JULIE BERTRAND/Independent reporter
Town council approved to incorporate a reference Canadian Badlands on the new welcoming signs in order to get funding from the organization.
At the council’s regular meeting on April 19, Leann Graham, development officer for the town of Stettler, shared with council the new concept of the town signs.
By adding a Canadian Badlands mention to the signs, the organization will pay 50 per cent of the cost of the sign.
The program’s deadline is May 31, 2011 and the funds must be distributed by October 31, 2011.
Graham was given the green light by council to submit the town’s candidacy to the project.
“As far as I know, they haven’t rejected anybody,” said Leann Graham.
The cost for each sign will increase by $242.50 from $25,225.00 to $25,467.50. If approved through the Municipality Welcome Sign Funding Program, the town’s cost per sign will be reduced to $12,733.75 plus the cost for masonry and landscaping ($2,600/sign).
There will be a Canadian Badlands sign attached to the lower centre of the town sign.
“I have absolutely no problem with it. I am amazed that they’ll fund 50 per cent of the cost. It’s phenomenal,” said councilor Leona Thorogood.
Land use bylaw proposed amendments
Three years after the town of Stettler’s land use bylaw was passed, town office staff is hoping to make some changes to it.
Town planning department’s Leann Graham and Dave Dititrick would like insert changes to the bylaw, totalling five pages in volume.
The amendments are said to be the result of three years of experience having worked with the bylaw and, having observed, in the process, what has been working smoothly and what needs clarification. In addition, the recent annexation of properties and the adoption of the Inter-municipal Development Plan mean that the bylaw needs to be updated to reflect those two new developments.
The planning department proposed changes to the interpretation section, the development permits, the general regulations, the signs, the land use districts and the land use district map.
While councilors found fault with some of the changes, Rob Stoutenberg, town CAO, told them not to worry too much about them since they were bound to change before adoption.
“Today, I wouldn’t be too concerned about some of the changes,” said Rob Stoutenberg.
Presenting the list to town council was the first step in getting the amendments approved. The next step will be to hold a public open house to gain feedback on the proposed changes. Only then will the final list of amendments be prepared and presented to town council for the first reading.
Change of schedule
The regular town council meeting during the third week of May will be on Monday, May 16, instead of Tuesday, May 17. Mayor Dick Richards, CAO Rob Stoutenberg and councilor Leona Thorogood would not have been able to assist to a Tuesday meeting, due to travel plans.