Stettler County is purchasing a new tool to help cut down speeding in the county.
Council approved the purchase of a mobile speed alert and warning sign during its Dec. 9 council meeting.
The sign, which cost just over $28,500, is larger and more expensive than the mobile speed sign budgeted for. However, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Yvette Cassidy noted that its increased size will make it more useful for the county.
During the actual tendering process for the new speed sign, two types of tenders were received by administration. In one, single-purpose mobile speed signs were priced, in the the other, multipurpose signs that could also record and show a vehicle's speed were priced.
The lowest price received for a basic unit that just displayed a vehicle's speed was just under $18,000 whereas the unit approved, the Speedalert 24 from All Traffic Solutions is a radar trailer and a mobile sign that can be used for a variety of other awareness tasks in addition to speed awareness.
While the mobile sign does have an integrated camera, it is not a photo radar device; the camera and data collection are used to update traffic studies and identify how prevalent speeding is wherever the trailer is placed.
The request for council decision identifies this purchase as being in the 2024 capital budget. County Protective Services and communications have both offered up some funding to purchase the larger sign.
Additional funding for the sign would come from reserves.
A motion for the purchase was passed with one councillor opposed.
Council request for information
At the September council meeting, Council. Dave Grover indicated that ratepayers wanted to know what the cost was for the county involvement at the Stettler County Fair and Rodeo.
Administration returned to the Oct. 9 meeting with a breakdown of costs.
Council provided seed funding to the fair and rodeo in the amount of $20,000.
Additionally, another approximately $1,000 was spent on a barbecue supper and supplies, $759 was spent on a pancake breakfast, $2,256 was spent on giveaways, $614 was spent on event supplies, and $257 was spent on meals.
Staff were paid for 382 hours, and council put in for two full days and 11 half-days with their per diems as well as 733 kilometres.
