Council Clips – January 11, 2022
COVID-19 Update
Council heard an update on how COVID-19 is impacting current operations at the Town of Canmore. While a COVID-19 contingency was added to the 2020 and 2021 budgets, it was not included in 2022, and current expenses are rising due purchasing tests and N95 masks as well as loss of revenue from a two-day closure at Elevation Place. We investigated hiring a contractor to provide additional vaccinations in Canmore, however we could only secure a mobile van with capacity to vaccinate a maximum of 80 people per day at a cost of $2,000 per day. In consultation with Alberta Health Services they assured us that additional vaccine inventory and appointments in Canmore is imminent. With this information and since vaccination is a provincial public health responsibility and not a municipal one, the contractor was not hired.
Teams have contingency plans in place to manage service delivery and are adjusting hours of operation to manage with staff absences due to positivity or exposure. Last week there were 18 affected employees and this week there are 27 employees currently off work, representing 9% of our total workforce.
Land Use Bylaw Amendments
Council approved amendments to the Land Use Bylaw to improve the clarity of regulations and definitions, resolve clerical errors, and delete redundant and/or irrelevant regulations. The updated bylaw will be available shortly at Land Use Bylaw
Borrowing Bylaws Approved
Borrowing Bylaw 2021-29 New Fire Station Construction authorizes a debenture of $7M, which combined with grant funding and a draw from the general capital reserve will fund the construction of a new fire station. To learn more about this project visit New Fire Hall
Borrowing Bylaw Amendment 2021-30 authorizes a $130K increase in the debenture used to fund a water main connection upgrade on Old Canmore Road.
2021 Report to the Community
The Report to the Community summarizes what was accomplished towards the success of Council’s 2019-2022 strategic priorities: Community, Livability, Strong Economy, Transportation, and Environmental Sustainability. Read the report at https://canmore.ca/documents/guiding-documents/4366-report-to-the-community
Council also approved:
- Minor corrections to the Planning and Development Section of the Master Fee Schedule;
- Amendments to meeting procedures and record keeping for the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board;
- The development of a deck at 500 Three Sisters Drive; and
- An update to the Council Remuneration Policy to clarify that councillors are eligible to claim per diems for Finance Committee meetings and for attendance at agenda review meetings and certain instances of external board and committee meetings.
The detailed agenda package can be found at https://canmore.ca/documents/4887-2022-01-11-council-agenda-regular-1
