Mountain View County councillors have approved a $3,000 grant for the newly-formed Dogpound Rural Crime Watch Association.During the latest Policies and Priorities meeting, councillors OK'd the contribution following a presentation by association members.The association's area of coverage entails as far north as Twp. Rd. 293 and as far south as Twp. Rd. 280, between Highway 22 and Secondary Highway 766. One half of the area is in Mountain View County and the other half in Rocky View.The $3,000 given by MVC will be used in conjunction with $5,000 already given by Rocky View towards startup costs and the purchase of the TriCom alert system.The TriCom system is a computer-operated alert and watch fan-out system which can deliver messages by email, telephone, fax and text message to numerous households simultaneously, council heard.It has been designed for use by rural crime watch groups so that residents can receive instant notification of suspicious activities and what to be on the lookout for, said association vice-chair Chloe Cartwright.So far the association has raised $2,000 from memberships and donations.“We also hope to secure a corporate donor to purchase a dedicated cellphone and line for the contact number for reporting incidents,” said Cartwright. “We do not intend to replace the police but to help them by identifying individuals. We will not be patrolling areas.”She cited several examples of recent crimes in Dogpound, including daytime residential break-ins where computers, alcohol and jewelry were stolen, vandalism, and the slaughter of a cow with large chucks of meat removed.Anyone interested in joining the new Dogpound Rural Crime Watch Association can do so by visiting www.DPRCW.org.REPS APPOINTED TO STUDY TEAMIn other council news, Reeve Bruce Beattie and CAO Tony Martens will represent MVC on a multi-stakeholder committee looking at the future of the Village of Cremona.The Viability Review Team is made up of representatives from a number of groups, including Alberta Municipal Affairs, the Village of Cremona, and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.Beattie and Martens were appointed during last week's regularly scheduled county council meeting.EXPENSES WILL BE POSTED ONLINEAlso during last week's council meeting, councillors approved a new procedure that will see councillor expense claims posted on the county's website starting in the new year.The change to the councillor remuneration and compensation policy was made to provide transparency of council expenses, said Reeve Beattie.Council also approved a change to the accountability section of the policy requiring that the reeve now review all remuneration expenses claimed by councillors (with the exception of the basic rate of remuneration), and that the reeve's expense claims be reviewed by the deputy reeve.EXTENSION OF PILOT PROJECTCouncillors have OK'd an extension of a pilot project until year-end.The Tri Community Transit Project, which has been funded by area municipalities, including $5,000 from MVC, was scheduled to end on Sept. 30.The extension to December 31 was approved at last week's council meeting.The project is an inter-municipal and rural transportation service for seniors started in Feb. 2012.The extension until year-end will not require any further funding from MVC, Peter Versluys said in a letter to council.Carstairs, Didsbury, Cremona, and Rocky View Regional Handibus Society are also involved in the project.$12,000 FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTCouncillors passed a motion granting the Cremona Fire Department $12,000 for equipment upgrades.The funds will be used to purchase an automated external defibrillator ($2,500), four bunker gear outfits ($7,000), and for compressor upgrades ($2,500).The $12,000 represents the county's share of the total cost of $24,000.NEW PLAYGROUND POLICYDuring the latest Policies and Priorities meeting, councillors approved a new policy for the funding of playgrounds.The policy states that “county council shall annually establish a budget amount (to be determined through budget deliberations) to be distributed under this policy in each fiscal year.Requests for the funding must be made in writing and must include a statement “describing the community benefit the playground will provide.”Also under the policy, all playground projects must be started within one year and completed with the final accounting to Mountain View County within two years of approval.“Funding is generally intended for those organizations that do not have access to regular funding from other sources,” the policy states.Groups eligible for funding under the policy include non-profit organizations, school parent councils and advisory boards, schools and school divisions.Projects not eligible include those that “do not allow reasonable access to the public and community.”COUNCILLORS WILL MEET WITH MLAsCouncillors are scheduled to hold an informal meeting with MLAs in the region.“This will really be a get-to-know session,” said Reeve Beattie. “It's a new situation for us because they are not part of the government, and how do we operate in the context of MLAs who are in the Opposition.“We need to know their positions and how they are going to operate within the current system.”Councillors will also be touring Sundre Forest Products operations sometime in October. The tour will include a visit to the Sundre mill and to forestry operations in the West Country.
"We do not intend to replace the police but to help them by identifying individuals."Chloe Cartwright
