By Kevin J. Sabo
For the Advance
The County of Paintearth is undergoing a Municipality Accountability Program (MAP) review.
This is the second year for the program brought in by Alberta Municipal Affairs and is mandatory for all municipalities under a population of 5,000 once every four years. The review is designed to ensure compliance with existing legislation and is not designed as a governance review.
“Our role is to help and support municipalities in understanding and achieving compliance with the Municipal Government Act, the Local Authorities Election Act, touching on the Emergency Management Act, and other acts and regulations that fall under the purview of municipal affairs,” said Kevin Miller, municipality accountability advisor with Alberta Municipal Affairs.
“We are not here from an adversarial position; this is an educational program.”
At the end of the review the County will receive a report from Municipal Affairs, highlighting where the county is doing well and where there are gaps between existing process and legislation.
Once County Administration receives the report, administration will have eight weeks to present the findings to council and formulate a reply to the ministry as to how the County will correct any issues.
Once the supply is received by the ministry the County will then have one year to implement the required changes.
Other highlights of the Aug. 20th meeting;
• Council received a report from Coronation RCMP Detachment commander Sgt. Jason Smith. Smith indicated that crime rates have in general fallen in the region for 2019, with 792 calls between Jan. 1st and July 31st in 2018 vs. 501 for the same period in 2019. Smith also indicated that the clearance rate of cases has increased to 66 per cent.
• Administration has reviewed several policies and found that they are either duplicated within other bylaws or otherwise no longer valid. Council has rescinded the snowmobile policy, culvert policy, and grader operations policy.
• Council has approved a funding request for $500 to the 13u “AA” Coronation baseball team which played in the provincials July 26th to 28th, per County policy.
• Per County policy, council has approved a $500 funding request for the U14 “C” Softball provincials which took place over the June 29th to July 1st weekend.
• Council has approved a funding request for the Castor Tritons Swim club, who attend the Alberta Summer Swimming Provincials Aug. 16th to 18th, per county policy.
• Council has approved a rural address change in Halkirk. The main road for the west-end Halkirk Subdivision will be renamed “West Industrial Road,” a naming convention that recently came to light that is already being used by the Tankstore.
• Director of Community Services Todd Pawsey reported to council that developments are down 20 in 2019 when compared to the same time period last year.
• A bridge slated for work this year has had the work pushed to 2020. The reason for the delay is administration believes a better price can be negotiated for 2020 for the work, as Alberta Transport has still not released any work for 2020 and contractors are wanting to get work scheduled.
• Roadside spraying has wrapped up around the County, and mowing is proceeding into Division 7.
• The County still has strychnine onhand for any rural residents who would like to purchase some for pest control. So far this year around 166 cases have been sold, up 100 cases from 2018 levels.
• The County is offering photographic prints as donations or prizes for service groups within the County.