Stettler county council handled items as diverse as S.T.A.R.S. funding and retreat planning sessions at their regular meeting Jan. 10.
2018 Funding For S.T.A.R.S Air Ambulance
The County of Stettler has increased their share of funding for the S.T.A.R.S air ambulance service. Council has earmarked a 10 per cent increase in funding to $2.20 “per capita” that will be implemented in the 2018 budget cycle. As the Hamlet of Botha has come under the County’s jurisdiction in the last year, their added population needed to be configured into the “per capita” formula.
Since their last visit to the County in December 2016, S.T.A.R.S municipal liaison Glenda Farnden explained there are some new training services that S.T.A.R.S are providing to municipalities. She stated 161 communities took part in local critical care sessions last year, in which S.T.A.R.S personnel bring equipment out to communities to simulate a critical care scenario.
Council also discussed setting up rendezvous points for S.T.A.R.S helicopters to land in the county, aside from in Stettler. One area noted was the Buffalo Lake Recreation Area, where response times could be an issue when upwards of 10,000 people can be there during the summer months.
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society now also has a universal blood bank on-board, so that anyone can receive blood quickly at the scene of an incident. Their helicopters are also now equipped with night vision goggles so that it’s easier to land at a scene during the night.
The air ambulance is funded through a partnership of donations, fundraising, municipalities and the provincial government. 20 per cent of their budget, or just over $7 million dollars is provided by the Alberta Government, leaving over 40 per cent or $16 million to be fundraised each year. On the expense side of things, the service costs around 35.7 million annually to operate.
Finally, S.T.A.R.S has flown over 36,000 missions since they were founded in 1985, thanks to the 41,328 corporate and personal donors over the years. The air ambulance service now has three bases in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba. Their fleet of 11 helicopters averages around eight missions a day, or five in Alberta alone. In each of the last two years, S.T.A.R.S has responded to 14 calls within the County of Stettler, for a total of 69 trips since 2013.
ATCO Trailers For Sale
County Council passed a motion during their January meeting to sell the ATCO office trailers that are on the site of the old shop yard. Offers will be accepted until Friday, February 9th, with a decision to be made during their next public meeting on Wednesday, February 14th.
Councillor Retreat and Strategic Planning Sessions
County Council also approved a maximum $20,000 budget to set up dates for a councillor retreat and strategic planning meetings. January 22nd has been set aside to hire a facilitator to come talk to councillors about “team-building”. January 25th and 26th have also been booked for council to develop a strategic plan to direct their administration in the coming months. The first day of the strategic planning will occur in the boardroom of the new county shop, while the second day of sessions will be at the administration office in Stettler.
2018 FCM Conference Booked
The County of Stettler had decided which councillors will attend the 2018 FCM Conference and Trade Show later this spring. New reeve and councillor Larry Clarke and Cheri Neitz will attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference happening May 31st to June 3rd in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is an opportunity for councillors to network with other councils from across the nation, similar to the provincial AUMA conference.
landin.chambers@stettlerindependent.com
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