News Releases 2018

Following Lacombe County’s Cannabis in Your Community public engagement campaign, County Council gave both second and third readings of the updated Community Standards Bylaw, and passed it during the October 11, 2018 council meeting. 

Since the Government of Alberta gave municipalities the authority to set out their own rules on the smoking and vaping of cannabis products, Lacombe County met with the public to get their input on the bylaw. This was done in July 2018, in conjunction with the Planning Department – who are putting the final pieces in place on the necessary changes required to update the County’s Land Use Bylaw.

“Our goal is to have a solid foundation in place that takes into the account the needs and concerns of the public,” said Reeve Paula Law. “The feedback we heard indicated that our public wants us to limit cannabis consumption in a similar way to that of alcohol and tobacco consumption.”

Following a successful review of Lacombe County’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB), the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI) recognized the County’s two-year-long process and their public engagement approach.

"An engaged and educated public is a powerful tool for any municipality, and we thank our ratepayers for giving us their time and working with us during our MDP/LUB review," said Lacombe County Reeve Paula Law. "We are so proud of our planning team, whose creativity and "outside the box" thinking managed to catch our ratepayers' attention, and led to a comprehensive review of the MDP and LUB that reflects the desires of the community."

The City of Lacombe, Town of Blackfalds, Lacombe County and the City of Red Deer are pleased to be the recipients of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s (AUMA) 2018 Sustainability in Collaboration Award.

The award recognizes AUMA member municipalities that have demonstrated excellence in implementing sustainability plans and achieving measurable outcomes related to environmental sustainability. It was presented on September 26, 2018, at the AUMA Convention at Westerner Park in Red Deer.

The four communities were selected for recognition based on the success of the North Red Deer Regional Wastewater System project, an inter-municipal initiative to address water quality in the Red Deer River, and to support the continued growth and sustainability of the central Alberta region.

Thanks to the recent cooler temperatures and recent precipitation, Lacombe County has lifted its Fire Ban.

Fire permits are still required for all outdoor fires, excluding fires used for cooking or warming purposes and burning barrels. Fire permits can be requested through our iPhone app (myLacombeCounty), through our online Fire Permit Request form, over the phone, or in person.

Lacombe County, Red Deer County, and Ponoka County recently joined together to ensure the proper recycling of plastic grain bags.

“For a number of years, Council has explored options for recycling agricultural plastics,” explained Lacombe County Reeve, Paula Law. “While this program won’t be operated on a cost recovery basis, it does eliminate expenditures associated with tipping fees when agriculture plastics are landfilled.  The partnership with other counties provides an economy of scale for manpower and equipment while providing local producers with a recycling option that promotes sustainable agricultural practices.”

“The Ag Plastics Recycling Program is an important project for Red Deer County and our agricultural community. Not only does it show strong collaboration between neighbouring municipalities, it will take large volumes of plastics out of the landfill and allow them to be repurposed. This is a positive for our environment and our economy,” said Red Deer County Mayor Jim Woods.

“While the concern with agricultural plastic waste is more than a regional issue, I’m pleased that our three counties were able to come together to find a local solution,” said Paul McLauchlin, Ponoka County Reeve. “Our hope is that local producers will help us make this program a long-term success so that other municipalities could use it as a model when creating their own plan.”

UPCOMING TAX DEADLINE: To avoid all penalties, tax payments must be received by last business day in August. On September 1, a penalty of 6% will be applied to all taxes remaining unpaid after August 31.

Property tax payments can be made:

The August 2018 County News is ready! You can read it online HERE, or pick up a copy at the Lacombe County office.

It’s looking like harvest season will start a bit earlier this year, and Lacombe County wants to remind area producers, residents and visitors of their roles and responsibilities for safety during fall harvest operations.

Road Safety
Road safety is a big concern during harvest season. With an earlier harvest anticipated, roads will be busier than normal because harvest operations will coincide with the end of the summer holiday season.

"Lacombe County is an agricultural community, and producers have a short window to complete the annual harvest," emphasized Dion Burlock, Lacombe County Ag Fieldman. "Since starting this campaign in 2014, we have heard stories from both producers and drivers alike of unsafe driving during harvest season." 

Do you love the environment/nature and taking photos? Lacombe County invites you to submit your favourite shots for our Promotional Photo Contest!

