33 Street renamed as part of Lakeshore Drive
During a regular Meeting of Town Council on Monday evening, Council voted to proceed with the renaming of 33 Street as a continuation of Lakeshore Drive.
Along with 50 Street, Lakeshore Drive is the most prominent road in the Town’s downtown core and for the most part, runs parallel to the lakefront. Towards the northeast side of the Town’s lakefront, Lakeshore Drive turns into 33 Street, which runs east west. On the eastern side, 33 Street meets Highway 11a at the railway tracks.
Councillor Dale Plante said he felt the renaming showed excellent continuity on the Town’s part.
“To me it is the most logical way to finish out Lakeshore Drive and it seems natural,,” said Councillor Plante.
Property owners, business owners and residents along 33 Street will be required to do a formal change of address. Mayor Sean McIntyre expressed a concern in which he hopes the Town is able to make the transition as seamless as possible for those affected.
“My question is – is there anything we can do to help?” McIntyre asked Town staff on the issue of making the address change easier.
Staff advised the Mayor they will be contacting everyone affected by the change, and will include information packages that will assist them in the change over.
Town Council approves Animal Control Bylaw
Following the last regular Meeting of Town Council, where concerns were brought forward as to the proposed rates and fines associated with the new Animal ControlBylaw, Council directed staff to look into rates and fees associated with pet ownership in comparable communities to ensure their rates were in line with others.
Staff found the proposed rates were in line with other communities, if not even lower in some cases.
Following a discussion, Town Council voted to pass the Animal Control Bylaw, which will replace the previously separate dog and cat bylaws.
Changes in the Animal Control Bylaw include expanded definitions and restrictions on animals beyond cats and dogs only, additional clarification on bylaw to allow for increased probability of enforcement, as well added sections on restricted animals and vicious animals.
Sections were also added on nuisance animals, off-leash dog areas, animals in vehicles, communicable disease control and the regulation of exotic and wild animals.
The fine schedule has also been changed in comparison to other communities and follows the philosophy of the fine being a deterrent to prevent future actions. The Town also added a reduced early payment amount for fines.
Request for assistance from Sylvan Lake Lacrosse
Town Council received a written request from both the Sylvan Lake Lacrosse Association and the Yetti Jr B Lacrosse Association asking for assistance with the increased cost in floor time by having to play games in Red Deer due to the closure of the NexSource Centre.
The Lacrosse Association states that they are being charged $126.00 per hour to rent floor space in Red Deer.
“The difference in the total cost for the season is the $5,800 for all our home games for all of our eight teams. This was an expense that our association did not budget for and did not charge the players for,” read the letter.
The Yetti Association letter reports that they have eight home games that will be billed at $124.05 per hour versus the $48.03 per hour that we would have paid in SylvanLake. The difference in their total cost for the season is the $1,515.04 for all home games.
The local lacrosse associations were writing to ask that the Town provide them compensation for the total $7,315.
After much discussion, Council voted to instead loan the organization the money the lacrosse associations needed with a payback date set in 2018, citing it would be unfair to the many other minor sport organizations that were without a facility over the past months to provide them with a grant.
“I do have a lot of sympathy here. Like many other groups in town, there are families involved with lacrosse who are in situations we all wish we weren’t in that impact their finances,” said McIntyre. “In that specific scenario I think of the Nauticals [swim club]. They had no notice [of the aquatic centre being close], they were told to get out now and they have lost their facility longer than anyone else has.”