Skip to content

Councillors learned about Community Futures group; appointed Plante

During their regular meeting last Tuesday, Sylvan Lake councillors:

During their regular meeting last Tuesday, Sylvan Lake councillors:

• heard a presentation from Murray Berezowski about the role of Central Alberta Community Futures, an independent non-profit organization that supports entrepreneurship throughout Central Alberta.

The organization has been fairly active in Sylvan Lake, providing loans of almost $1 million in the past 25 years. It’s current loan portfolio in Sylvan is just under $198,000.

Berezowski said generally the organization has been most successful in communities where there are active board members. Councillor Dale Plante was appointed as a council representative to the organization and will receive councillor remuneration based on the half day meeting rate, after the remuneration policy is updated with that addition and approved by council.

Community Futures organizations were launched in 1985 as part of the Canada Jobs Strategy. There are 27 Community Futures groups in Alberta.

• passed first reading of a bylaw for a land use amendment to reclassify the strip mall at the southwest corner of Highway 20 and Herder Drive from Highway Commercial to Neighbourhood Shopping Centre.

The parcel is being rezoned to facilitate development of a day care facility in a new building on the site, councillors were told in a report from planner Kim Devlin. A public hearing on the amendment will be held at the Dec. 9 council meeting.

• decided against purchasing green power under its retail electricity procurement contract with Alberta Urban Municipalities Association. If the town chose to add 10 per cent green power to its contract the cost would have been an additional $7,000.

The town doesn’t currently buy any green power, said Darren Moore, the town’s director of finance.

“By purchasing green energy we’re supporting development of the green energy industry,” said Betty Osmond, the town’s chief administrative officer.

“I have no interest in it,” replied Councillor Matt Prete. “I’d sooner take $7,000 and put it into LED lights, into conserving energy, rather than having a company say you’re doing it. If we’re going to spend money, let’s spend it on something physically in town rather than give it to a retailer.”

• heard from Osmond that Tim Schmidt, director of planning and development, had tendered his resignation. His last day with the town was Nov. 15.

Osmond also reported skating rink construction was expected to begin Nov. 12 for eight community skating rinks and two on the lake surface.

• met for over four and a half hours and had to pass a motion to extend their meeting past three hours.