County of Paintearth residents now have a bit more flexibility in submitting and receiving documents to and from administration.
Council gave second and third readings to Bylaw 712-23, the Electronic Transmission of Records Bylaw during the March 14 meeting.
The bylaw creates a procedure for county staff to send and receive documents to ratepayers electronically, such as assessment notices, tax notices, or other county generated documentation.
“This bylaw provides, for those who chose to sign up for the electronic process, a differing mechanism for information dissemination, having an option other than the traditional means,” said Kaitlyn Kenney, an executive assistant at the county.
Those who chose to sign up to receive electronic documents from the county will no longer receive paper copies of the documents.
Fundraisers
Council approved supporting a pair of fundraisers.
The first fundraiser supported was the one by Theresetta Catholic School for Emmett McNabb which was held on March 12. While administration had already donated auction items to the event, council ratified the decision to do so during the meeting.
The second fundraiser was for the Neutral Hills Baseball Academy. The Consort-based organization is hosting “A Night Out with Legendary Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons” in Veteran on March 31.
Council has decided to support this fundraiser by both donating an auction item and purchasing an advertisement in the evening’s program.
Surplus
As of the end of 2022, Paintearth County had an unrestricted surplus totalling over $3.25 million.
The surplus was arrived at through an operating surplus of just under $2.4 million and just over $860,000 worth of asset sales.
To help the county purchase needed capital items without imposing significant tax increases, administration recommended transferring a significant portion of the funds to restricted reserves.
Highlights of the restricted surplus transfers include two separate transfers, one of $990,000 and another of $500,000 to the ongoing broadband project, $500,000 transferred to public works machinery and equipment, $400,000 transferred into public works road development, and others.
Veldt plan
Council reviewed the parcel of land known as Veldt, which is west of Castor just off of Highway 12.
The area was at one time planned to be developed into a community with a Main Street and lanes, with six different parcels for sale.
However, while the road plans and subdivision plans were developed, no actual development ever occurred.
The county is looking at helping ease future consolidation of the properties by removing the never-developed streets and lanes from the plan.
Council reviewed wording for what a road-closure bylaw would look like, and instructed administration to bring the matter back at a later meeting.
The process to remove the roads and lane-ways will not be quick; once the bylaw is brought back it will be required to have a public hearing, likely to occur at a regular council meeting, and also be subject to the approval of Alberta Transportation.