Town of Taber council BRIEFS

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Taber Times

By Stan Ashbee
Taber Times
editor@tabertimes.com

Taber Curling Club lease payments waived

A regular meeting of Taber town council was held Mar. 8.

Town of Taber staff member Kerry Van Ham, via teleconference, submitted a report to council for consideration. The Request For Decision (RFD) noted council to waive the Taber Curling Club lease payments for February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September 2021 — due to the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place, as directed by the provincial government and Alberta Health Services — and the cumulative financial losses endured related to the continued and re-instated COVID-19 pandemic facility and activity closures.

Van Ham added the potential waiving of lease payments would be until the start of the Taber Curling Club’s anticipated season in 2021, which will be in October.

It was stated in the report, at various previous meetings of council, council acknowledged rental reductions, as requested by other organizations. “Council indicated at their May 25, 2020 meeting, requests for rental abatement would be considered on an individual written basis.”

If council chooses to approve the club’s request, the implication would be approximately $5,300 plus GST for February and March, and $1,000 for April–September — totalling $11,600, according to the report.

Coun. Jack Brewin made the motion that council waives the Taber Curling Club’s lease payments for February to September, 2021 due to the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place. The motion passed unanimously.

Red Cross Support Agreement

Taber Fire Department Fire Chief Steve Munshaw attended a Town of Taber council meeting Mar. 8 to discuss a Request For Decision (RFD), in regards to a Red Cross agreement.

According to a report submitted to council, council supports the mayor and director of emergency management to sign the 2021-2023 Red Cross Support Agreement. At a regular meeting of the Municipal Emergency Management Committee, the committee passed the resolution that the Municipal Emergency Management Committee supports the director of emergency management to sign the Red Cross Support Agreement and move forward for council’s approval.

Background provided in the report stated the Town of Taber has been in a contract with Red Cross since 2015. The last contract with the Canadian Red Cross was signed in 2018 and expired Dec. 31, 2020. Although the agreement has expired, a conversation with the Canadian Red Cross was held regarding the contract ending.

“They agreed to continue to provide the same service during this shoulder time. The new contract has been forwarded to the town for signing. The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies dedicated to improving the situation of the most vulnerable throughout the world,” it was stated in the report submitted to council for consideration.

According to the report, there has been a change to the fee structure from the old contract, which was $2,300 annually. The financial contribution to the Canadian Red Cross will be $2,500 for the first year of the term, $2,600 for the second year of the term and $2,700 for the third year of the term.

Coun. Mark Garner made the motion to support the RFD. The motion passed unanimously.

Taber Golf Course beautification project

At a regular Town of Taber council meeting Mar. 8, Brian Gladys (representing the Taber Golf Club) and Sid Tams (representing Communities in Bloom) were delegates to present a request to council for consideration of funding for a beautification project at/around the maintenance area at the Taber Golf Course. Coun. Joe Strojwas stated he is a member on the board of the Taber Golf Club.

“We’re looking for some financial funding for a project we’re working on with CiB. Hopefully, with a company out of Vauxhall and the Kiwanis Club could be in on this project,” Gladys said, adding with the town on-board, collectively the participants could work together to beautify the golf course and area for travellers from the north on Highway 36 to Highway 3.

“We’re looking to potentially, and maybe even this year, build a new shop,” Gladys pointed out, adding plus a fence and lights on the building that will shine on the pathway. “The Kiwanis Club is possibly looking at putting solar motion lights further down on the pathway around the golf course,” he added.

CiB is looking to add flowers, trees, shrubs and rocks.

According to Gladys, the Taber Golf Course could also run a sprinkler system from its existing system to keep the potential additions growing. The project has been in the works for the past five years and funds were earmarked for this project by the town years ago.

At one time, the funds for $30,000 was a donation to the golf course, as long as the golf course had gift in-kind, as part of the deal. “Which they do have, with plenty of labour lined up, etc,” Tams said.

In recent times, Tams added, the golf course has figured out they can probably put in a new maintenance shop there and the business from Vauxhall, more than likely, will fund a large part of that. The hope is to start the project by September, to lay the base work down. It was noted during the wind storm this past January, funding was provided to also replant trees and some of those trees would be planted in the new project area.

“It seems to me this is a community effort,” noted Coun. Garth Bekkering, adding any time council can help volunteer organizations produce a product, which is beneficial to the town and aesthetically-pleasing, “we can support it.”

Coun. Louie Tams made the motion for council to direct administration to place this request in the 2021 Budget, with $30,000 funded out of Operating Reserves for further consideration at this time. The motion passed unanimously.