It's hard to believe this is the last council update for the year. So enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!
Best,
Tara
Best,
Tara
4a - Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative
And that's a wrap!
- This was a presentation from the group ( a very cool conservation group - site -http://y2y.net/) that shared their concerns about the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan. They highlighted their concerns that the regional plan being developed doesn't protect the eastern slopes.
5a - Road Closure
- This is in regards to a road allowance on our SW boundary near Jumping Pound. The developer would like to close the road allowance so they could purchase it and bring it into their residential development. As administration doesn't see a need for a road to ever be here, on the surface this makes sense. The challenge is that this road allowance is used by some of our rural neighbors to access their lands. So what we've done is postpone the first reading so that the developer and the rural neighbors and the town could sit down and have a discussion. I think it can be worked out in a way that respects our neighbors.
5b - Change of Land Use
- Quick decision on this. The developer along River Heights drive asked to change the land use of the first lot. This lot has some utility connections and an emergency access through it as well as the big entrance sign. The town will then own the site for a $1.
7a - Public at Large Appointments
- Council appointment 3 members to the Cochrane Environmental Committee and 1 each to the Library Board and Subdivision and Development Appeal Board. All of these committees are served by volunteers.
7b - CPC Motion re: The Willows Phase
- This led to a fun discussion. The CPC (Cochrane Planning Commission) flagged a concern for council in regards to parking. The Willows is a new development coming on board in Riversong. Some 20+ townhomes will be facing onto Riverheights Drive and as the intention is that there will be no parking along the drive, their parking access with be through the back lane and they will have the 2 parking spots on their own property. The difference is no immediate parking for extra vehicles or visitors along the street although there is street parking within easy walking distance. This type of layout is new to Cochrane so there is some concern that this will lead to extra parking problems. Staff has reviewed this and while new to Cochrane it works in other communities. But this will be monitored and we may have to adapt if parking issues to appear. I think as this is a new build and new owners will be buying into this situation by choice that the owners will be prepared to deal with a different type of parking situation if they need more than 2 spaces.
8a - Budget 2014 - Approval of the Budget
- This was the formal approval of the budget. The budget was debated in November and the papers have reported on it but the highlights was that council cut @$200K and kept the 2014 tax increase to .34% which for the average homeowner will be 60 cents a month.
- Some big changes to the budget was cutting money to save for transit, cutting support for some FCSS projects (FCSS van, community kitchen) and a cut to the SPUR funding. This could be looked as a move away from supporting social projects and I hope it's not and more reflecting of a case by case decision.
- The biggest issue I have with the budget is that council didn't approval a 1/2 bylaw position. With the current 4 officers + staff sgt we're not able to get the evening and weekend coverage that we need and with traffic being a bigger issue and 2 new schools being built, I think this is a needed position. I pushed for a full time officer to be added but lost out and not even the 1/2 bylaw position was added. Since the impact to add a needed full time bylaw officer works out to only 33 cents a month on the average tax bill, I think more people would prefer the extra officer than the 33 cents a month in their pocket. Hopefully in spring budget adjustments this can be looked at again.
9a - Motion on Notice -
- This was a debate on returning council meetings to evenings that I brought forward. My argument has always been that evening meetings best serve the needs of the public to attend and also best serve members of council - most of us have full time jobs. The points on the other side is that it can be hard on staff and that having 1 council meeting during the day was better for some public members. This passed 5-2 and council is returning to evening meetings in January. Hopefully this is settled for 4 years!
10 - New Website Update
- Ta da! cochrane.ca has been updated. The website looks to be much more functional and I really like the different engagement tools that allow residents to sign up for updates and the Let's Talk Cochrane.
And that's a wrap!
