Red Deer County council approved the $73.7-million 2012 budget last Tuesday, increasing residential property taxes by an average of 3.5 per cent.The budget was presented earlier this month but council agreed to hold off on passing it to give a chance to collect public feedback.During last week's meeting, Heather Gray, director of corporate services, informed council no feedback had been received.The increase will be applied to all mill rates within the municipality, explained Gray. The exact mill rates will be determined in the spring.The capital costs total $38.1 million, $12 million of which was carried over from drainage and road projects not completed last year due to weather. In 2012 the county has planned $7 million for bridge work, nearly $6 million on paving and $18 million on other road work ñ from chipsealing and base strengthening to construction and maintenance.Operating costs, at $35.6, are down slightly from $35.9 million in 2011.ìThe operating (budget) is very much in tune with the previous year,î said Div. 4 Coun. David Hoar, noting the capital budget is ìaggressive.îìWe have to remember $12 million is carried forward from last year,î said Mayor Jim Wood of the capital budget. ìIf we remove that $12 million we are close to last year's numbers.î2012 fee bylaw approvedWaste fees will remain the same as 2011 for residential, commercial, industrial and construction at both Yankee Flats and Gaetz Creek transfer stations.Council approved the fee bylaw for 2012 Tuesday morning. It had received first reading at the Dec. 6 meeting but was turned back after council questioned some of the increases at the two waste transfer sites. Some council members expressed hesitation about hiking fees at the two waste transfer stations and not Horn Hill, saying it could deter people from using the sites.Horn Hill transfer site will see an increase in both construction, renovation and demolition waste from $57 a tonne to $66. The same increase is applied to industrial, commercial and institutional waste.Water, sewer and garbage service is also going up by three per cent to cover the cost of inflation. Benalto residents will now pay 78 cents per cubic metre, Spruce View $1.15 and Springbrook 66 cents for water services and 70 cents per cubic meter for sewer services in Benalto, 41 cents in Spruce View and $1.87 in Springbrook.An additional increase will be applied to Springbrook and Gasoline Alley Business Park and Clearview and McKenzie Industrial Parks. Water services are provided to those areas through the City of Red Deer so council agreed to charge $1.10 per cubic metre, up from 74 cents in 2011. The rate is what Red Deer County is charged by the city. The increase in fees will come into effect May 2012.Other increases to the fee bylaw include a bump of $50 in the base application fee for a single lot subdivision or consolidation to $1,050. The same increase will be applied to the base application fee for multi-lot subdivision.Speed changes discussedFirst and second reading was granted to an updated road and traffic bylaw that, if approved, will see a change in maximum speeds along certain roads.An increase in speed from 30 km/h to 50 km/h was proposed for Twp. Rd. 364 from Highway 42 southwest to Highway 816.A decrease from 100 km/h to 80 km/h was suggested along a curved area on Burnt Lake Trail from Twp. Rd. 383A to Rge. Rd. 283.And an increase from 60 km/h to 80 km/h was proposed in various stretches of road including a 1.6-kilometre portion from Rge. Rd. 250 from Highway 42 south, and Rge. Rd. 264 from Highway 595 south to Twp. Rd. 374, Rge. Rd. 264 from Highway 590 south to Twp. Rd. 352 and Twp. Rd. 350 from Rge. Rd. 40 west to Rge. Rd. 42.The bylaw was adopted in 1991 and the updates reflect changes in traffic around larger hamlets and residential subdivisions, administration said. They also reflect complaints which have spurred the need for updates, explained senior patrol officer Bob Dixon.The changes would also allow a bylaw officer to deal with complaints regarding misuse of disabled parking, something that isn't covered under provincial legislation.
