Woodlands County Council discussed the following items at their recent meeting of Council:
Mike Braun, Vice-President of the Whitecourt Mountain Bike Association, provided an update on their current programming and future plans. The Association formed in 2015 and began trail development within the Town of Whitecourt the following year. Since then, the association has developed trails and facilities according to their development plans. The Association is applying for a Community Facility Enhancement Program grant to fund the completion of their developments. Woodlands County will provide a letter of support for their grant application.
Troy Birtles, Kris Meadows, and Sean Barrett with Accurate Assessment Group (AAG) presented to Council a summary of the residential and non-residential assessment in Woodlands County. AAG compared the 2023 assessment with the prior year which showed an increase of 5% overall in assessment value.
As per the Intermunicipal Collaboration Agreement, industry partners in Woodlands County may enter into a separate third-party mutual aid agreement with the Town of Whitecourt for the usage of Whitecourt Fire Aerial Pumper (Tower 1). Woodlands County is requesting a Joint Liaison meeting with the Town of Whitecourt to discuss industrial firefighting and equipment used. A discussion on County fire service levels and mutual aid will be brought to a future Governance and Priorities meeting.
At the 2024 Budget Open House, residents that live along cold mix roads were asked how much they would pay annually for a 7-year period for cold mix maintenance along their property. Woodlands County received 15 responses with seven respondents indicating $5 – $200 was reasonable, four indicated $200-$400, three indicated $0 – $5, and one indicated $1,200. A majority of respondents indicated each road should be examined individually to determine the fairest method of implementing a Local Improvement Tax. Further information on cold mix roads and the local improvement tax will be presented at an upcoming Governance and Priorities meeting.
Access Bridgeworks Inc. was awarded the 2024 Bridge Maintenance project for a value of $320,048. The bridge is located at Doris Creek, approx. 3km south of Timeu, and work includes partial deck repair, crack repairs, milling, pavement, abutment modifications, concrete surface finish and sealing.
The regular Council meeting on May 22, 2024, is cancelled as Council is attending a Council & Management Refresher Workshop.
—
Upcoming scheduled meetings:
- Governance and Priorities – Wednesday, March 20, 5:00 p.m.
- Regular Council – Wednesday, March 27, 9:30 a.m.
Meetings are held in-person at the Municipal Office in Whitecourt and streamed on the Woodlands County YouTube channel. Agenda packages are available on the Woodlands County CivicWeb Portal.
