JULIE BERTRAND
Independent Reporter
County of Stettler followed the lead of the neighbouring counties and increased its fees for certain services it offers ratepayers.
“We just changed a couple of county fees and mostly because we weren’t charging what was everyone else was charging,” said Shawna Benson, director of communications for the county of Stettler.
“We weren’t really in the same realm.”
Increased fees include fire department response rates and agricultural services board rentals and services
Thus, towns and villages that are members of the fire commission will pay $100 per unit per hour for the first hour and $60 per unit per hour for any time thereafter for fire department responses rates.
The fire commission members’ maximum bill has been capped at $2,500 plus the cost of other equipment and personnel required.
Municipalities that are not members of the fire commission will pay $400 per unit per hour.
Agricultural services fees
New spraying rates were also set with $20 to be charged per hour for a weed inspector’s services and $110 per hour for private land spraying for the oilfield sites.
Weed picking labour will cost $20 per hour.
People wanting to rent out a forage probe will now have to pay a deposit of $50 with late charges accumulating at $50 per day after the second day of the expiry date.
“We do rent out a lot of things for free or for a really small cost, but the problem is because the cost is so little, people don’t always return them on time,” said Benson.
“So, we collect a deposit and we return it to the resident if the probe comes back on time and without damage.”
The age verification program information entry will now cost $50 per session and the late fee for the tag reader will be $100 per day after the third day it is late in returning.
Tree freight charges abolished
People who order free trees from the government through the county got good news.
The county will now pay the tree freight charges.
“In the past, the trees were free but we charged people the freight,” said Benson.
“Now, we pay the freight so that you can just pick up the trees here at the county.”