumacher noted the province is having to cover considerably more in social services costs, but everything will be on the table this year for cuts Reeve Marz noted there is concern about the liberal way young offenders are treated under the law, particularly for serious crimes Mrs Feltham. Crime rate in Canada in comparison to population is not that great but the media makes it sound like it is a bigger problem that it is The Young Offenders Act was changed last year as well as the gun control legislation If is difficult to deal with the problem of a first time offender They do not want to put 1�q 6 L LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 them in prison with criminals For a murder previously they could only get 3 years, now will get a maximum of 5 years A judge must decide if a young offender should be dealt with in adult court Must look at protection of people first and rehabilitation next. Perhaps the act needs more teeth for a second offender. A group of M.P.s from Alberta discussed with the Minister of Justice the age of a young offender and whether anyone over 16 be treated as an adult, but their discussions were not successful. Perhaps judges should be using the act to its fullest extent Government is still working on the issue Question- What about the severity of an act such as premediated murder - does it need more severe punishment? Mrs Feltham. Courts have to determine if such a person is mentally fit or can be rehabilitated Comment The Parole Board must be accountable to the public and ensure the criminal who will re- offend is not let out of prison Mrs Feltham It is difficult to determine if a person is actually rehabilitated Costs of keeping a person in prison is high and if that person can be rehabilitated it is better for all Economics and security for the people are concerns of the government Mr. Schumacher suggested the group of M P s shoud continue to work with the Minister of Justice as the act still needs to be tightened up Society will not put up with too many more mistakes Gun Control Legislation was discussed at length New regulations regarding safe storage and the need to complete a training course on handling firearms is a good step There was however concern about the cost of ownership and possession of guns as well as the paper work involved The fact that mace and a stun gun are classed as a prohibitive weapon was also discussed It was suggested these should only be a restricted weapon as they are not lethal It was noted there is no deterrent for mishandling a firearm as any charges laid are usually plea bargained away. It was suggested there is a need to tighten up the laws and re- instate capital punishment in this country Mrs Feltham noted there was a free vote in the House in 1987 and capital punishment was not re- instated. From studies done the death penalty has not been a deterrent in the United States She also noted there were meetings held with Minister Kim Campbell and alot of the proposed legislation to control guns were moderated as a result of those meetings There was further discussion about the new law, and the regulations required to get a gun range on a person's private property =ti �t • �:J N LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 Mrs Feltham was asked to comment about GATT She noted the discussions are completely hung up on agriculture and did not feel very optimistic about a solution being worked out France is a major stumbling block to working out any solution and Canada is the biggest loser because 80% of agriculture products are exported. No way out of the problem unless we can put more pressure on France in other areas such as their wines, etc Brief discussion about free trade and the GRIP and NISA programs. Question was asked by Otto Hoff about free trade as it does not appear to be working both ways Duty on some items has gone up Mrs Feltham requested Mr. Hoff to provide her with some examples and she would look at them. Mrs Feltham thanked everyone and asked if anyone has a problem to please contact her through her office in Airdrie She then left the meeting Mr Schumacher noted he was pessimistic also about GATT talks He felt nothing would happen, France would not bend and there will be no agreement Mr Schumacher apologized to the meeting for Mr Severtson who was unable to attend the meeting today There was discusison about the electoral boundaries Mr. Schumacher then reviewed the committees he has been appointed to and is working on for the government He noted the government will likely not pass the new assessment act or implement market value assessment as some feel it has not been well thought out Would like to hear from the peole about their views on this issue He felt the theory of having an annual general assessment might be a good thing but the cost involved is prohibitive and he would be working to ensure the process is slowed down Mrs MacDonald noted the Village of Linden has alot of concerns about the need to do a general assessment every year Cost of doing a general ($8000 00) is too large for a small community They are on a 65% assessment now but if have to go to 100% it will cost them more and they cannot afford it If are required to go to annual assessment it would mean sending an assessment notice to everyone every year which will entail more costs. Mr Schumacher noted he shared their views and will try to get them across to the government