Innisfail Town Council approved a request from the Innisfail Library Board to increase library’s 2011 budget from $60,000 to $84,100 during the June 27 council meeting.
The budget adjustment was requested in order to meet the demands of increased staff wages and extended hours of operation at the library.
“It’s pretty straightforward,” Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane said. “Hopefully that gets us through to the end of the year.”
In an April 26 letter to council, board chair Jane Duncalfe said the library is hoping to find additional ways to increase its operating revenue next year but are dealing with increased operational charges in the existing facility due to the delay in moving into the new library.
Coun. Heather Taylor made the motion to approve the budget increase, with Coun. Tracey Walker seconding. The motion carried unanimously.
The added funds will come from the town’s contingency account.
Amendment to Waste Collection Bylaw passes first reading
An amendment to the town’s Solid Waste Collection and Disposal System Bylaw that will establish a three-bag limit for residential garbage pickup and introduce restructured hours of operation at the town’s transfer station passed first reading last week.
Under the proposed amendment, Innisfail residents will have to purchase over the limit tags at a cost of $1 for each additional bag they put out. The waste transfer station hours will also be reduced to 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays as of July 31.
Coun. Tracey Walker raised concerns with whether council were giving the public enough notice of the waste transfer station hour changes, with second and third reading of the amendment likely scheduled for the July 11 town council meeting.
Bob Schulz, director of operations, said the new hours would be advertised in the Town Voice for the next four weeks.
“The whole idea is to reduce our waste stream by encouraging recycling as much as possible,” Mayor Jim Romane said.
Coun. Heather Taylor said some residents of the trailer court are upset they are charged for dropping off their recycling at the transfer station.
“They don’t think it should cost them anything because they live in town too,” she explained. “Just because the owner of the trailer court decided not to have the green boxes they don’t feel they should be paying.”
Romane said a meeting with the trailer court owners would be arranged in order to discuss recycling options.
Council approves installation of remembrance plaque
Innisfail Town Council has approved a request from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 104 to install an eight-foot by 10-foot plaque at the Innisfail Cemetery.
The wrought iron and sheet metal plaque, titled “Lest We Forget,” depicts a soldier with a rifle kneeling in front of a cross. The original request was brought to town council on June 13 but was sent to town staff for review.
While the plaque’s size and material were found to be in contravention of the Cemetery Bylaw’s section governing monuments, its location outside of the burial area meant it would not be classified as a monument. As such, the installation only required council’s approval.
Town administration recommended applying an epoxy coat or powder coat to the plaque and mounting it on a concrete base that would extend one foot past the plaque’s perimeter.
Coun. Brian Spiller made the motion to approve the installation with administration’s recommendations, with Coun. Mark Kemball seconding the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
Eagles’ arena liquor license renewed
The Innisfail Eagles hockey team’s request to renew their liquor license at the Innisfail Twin Arena was approved by town council on June 27.
Council had entered into a one-year agreement with the Eagles in July 2010 that allowed the team to hold a Class B liquor license in order to operate a beer garden during the team’s home games last season. While councillors agreed to renew the agreement for another year, they rejected a request by the team to expand the licensed area to include the bleachers on the blue side arena.
Community endowment fund created
Innisfail Town Council voted unanimously on June 27 in favour of creating an endowment fund to assist local youth who face barriers pursuing recreational, cultural or leisure activities.
In the spring of 2009, the community services committee began to consider the creation of an endowment fund as a legacy of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay’s visit to Innisfail in January 2010.
A total of $3,688 was raised through a variety of fundraising activities, including a barbecue, pancake breakfast donations, the sale of Olympic red mittens, and the sale of torch relay street banners. The money was to be invested with the hopes of dispersing the growing interest through the endowment fund.
Council agreed with the committee’s recommendation and voted to invest the money with the Red Deer & District Community Foundation as a local endowment fund.
Dog park open house
Innisfail residents will have another opportunity to have their say on the town’s proposed off-leash dog park during an open house tomorrow night.
The open house is scheduled from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Dr. George Kemp House.
