Help wanted, one chief administrative officer.
Town of Barrhead councillors, at their regular Nov. 14 meeting, learned that in the New Year, the town will need a new CAO.
After nearly seven-and-a-half years, Martin Taylor will be leaving Barrhead to take a similar position with the Town of Hinton.
“Working here has been the best part of my local government career,” Taylor stated in a letter to council. “I have had the pleasure of serving three mayors and councils and had the opportunity to work with a solid leadership team and staff. Our staff are dedicated, effective and loyal and bring their A-game every day. I have learned many things from all of you and I leave the organization on solid ground.”
He goes on to say that he will help council in any way he can, including in establishing the process of selecting his replacement, until his departure, Jan. 1.
Councillors jokingly asked if they had to accept his resignation before wishing him well.
Landfill tipping fees
Council approved an increase in the 2019 tipping fee rates for the Barrhead Regional Landfill by $5 in every category.
The landfill committee which has representatives from both the town and county reviewed the current fee structure and noted with the rising operational costs they deemed an increase was warranted.
Letters of support
Councillors will be throwing their weight behind prospective projects in the community by writing letters of support. The first to Barrhead and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) who will be applying for a provincial Aging Well in Communities grant.
FCSS executive director Shelly Dewsnap said they are looking for ways to continue to engage seniors now that their senior excursion program is coming to a close.
If successful, the funds will go towards its Barrhead Senior Links project, whose mandate is to provide programs and services that focus on social inclusion for diverse populations, using the Parent Link model.
Council also instructed administration to write a letter of support to the Barrhead Minor Hockey Association (BMHA) for their bid to host the Alberta Provincial Midget in the spring.
“There will be teams from zones all over the province coming to Barrhead, if they are successful, it will give our community a big economic boost,” said Coun. Ty Assaf.
Write-offs
Councillors unanimously voted to accept administration’s recommendation to write off outstanding utility accounts for 2017 and 2018 in the amount of $3,496.06 and account receivables of $10,946.75.
Coun. Rod Klumph asked for an explanation why, in the accounts receivable for 2017, there was such a large debt for an account for bulk water of $9,560.
“Don’t we have a policy that would cut off the water at $3,000 or $5,000. It seems $9,000 is a lot to allow an account to go over,” he said.
Finance and administration director Kathy Vickery said the account holder had three large bills in a relatively short time period.
“The first bill in July, they paid it, the next bill for August their payment was late and water was disconnected in September,” she said. “Most accounts are not that large. We have tried to deal with the individual, but they are not returning our calls anymore, et cetera,” she said.
Klumph asked if the town had any legal recourse to recover the funds.
Vickery said from her understanding the entity no longer exists and that they were only in operation for a few months.
Bylaw
Councillors unanimously gave first reading to Bylaw 10-2018 (Removal of Reserve Designation) and set a public hearing date of Dec. 11 at 5:30 in council chambers.
The bylaw, if passed, will allow the landowners of Lot 2, Plan 4850TR to buy a portion of an adjourning property and consolidate it into one lot.
