CARSTAIRS – A new bylaw will have cat owners having to license their felines.
The "Cat Bylaw" was approved at the regular council meeting on Jan. 8.
"Most of the cat bylaw was housekeeping, but council did discuss whether we should be charging a licence for cats like we do for dogs," said CAO Carl McDonnell.
"So they voted to amend the cat bylaw to include the same fees for cats, and cats will be required. Right now it's voluntary."
McDonnell said that licences for both cats and dogs are free for the month of January.
"Starting in February we start charging," he said. "Residents will have until March 31 to register their cats and get a cat licence. After that there will be a $10 fee."
McDonnell said that council's intention is to make it easier to return missing or lost cats to their owners.
"It's to get the cat returned home," he said. "If we have a dog or cat running at large they normally get captured, like with a cat trap people use from time to time.
"We don't want to have to house them for three or four days and then God forbid we should have to euthanize one if it's a family pet. This way if they're licensed we can call the owner and get it back to them right away."
Meanwhile, council is looking at possibly lowering the speed limit throughout the town. "Council had given instruction to the strategic planning session back in October to having either a 30 or 40 kilometre per hour zone throughout the community," he said.
"They settled on 40 kilometres per hour. At the next council meeting we'll be bringing forward an amendment to the traffic bylaw proposing that the community go to a 40 kilometre per hour zone."
McDonnell said that the proposed bylaw would likely come up at the next council meeting.
"We'll have first reading and then hold it and try and put it out there for a public discussion," he said. "Some people want to keep it at 50 kilometres per hour. Some want it at 40, some think we should go down to 30. I imagine we'll have a good discussion on it."
McDonnell said the concern is with some people driving too fast through residential areas.
The speed limit changes would not affect provincial highways such as 580, 581 and 2A, as well as school or playground zones. If the changes pass, the new speed limits would take effect May 1, he said.
"This way, hopefully it slows down the speeds in the residential areas," he said.
In other news, council approved an application for subdivision at Bishop Circle after a presentation from Sarah Nielsen of Urban Systems.
"It was about extending the lot," he said. "It was for a two-foot variance. Because the lot next to it had nothing there it was pretty straightforward. The developer owned both lots.
"There were no objections from any of the neighbours or any of the agencies so it went through without any fanfare."
Council added two words to the Land Use Bylaw (No. 1044) to amend the signage definition.
"(That) was one identified by a couple of councillors who didn't want to see the whole front of a building with signage on it," he said. "Now they have to get permission for any pictures or illustrations that go on the front of buildings.
"So it kind of tightens up the sign bylaw a little bit."
Council approved the 2018 interim operating budget and the 2018 capital budget.
"The interim budget we can't finalize until we get the school requisition," he said. "Then we can finalize the tax rate. That's why it's just the interim operating budget.
"We did get them to pass the capital budget so we can move forward with the projects."
McDonnell said the capital budget is $2.6 million with the biggest part of that being street improvement.
"We're proposing $2 million worth of paving this year," he said. "We've asked the engineers now that we've got approval from council. There are about 13 blocks we're looking at doing this year.
"That would be a combination of curb, gutter, sidewalk and roadways, but we haven't finalized our list because it will depend on when we tender it out and what the bid price comes back."
McDonnell said that 11th Avenue South is one of the priority areas between Gough Road and Idaho Street with the remaining being the older part of town in the north end.
Other major projects in the 2018 budget are: lagoon dredge proposal for $100,000; Unit 32 replacement (replacement tractor) for $75,000; tree removal green space Scottsdale for $50,000; and Jaws of Life rescue for $45,000.
