Stettler County council has approved additional funds to continue drainage work in the Hamlet of Gadsby.
During the April 23 council meeting, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Yvette Cassidy presented a request to council to allow an additional $37,000 of funds for engineering the hamlet's drainage.
The hamlet is on fairly flat land and at risk of flooding should the area receive any considerable moisture.
According to Cassidy, the plan is to work on the drainage so that water will work its way north out of the community towards Big Knife Creek.
"We need to make sure water leaves the hamlet," said Cassidy.
The work that needs to be done includes drainage work on a pair of privately owned parcels of farmland.
"I think we have buy-in from both landowners," said Cassidy.
County director of operations Greg Jackson notes that directing the water north shouldn't have an impact on nearby wetlands.
Funding for the engineering and the work will come from a combination of transition funding, Local Government Fiscal Framework Funding, and Community Building Fund.
Stettler County received funds from the province for transition funding when the former village dissolved into the county as a hamlet several years ago.
Land Use Bylaw amendment
Council approved the first reading of a Land Use Bylaw amendment which will see several parcels in the Hamlet of Erskine moved from commercial to Hamlet residential.
According to Cassidy, the reason for the switch is the lots are "small by modern comparisons" and moving them to residential will make it easier to sell them.
With the first reading done, a public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. on May 28.
CARVSS
Stettler County council received a delegation to its April 23 meeting.
Lauren Reid, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society (CARVSS), the region's new version of Victim Services, stopped by the council meeting to provide an update to council.
Reid noted that Stettler is the eastern edge of the region, and that CARVSS has been active in Stettler since the summer of 2024 though did not officially start up until Oct. 1.
"We're the same as always," said Reid. "We continue to support the victims of crime and tragedy."
According to Reid, 90 per cent of the agency's referrals come from the RCMP; the agency shares offices with local detachments.
Other avenues of referral include self-referral or a nurse's referral from the hospital.
Victim Services used to be provided out of individual RCMP detachments across the province and service would vary from detachment to detachment.
Under the new system, while the focus remains on the victims, the goal has switched to providing the service in an equitable way across the province.
CARVSS, which serves central Alberta, is one of four zones and is a not-for-profit overseen but at arm's-length from the province.
Reid says that she meets regularly with the CEOs from the other zones and they work together to ensure that services remain consistent in all parts of the province.
While local detachments each continue to have Victim Services Navigators, who work closely with the local detachments, because of the regional integration it is also much easier for someone to get a weekend off and have the region still be covered, leading to a better work-life balance.
Continuing, Reid noted that the organization is funded through the Victims of Crime Grant, though as a not-for-profit can also accept donations which go to the region and not specific areas.
When asked by council about the service's biggest need, Reid responded that more volunteer advocates are needed across the region.
According to Reid, CARVSS retained 87 per cent of the staff who worked under the old system, losing a few to retirements, but rebuilding the volunteer pool is taking time.
"We'd love to see more volunteers," said Reid.
Tax rate
Following an April 30 special meeting, council has approved the 2025 tax rate.
Farmland will see a three per cent increase in taxes, and all other classes will see a one per cent increase.
The tax rate was passed in a bylaw during the meeting.
Tax notices will be sent out.
