Category: Notes from Council

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Christmas with family and friends. This has been a challenging year for many, and the close of a year is an opportunity to reflect and to prioritise what is important.

The Interim 2024 Operating Budget and Capital Plans were approved at the December 6^th meeting of Council. Also at this meeting, a delegation from Alberta Health Services provided an update on operating plans for 2023/2024, as well as reforms that are being implemented to reduce emergency room wait times and improve ambulance response times in rural Alberta. Consideration was also provided on overall patient access, be it for surgery or other services.

Read More about December 31, 2023, Notes from Council

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

This has been a very busy month for County Council between two regular meetings, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Fall convention, as well as two days of budget committee meetings. A 2024 Interim Budget has been referred to County Council for approval, however, the actual tax implications will not be known until after the December 31^st, 2023, taxable assessment has been received prior to budget finalization next Spring.

Council enjoyed a very good dialogue with local MLA Joseph Schow when he attended our November 1^st meeting, virtually. Some of the conversations we had with him carried over to the meetings that were had with government ministers during the RMA Convention. There remains significant concern regarding the impact of drought conditions on coverage rates for crop insurance in future years. There remains significant concern over the impact of provincial quasi-judicial boards in providing large-scale development approvals (i.e. renewable energy installations, confined feeding operations, etc.). There also remains significant concern over the need, timing, and scope of upgrades to Highway 547 at the North end of Vulcan County.

Read More about Notes from Council, November 30, 2023

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

I hope any outstanding harvesting was concluded before the weather turned this week. For those looking to get out of the house, tickets are still available for the District-20 (Champion) Fire Association fundraiser on November 4^th at the Champion Community Hall. While tickets are available at the front counter of the Vulcan County Office, they can be purchased around Champion and from most members of the fire association.

After my last Notes from Council was printed in the Champion Chronicle, I issued a correction in the online version (on my website) regarding the matter of council remuneration. The correction reads: “While the external review recommended a ten percent increase to council remuneration (which was approved in November 2022), the more recent internal review data has shown that Vulcan County remains at least fifteen percent behind the market rates (when compared to other municipalities). As such, Council has approved a one-time increase of fifteen percent, in addition to the ten percent that was approved last year, for inclusion in the 2024 budget.” Information regarding these changes can be found on my website, along with my expense reports, and I welcome your feedback on this issue.

Read More about Notes from Council, October 27, 2023

CORRECTION: This version corrects the one that was published in the Champion Chronicle that incorrectly explains the proposed changes to councilor remuneration.

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

There was one meeting of County Council in September. We had the good fortune of appointing Deanna Heather as the new Agricultural Fieldman for Vulcan County under the Agricultural Services Board Act of Alberta. In this role, Deanna replaces Kelly Malmberg after his long and dedicated service of 28 years. I have really appreciated Kelly’s contribution to Administration and wish him well in his retirement. Deanna has worked for the County for many years and is now responsible for enforcing the Weed Control Act, the Soil Conservation Act, and the Agricultural Pests Act.

Read More about Notes from Council, September 29, 2023

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

August had the two regular meetings of Council for me and no meetings for any of the other boards and committees to which I am appointed. I volunteer to sit on the District 20 (Champion) Fire Association Board—a great group of community-minded individuals—and we will be having a meeting in the near future. One item on the next agenda for this group is the upcoming Fall dinner and fundraiser to benefit our local fire protection service. After a few years hiatus, last year was a tremendous success and the association is looking to have another enjoyable community event. The hall is booked for November 4^th, so please mark it on your calendars, spread the word, and get your tickets once they are available.

Read More about Notes from Council, August 31, 2023

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

Members of council, along with our MP, Martin Shields, as well as key personnel from the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, Benchmark Assessment, and Vulcan County Administration took a rather diverse bus tour of Vulcan County on July 5^th.  We toured the fully operation 465 megawatt Travers Solar Farm southwest of Lomond. It is jointly owned by Greengate Power Corporation and Copenhagen Infrastructure Projects, spanning 3,330 acres. We then visited the construction laydown yard for the 494 megawatt Buffalo Plains Wind Farm which was recently sold to Copenhagen Infrastructure Projects. This project, when fully constructed, will span approximately 17,500 acres and include 83 turbines, being the largest single phase wind project in Canada. From the laydown yard, we were taken to the construction site for one of the first turbines, giving us an appreciation for the scale of the concrete pad that will be poured. While these pads could never be fully reclaimed, we were told that they will likely be used for a much longer length of time than any one turbine tower. A single pad could be used to support successive towers.

Read More about Notes from Council, July 31, 2023