Looking into waste pickup services for Sundre is one of the top priorities for Town of Sundre officials in 2015, according to Sundre mayor Terry Leslie.
Sundre council recently voted unanimously to withdraw membership in the Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission (MVRWMC) over financial concerns.
Through an annual requisition to the town, Sundre residents are currently paying $17.50 a month for the commission's services, but the commission's requisition to the town will increase to $25 in 2015.
The commission is facing a deficit and has increased its requisitions to all of its member municipalities to recoup losses incurred over the last few years.
The commission is managed by a board of directors who are appointed each year by the respective municipal councils. The member municipalities consist of Olds, Sundre, Carstairs, Didsbury, Cremona and Mountain View County.
Sundre, Didsbury, Carstairs and Cremona councils have all served a year's notice to withdraw membership. Within that year, the councils can choose to withdraw their notice of withdrawal.
“Our first priority is to make sure that the service of waste removal and recycling is the best possible service for our ratepayers at the least possible cost,” said Leslie.
“I'm going to be optimistic and think that Mountain View Waste (commission) is going to make that effort and we want to work with them through the year because we really would like to withdraw our letter of withdrawal.”
Other priorities for 2015 include looking into renovations to the arena and working on a project to create a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere on Main Avenue.
A pilot project is planned for the spring of 2015 where temporary barriers will be placed along the outside lanes on Main Avenue, from Centre Street to 4th Street, to reduce the four-lane roadway to three lanes.
The two outside lanes will be designated traffic lanes and the middle lane will be a full-time turning lane, according to officials.
It is anticipated that this will create a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere and will attract tourists to the businesses along Main Avenue.
“The catch for us is going to be to try and advocate with Alberta Transportation to take that leadership and the funding responsibility for that,” he said.
Making improvements to 10th Street SW is another priority for town officials in 2015.
Officials plan to kick off a $1,491,000 project to upgrade the worn-out road and are hoping to receive funding from Mountain View County to help pay for it.
Officials also plan to work on developing a better relationship with Mountain View County.
A disagreement between Sundre council and Mountain View County council on water and wastewater servicing recently sparked mediation for at least the third time since 2008.
Oversized pipes were installed on the east side of Sundre to supply water and wastewater services to both town and county residents a few years ago. Neither Sundre council nor county council can agree on the cost-sharing portion the county owes the town.
But Leslie said the town's relationship with the county is important and officials will continue to work on keeping it a positive one.
A significant accomplishment for the Town of Sundre this year was kicking off a multi-million dollar Mountain View Seniors' Housing facility in Sundre.
The $26.6-million facility is currently being built on land located at the end of 6th Street SW and is planned for completion in July of 2016.
Another significant accomplishment was receiving provincial funding for a joint project with Mountain View County to construct a 3.9-kilometre flood mitigation berm along the Red Deer River for management of the river upstream from and in the town of Sundre.
“That was I think a significant accomplishment where both of us as municipalities recognized the significant difficulties and potential catastrophe for downstream users,” he said.
Working on the project will continue to be a goal for town officials in 2015.
“We will have to work very carefully together with the government of Alberta to do the best job possible. We don't want to rush to failure,” he said.
“It's frustrating to watch the glacial pace that government sometimes moves in and it's clear that if you move too fast you turn around at the end and say ‘well I wish that I had done this or that',” he added.
“So we want a balance of moving ahead fairly aggressively on this particular project, yet being crystal clear in our understanding of what the impacts are in the longer term.”
