Town council briefs Aug. 19

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The following are selected briefs from the Aug. 19 meeting of Taber Town Council.

Unpaid tax penalties

 Council read requests from one undisclosed business and one residential property owner, both asking that council waive the overdue penalties for late payment on property taxes. A six per cent penalty was applied to overdue taxes on July 3. The office manager at the business outlined a series of circumstances that led to the late tax payment. The circumstances were a reasonable explanation for the payment omission, but the administration recommended that council not waive the penalty fee of $915.94. The administration’s rationale was that the property tax due date is printed in the Taber Times, on the Town website and in the newsletter sent out with the utility bill.

In addition, a senior citizen couple who have lived in town for a year and a half requested a waiver of a $162.16 penalty for late payment. The resident who penned the letter said the penalty was an added expense that the couple had not budgeted for.

Council took the administration’s recommendation and denied both requests, refusing to waive the penalty fee.

New appliances approved for sports park concession

 Recreation Manager Brian Martin told council that his department had been granted $7,000 from the capital budget to purchase hot pressure washers in 2024. He said that in late 2023, the department purchased two at a local auction at a greatly reduced cost and bought them using the department’s operating budget. He asked council to reallocate the $7,000 to the purchase of commercial grade appliances for the new Ken Macdonald concession. Council approved the change although there were questions about who would operate (or benefit) from the sales – the Town or another vendor.

Meadows condo receives variance approval

 The administration received a development permit application for a Meadows dwelling at 4818 72 Avenue. The location lies within a direct control district, so the application was brought to council for approval. A public hearing earlier in the day allowed for public concerns to be heard, but no objections came forward. The building will be the first development to occur in the Meadows that is not specifically a manufactured home. Architectural drawings and plans were included in the agenda package.

The administration asked council to approve a development permit for a ‘similar to semi-detached dwelling’ at the location, but 13 conditions were to apply. The conditions included council approvals of the site plan with numerous variances to the construction, parking spaces, and drainage. Erosion, fire safety, and infrastructure impact are also subject to inspection. Prior to occupancy, the applicant must provide an updated real property report to the Town of Taber.

The drawings showed a two-unit condo with an attractive exterior design built on a single Meadows lot. The administration submitted a highly detailed and seemingly thorough package to council and the development permit was approved unanimously.