October 16, 2020

Council Highlights – October 13, 2020

2021 Municipal Election – Council passed Bylaw 18.20 that allows candidates to drop off their nomination forms at either the Yellowhead County’s office in Wildwood or Edson. The nomination period for candidates begins January 1, 2021. Council also appointed the Returning Officer and a Substitute Returning Officer for the October 18, 2021 municipal election.

Council Strategic Plan – Council adopted the 2021-2023 Yellowhead County Strategic Plan to help guide the municipality over the next three years. The plan articulates key objectives and five key goal areas. The Strategic Plan is available to view on the Yellowhead County website.

Cemetery Grant Request – Council granted an Agricultural Services Grant of $8,281.10 to the Wildwood Ladies Aid to help cover the costs for a $16,562.21 cemetery expansion project at the Wildwood Memorial Gardens Cemetery. The work includes several one-time capital costs for clearing space for 120 new plots.

Farm Centre Safety Request – Council approved $3,734.00 from the Agricultural Services Grant to the Farm Safety Centre organization to deliver safety messages to Yellowhead County youth involved in farming and farm-related services. The amount is based on $3.50 per Yellowhead County student attending local schools where representatives from Farm Safety Centre deliver the in-class farm safety presentations.

Request to Waive Fee – Council voted to deny a request to waive a subdivision extension fee of $150. The applicant stated they could not proceed with their subdivision plans due to their inability to find a contractor to build their new subdivision approach.

Late Tax Payment Requests – Council approved a short-term payment plan option following requests from three local oil and gas companies. The plan will require 50% of their taxes paid by the October 15, 2020 deadline, with the balance paid by December 31, 2020, and any unpaid amounts subject to penalty. These taxes also include school taxes, industrial assessment to the province, and senior housing taxes. Yellowhead County is required to pay these taxes to the respective organizations, regardless of whether Yellowhead County receives payment for these taxes or not.

Agricultural Services Student Bursary – Megan Maurer and Emma Giezen were awarded the Yellowhead County Agricultural Services Bursary for $500.00 each towards their post-secondary education. To be eligible for the bursary, applicants must be Yellowhead County residents and enrolled in agriculture or environmental services programs.

The next regular Council meeting is October 27, 2020, at 9:30 AM. The next Governance & Priorities meeting is October 20, 2020.