CARSTAIRS - At the regular council meeting on Aug. 26, Carstairs town council heard a presentation from a resident concerned about drivers speeding on Rge. Rd. 14.
Local resident Blair Kelsberg, who appeared as a delegation, proposed a speed limit change to the town section of Rge. Rd. 14 (10th Avenue) of maintaining 50 km/h until the last residential road in Carstairs, with the increase to 80 km/h at the current 100 km/h sign and maintain 80 km/h instead of 100 km/h to the intersection of Twp. Rd. 580 to the south.
"We didn't buy our house to live along a freeway," Kelsberg said in a letter to council. "We bought happily in a small friendly community with a slower moving and quieter lifestyle. However, along range road 14 that isn't the case."
Carl McDonnell, Carstairs CAO, said council has instructed administration to meet with Alberta Transportation to discuss the possibility of lowering the speed limits.
"That's 580, it's a provincial highway that goes past the community hall and goes straight out of town to the Cremona road," said McDonnell. "The speed limit through there is 50 km/h for portions and then goes to 70 km/h and then 100 km/h as you're heading south. He's requesting that we reduce it to 50 km/h until you're past the entrance of Carriage Lanes."
McDonnell said the town has been monitoring speeds in the area to see how fast people are going.
"Most people are within 10 km/h of it," he said. "But we haven't got the full data yet, just the preliminary stuff. If Scarlett Ranch comes around that way and becomes a full intersection we'll have to look at reducing it anyway. So the letter is timely."
In other council news, council voted in favour of the town's purchase of three acres of land on Highway 581 east of Hugh Sutherland School.
McDonnell said they spoke with the landowner and agreed on a price.
"The owner wanted the deal done by August 1," said McDonnell. "We had council do everything electronically because they weren't meeting. Monday they ratified their decision."
The property, which has been vacant for a number of years, currently has a red barn and a double-wide modular home on it.
McDonnell said the barn will have to be destroyed but they will be looking at relocating the modular home.
"All the town's storm water from the north and west end of town and everything that comes through town goes through that property," he said. "When the owner was looking at selling, we see this as an important part of our storm water management because of the amount of storm water that runs through that. So that's why we purchased it."
Meanwhile, council heard from a delegation of Sarah Neilsen and Erin Eyers from Urban Systems, the town's planners.
"We're updating our municipal development plan (MDP)," he said. "They're doing the work on that. The municipal development plan is our overarching document for planning and development within the town. Basically they're updating council, saying that they've started. The next big step will be engaging the community."
McDonnell said the planners will be having open houses and attending some community events to get feedback from people about how they think the town should be developing the community and the MDP.
Council passed a motion regarding a revised personnel policy.
"Nothing major there," he said. "Just two things. One: previously, the employer and employee split short-term and long-term disability premiums. Now we're going 100 per cent to the employee side."
McDonnell said the second issue was mostly about wordsmithing involving wording for sick days, holidays and overtime.
"Instead of having to change our policy every time, we'll just reference it so if the provincial statutes change we'll follow the provincial statutes."
Council also discussed plans around its fall planning session.
"We're midway through the mandate of this council," he said. "We normally book a fall planning session to update what they have completed so far and what do they want to complete over the next 24 months."
