Sundre town council has deferred a scheduled vote on a motion calling for the municipality to stop maintaining an unregistered road on school property that runs along the south side of Snake Hill and just west of the high school.
The roadway is currently used to access the east side of the rodeo grounds, the tennis courts, the ball diamonds and the high school fields. It is also used by school buses to access Centre Street at the southeast corner of Snake Hill.
During the recent governance committee meeting, the following proposed motion was brought before council for review: “The Town of Sundre governance committee recommends to council that the Town of Sundre does not proceed with the acquisition of the present road, which connects 2nd Ave. N.W. to Centre Street North, and discontinues maintenance and snow removal services.”
The roadway, which started as a narrow dirt trail, runs over a Town of Sundre utility right-of-way (URW) for a gas line and a water line, which crosses the school playground area, council heard.
Councillors were scheduled to consider the motion at last week's council meeting but the vote was deferred to allow the town to seek a legal opinion on matter, said CAO Ryan Leuzinger.
Pending the outcome of the legal opinion, councillors may vote on the motion at the next council meeting.
Corporate review OK'd
Councillors have approved a corporate review to be conducted by Alberta Municipal Affairs to ensure that the Town of Sundre is “operating efficiently and effectively.”
“On Apr. 6, 2010, council requested a corporate review conducted by Alberta Municipal Affairs,” said Leuzinger. “In the following months, the minister granted this review. However, council chose to postpone the review until one year after a CAO was hired.”
Mayor Annette Clews said the review is routine and not based on any concerns.
“The province used to do them across the province but then it was removed from the provincial budget,” said Clews. “Now they are starting to do them again. What it does is it gives council a report card on how council and administration are doing.
“I think things are going quite well, but it's always nice to get outside feedback.”
The review will include interviews with councillors and staff, she said.
East side servicing update
Administration has been working with BSEI to review bids received on extending the underground services to the intersection of 7th Street and 1st Ave. to allow commercial development and future economic development, Leuzinger said in a note to council.
“Current timelines will allow for the project to be completed prior to the end of the 2011 construction,” he said. “Furthermore, the commercial developer being serviced has signed the development agreement, which should ensure that the development should commence construction this summer as well.”
Administration has also met with BSEI to discuss the potential future servicing of the east side with underground infrastructure, he said.
Councillors are expected to receive an update on east side servicing at the September 6 governance committee meeting.
“When council comes forward with a recommendation then we will know better when that will happen,” said Mayor Clews.
Town awaiting riverbank grant
The town is still waiting to receive the formal agreement from the province for riverbank stabilization. The province announced earlier that the town will be receiving $2.4 million for the project.
“This does not pose a problem with our ability to begin work on the project,” said Leuzinger. “Ron Baker (Director of Operations) has been working very closely with both Stantec Engineering and the provincial and federal bodies who will be involved with this project.”
Mayor Clews says she is not concerned with the time it is taking to get the agreement signed.
“There are lots of other things that we have been able to get in line in the meantime,” she said. “When the agreement is signed we can move forward in a rapid manner.”