There was discussion about going to market value, that it could change considerably every year and replacement value is a more logical way to go It was suggested as long as the assessment is reasonably equal and applied across the province it should be fair and �001 i LJ LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 it should be stable. Changing all the time would not help public relations with the ratepayers Representatives from the Town of Three Hills and the City of Drumheller indicated they did not have a problem with going to market value There was discussion about the lobby trying to eliminate the machinery and equipment assessment. Reeve Marz asked that the Province consult with the municipalities before making such a major change to the assessment base of the municipalities. Reeve Marz asked about the tire tax Mr. Schumacher indicated the money is in a trust fund and is not sure how the money will be used at this time Noted a trial burn was done in Edmonton and one is scheduled in a few weeks at the Canada LaFarge plant at Exshaw. Perhaps looking at burning as the best solution. There was discussion about the impact of the proposed revision to the Building Standards Act and how it may impact municpalities How will inspections be handled? Mr Schumacher noted he perhaps should provide a written response to their questions Perhaps municipalities can work out a solution such as sharing a building inspector Palliser Planning is looking into the idea There was discussion about the increased cost of doing building inspections if inspectors have to come from Red Deer Also the increased liability if inspections are not done May have to look at a shared cost for this service with the Province There was also concern if the province no longer do plumbing, gas and electrial inspections and the extra costs which would be borne by the local governments There was discussion about the possibility of the M.D. doing work for the urban centers. The municipalities may have to look at working together in order to cut costs. Reeve Marz indicated the M.D. likely would be willing to discuss this idea with any interested urban center as well as the possibility of selling them used M D equipment. M L A Don MacDonald entered the meeting at this time - 3:35 P M Reeve Marz welcomed him to the meeting Mr MacDonald reviewed the areas he is involved in as an opposition member There was discussion about rent geared to income in Senior Citizens Lodges and the problems this is creating. Mr. Schumacher noted the government is in session now to pass new electorial boundaries and also to pass supplementary requisitions LOCAL GOVERNING OFFICALS COMBINED MEETING FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th, 1993 There was discussion about how the boundaries were drawn by the committee and problems which have arisen Reeve Marz noted the M D of Kneehill is reasonably happy to have 2 M L.A's speak for them, but felt that 3 was too many Stan Price, Trustee for the School Division, spoke to the meeting about recent interpretation of government regulations which will require school divisions to obtain public tenders for school capital projects, rather than the board acting as a general contractor. The Three Hills School Division has been very successul being their own general contractor and sub - contracting out the work to local trades It has allowed them the flexibility to work around school times and they feel they have obtained a much better job This change in interpretation appears to indicate they will not be able to do this any more Very concerned about it and feel it is a transfer of decision making authority from the local area to the provincial level. Mr Schumacher noted he would look into the situation for the Division. However felt it may be an attempt to open up work for private industry Jim Bishop, Board Member from the Three Hills Hospital spoke about the financial problems being encountered by their hospital and the need for more money being made available to allow them to run the hospital in the manner the area deserves Their study indicates that of the hospitals equal to the Three Hills Hospital only 2 have deficits, the rest all have surplus dollars They feel some of these surplus dollars should be allocated to the hospitals operating at a deficit and allow them to keep the beds in the hospital open They were forced to close some beds last year, for a time, but did open them again at there is a long waiting list for beds for older people in this area There are patients in the lodge who should not be there, and home care is going the best job they can They have had to send patients to Elnora and Trochu because there was no room here It was also noted as the closed beds are still counted the official occupancy rate is shown at 52 %, but actual occupancy is closer to 92% of the beds available for use Three Hills deficit is $43,559. Cost per day to operate is lower than most other hospital at $469 00 per day. Mr. Macdonald indicated there is a minimal cost to run a rural hospital as opposed to a large one and must have some help Mr Schumacher agreed this would be looked at and hopefully some solution found It was agreed the next meeting would be held on Friday, January 28th, 1994 at 1.30 P.M. in the M D Office, Three Hills Reeve Marz thanked Mr Schumacher and Mr MacDonald and everyone else for coming and the meeting then adjourned