Emergency committee’s terms approved
Council carried a motion to give third and final reading to a bylaw establishing terms of reference for the Emergency Management Advisory Committee.
Originally brought before council during the Dec. 16 meeting, administration had at the time sought all three readings to approve the bylaw, said Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer.
“When you do all three readings in one night, you need unanimous consent,” said Nelson.
Although the bylaw had received majority support at the time and was granted first and second readings, consent for third was not unanimous, she added.
The reason for administration’s recommendation, she said, stems from a provincial government effort to update the Emergency Management Act.
“There’s new legislation, which is the Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation,” she said, adding the new rules came into effect on Jan. 1.
Leading up to the government’s changes were a number of workshops under the Alberta Emergency Management Framework Review, she said, calling the process thorough.
The municipality’s Emergency Management Advisory Committee bylaw is a reflection of the updated legislation to be in compliance with the new regulations, she said.
Next will be a request for council to approve a bylaw for the Sundre Emergency Management Agency, which also reflects changes in provincial legislation, she said.
Both bylaws had been submitted to the government for review, and both were in compliance with the intent of the new and amended legislation, she said.
Mayor Terry Leslie said ensuring best practices are in place as prescribed by the province to ensure the community is prepared, not if but when a natural disaster strikes, is important.
“We live in a ditch where a river runs through it — we have a bit of a history,” he said, adding the threat of forest fires also looms overhead.
“It’s very important work, and something council feels we have to stay on top of.”
Outdated and redundant bylaws rescinded
Council approved a motion to rescind a number of outdated bylaws, including some from Sundre’s earliest days, that have since become redundant due to provincial regulations.
Among the six bylaws that were rescinded was one called the Building Bylaw, which was the first ever passed in February 1950 “for the purpose of regulating the moving, erection, or the structural alteration of building within the village,” said Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer.
“Of course, this is regulated now under the Alberta Building Code,” Nelson said during an interview, adding there is no longer a need for that old bylaw.
Mayor Terry Leslie said rescinding the bylaws is part of an effort dating back more than a year that administration has undertaken to review, update and identify redundant bylaws that can be rescinded.
The project is essentially an attempt to tidy up the books since the town was first incorporated as a village, and Leslie said sifting through decades of paperwork has been an extensive task for the staff involved.
“This has been an awesome project, and we’re nearing the end of it,” he said.