Town council meeting briefs from July 21

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Taber Times

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

 July’s only town council meeting was a long one, clocking in at three hours and twenty minutes with a 195-page agenda. The following are selected briefs.

TPS commendation

 The Taber Police Service received a commendation from town council for its major role in ALERT’s Project Leadline – a sting operation that resulted in arrests and the seizure of cash, drugs, and weapons from Taber and other southern Alberta locations. Nine individuals were arrested or charged or at warrant immediately – several of whom were from Taber. The operation resulted in the seizure of over half a million dollars in drugs and cash, which included: two firearms; 5,088 grams of cocaine; 1,132 grams of a suspected cocaine buffing agent; 22 grams of fentanyl; 253 grams of methamphetamine; 500 methamphetamine pills; 1,000 milliliters of GHB; and $91,941 cash.

 TPS Chief Graham Abela, Chair John MacDonald of the police commission, Insp. Gyepesi, and Cst. Vowles were present for the first commendation of its kind awarded by council.

 On behalf of the community, council thanked TPS for curbing methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking and arresting those who profit from illegal means and do the community harm. Abela was highly complimentary of his officers and grateful for the Town’s recognition.

Taber Archers & Bowhunters request

 President of Taber Archers and Bowhunters, Nick Sekura, appeared as a delegation to ask council for permission to use the money left over from a flooring upgrade for acoustic ceiling tile at its facility.

 Sekura thanked the council for approving the $35,000 flooring upgrade and noted that the total cost came in under budget at $22,000, leaving TA&B with a surplus of $13,000. He proposed utilizing the remaining funds to incorporate acoustic tiling into the same budget.

 Sekura told council that the tiles would reduce the noise for facility users and their neighbours, and asked that the already-allocated funds be directed to the new project. TA&B currently has 82 members of all ages from Taber and the MD and runs a youth program that has been full in its first few years of operation.

 The matter wasn’t resolved with a simple yes or no, but Coun. Brewin said the best way to proceed was to get a fresh estimate and return with a RFD. He said that the $13,000 surplus would be returned to the Town’s capital reserves and reallocated if approved.

 Council agreed to direct administration to further examine the request and return with a proposal at a future meeting.

Proposed new roles in HR and accounting

 Rob Osmond asked council to consider adding two new payroll positions to the Town corporate services division: a payroll/human resources assistant and an accounting technician.

 The recommendation was that council approve the addition of the positions to fulfill the responsibilities of roles previously completed by contracted services.

 The payroll and HR assistant would provide support to the departments, allowing the key personnel in those areas additional time to focus on higher level functions. The role would be cross trained to provide payroll relief during vacation, illness, or other absences.

 The accounting technician would provide the finance department with technical and analytical accounting functions that are currently completed by contracted services and the finance manager (Osmond). The contractor intends to retire at the end of the 2025 capital cycle.

 The annual estimated cost of the two positions at their start rates is $147,800. The three-year average spent on the two contract positions was approximately $107,300 per year. About $40,000 would be added to the salaries, wages and benefits annual operations budget.

 Ten minutes of discussion was all it took for council to be persuaded of Osmond’s request, and a motion to approve it was carried unanimously.

Tax penalty waiver denied

 On July 14, the Town received an email from a property owner requesting that a July 2 penalty in the amount of $689.49 be waived. Council may by bylaw impose penalties in the year in which a tax is imposed if the tax remains unpaid after the date shown on the tax notice. A penalty is imposed at the rate set out in the associated bylaw.

 In the email, the property owner, whose name and address were redacted, said, “The delay occurred due to and was in no way intentional or negligent. I was dealing with a temporary reduction in income. I faced a cash crunch immediately after buying the building back in March 2024. Things are now back on track and I am ready to pay the property tax in full.”

 “The added penalty presents a financial strain, and I hope my prompt action to resolve the balance can be taken into account when considering this request. Also, I am willing to set up TIPP services for the future so that this doesn’t happen again,” the owner said.

 The administration recommended that council decline the request, as the Town is wont to do in most circumstances. Council voted to decline it after a very brief discussion.

Fee waiver for emergency services denied

 Similarly, on July 16, the Town received an email requesting a reduction to an invoice from the fire department. The individual who wrote the email requested a fee waiver on behalf of her son, who received services from the Taber Fire Department after a car accident that he was involved in.

 Fire Chief Steve Munshaw told council that the department issues bills for services that are insurable, like motor vehicle collisions and structure fires. He said ambulance, police, and fire services were all present at the scene of the accident near Highways 3 and 36.

 The mother’s request was that the invoice be waived due to low income and Munshaw said the son was a minor. The family had already paid $500 of the $930 invoice but council voted to deny the waiver.