Business plan approved
Penhold town council approved the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Commission's business plan and rate structure after going in camera during its regular meeting Oct. 22.
Council was asked to approve the plan as part of the commission's application to increase its debt limit extension.
Mayor Dennis Cooper, who also serves as chair of the commission, explained to council that the province holds back some of the funds it is to provide for the project, so the commission needs to borrow more.
Coun. Danielle Klooster said she was concerned by the increasing cost of the project.
“I'm so nervous about this being a runaway train,” she said.
Cooper said the estimated total has gone up from $109 million to $138 million. He said that's in part to the shift to using rights-of-way, the increasing cost of getting pipe, and noted the $109-million estimate was from 2007.
He said the cost per cube for Penhold will be nearly the same as what they are paying now.
Motions to accept the business plan and the rate structure were delayed until after council discussed the matter in camera.
Cooper said on Oct. 23 that both motions were passed after the in-camera talk. He said council passed an additional motion that Penhold should work with the commission to establish a reserves policy.
He said there is a buildup of cash that has come from a couple of municipalities that are part of the commission. That money should be directed to the communities that built it, he said.
County MDP plan considered
Penhold town councillors set a meeting date to go over Red Deer County's proposed municipal development plan.
The county's plan was sent to Penhold for comment.
“I have a number of concerns about this plan,” Cooper said.
Council set Nov. 5 to meet to discuss the plan so they can decide on what comments to submit.
November town council meeting date shifted
Town council decided its first meeting of the month of November would be Nov. 12, even though town offices will be shut that day in lieu of the Remembrance Day holiday.
Usually if the meeting falls on a statutory holiday for the town, the meeting is shifted to the Tuesday. However, council decided to go with Nov. 12 as the town's economic development committee is hosting a business mixer on Nov. 13. They did not want to overlap the events.
