Council carried a couple of motions last week in support of the upcoming Sundre Pro Rodeo.
Elected officials were presented with two requests — one to approve funding for enhanced policing and another to relax the noise bylaw as well as approve the fireworks display on the evening of Friday, June 22.
During a delegation by Sgt. Jim Lank, who had provided an update on the Sundre RCMP detachment’s annual performance plan, council heard about the enhanced policing funding request.
Deputy Mayor Cheri Funke, who chaired the April 9 meeting in the absence of Mayor Terry Leslie, asked the sergeant whether the request for funding had been altered in recent years.
“I don’t think it’s changed over the past years, has it?”
Lank said that in 2017, the Town of Sundre and the Sundre Rodeo and Race Association agreed to each pay 50 per cent of the cost of enhanced policing up to a maximum of $5,000.
The operational costs last year ended up actually amounting to closer to $6,500, with the Sundre RCMP detachment absorbing the excess $1,500, he said.
“I think that’s a very good approach,” he said, adding the event is beneficial to the community as a whole and that it makes sense for the municipality to help the rodeo association with those costs.
After the sergeant’s presentation, council continued the meeting’s regular business and later brought the request back to the table for a decision.
“We are requesting that council approve the agreement,” said administrator Linda Nelson, referring to the recommendation to approve the cost of $5,000 for enhanced policing with the municipality covering $2,500 of that expense, which also required granting the administrator signing authority.
Coun. Richard Warnock tabled a motion to that effect, initiating a brief discussion.
Coun. Paul Isaac said last year he inquired whether Mountain View County had been approached about partnering and also contributing some additional funding to cover the cost of enhanced policing during the Sundre Pro Rodeo weekend.
“I’ll ask the same question,” he said.
Nelson replied that members of the rodeo and race association should be the ones to bring such a request before county officials.
Warnock’s motion carried unanimously.
Council carried another motion to approve relaxing the noise bylaw as well as the fireworks show.
This year’s annual pro rodeo is scheduled to take place June 22-24.