INFORMATION:

• Photos must be taken within the County and the location must be indicated on the entry form.
• Photos and entry form must be submitted by September 30 at 4pm, either by bringing a USB to the office or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• A panel is judging the photos.
  • First Place: $500
  • Second Place: $200
  • Third Place: $100

In response to the dry conditions in the area, Lacombe County Council passed a motion at the August 9 Council meeting to temporarily allow the grazing of livestock in ditches. 

“The hot weather and lack of moisture have negatively impacted pastures in the County, and we want to support our agriculture producers by providing them with this option to feed their livestock,” said Reeve Paula Law.

Lacombe County residents may use roadsides to graze for the remainder of the 2018 season under the following conditions:

Due to the extreme dry, hot conditions, Lacombe County has issued a Fire Ban.

Effective immediately, Lacombe County will issue no new fire permits or fireworks permits, and existing permits are hereby cancelled.

• No burning barrels are permitted under this ban.
• Gas/propane stoves, barbeques, and portable propane fire pits are permitted, but must be attended at all times.
• Any outdoor fires, including campfires, presently burning within Lacombe County must be extinguished immediately.
• The ignition of all outdoor fires within the boundaries of Lacombe County are hereby prohibited.

The Town of Blackfalds hosted the second Open House on the Northwest Area Master Stormwater Management Plan on June 27. The evening featured a presentation on the updated plan followed by an in-depth question and answer session with content experts and presented an opportunity for public input on this project.

During the question and answer period the following information was presented and is stated below for clarification:
A statement made at the Open House may have been interpreted to indicate that Lacombe County Council endorsed the Northwest Stormwater Plan. This was not the intent. Rather, the statement should have been that Lacombe County administration, through recent discussions with Town of Blackfalds administration, supports the concept of developing of a Lacombe Lake Management Plan with lake stakeholders.

Despite the best efforts over the past 18 months to revitalize the Mirror Fire Department, there has been no increase in volunteers for the fire department. Lacombe County will be holding a public meeting as one last revitalization effort on July 25, 2018, to speak with the community about their options and the ramifications of closing the fire department.

“We have to meet the minimum standards to make this department viable and to perform the duties of a fire department safely, we need to comply with regulations,” explained Lacombe County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere. “At the end of the day, we need the community to understand the importance of these minimum standards, as well as how it will affect their service levels and potential impacts to insurance if the Fire Department is not revitalized.”

Municipal property tax notices were recently mailed out to Lacombe County ratepayers and should be appearing in mailboxes in the coming week. If you do not receive your 2018 tax notice by the end of June, please contact Lacombe County’s Assessment Department at 403-782-6601.

"We encourage ratepayers to be proactive and make sure their tax notice was received,” said Michael Minchin, Manager of Corporate Services. “To avoid all penalties, tax payments must be received by last business day in August."

The County’s tax notice is a combined assessment and tax notice.

• Anyone wishing to appeal their assessment has 60 days from the notice of assessment date to do so. A per parcel fee will be charged for people making complaints against assessments. If the Assessment Review Board makes a decision in favour of the complainant, the fee will be refunded.
• Property owners who miss the tax payment deadline will have a 6% penalty applied on September 1, 2018, on the outstanding taxes owing. An additional 10% penalty will be added on December 1 for all taxes remaining unpaid after November 30.

Lacombe, Alberta, Friday, June 15, 2018 – CN Rail has notified Lacombe County that they are planning to close the Lakeside Sargent Road at Range Road 26-5 on June 19, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Traffic will be detoured along local roads during the closure; watch for signs indicating the detour routes.

For more information contact:

Kevin Beavis
CN Rail
403-304-4114

With Canada Day celebrations approaching, Lacombe County reminds all residents that a fireworks permit is required if you wish to sell, purchase or set off fireworks within the province of Alberta.

“The use of fireworks is regulated under the Alberta Fire Code, and there are no exceptions to the rules spelled out in the code,” says Drayton Bussiere Lacombe County Fire Chief. “If you plan on shooting off fireworks, regardless of the time of the year, a fireworks permit is required within Lacombe County.”

Bussiere notes that conditions of having a Fireworks permit includes permission from adjacent landowners so it is important to discuss fireworks plans with your neighbors in advance. Fireworks can also not be set off from public lands or roadways, if there is a fire ban, or if wind exceeds 20 km/h.

Thanks to the recent cooler temperatures and light precipitation, Lacombe County has lifted its Fire Advisory.

Fire permits are still required for all outdoor fires, excluding fires used for cooking or warming purposes and burning barrels. The public is reminded that conditions are still relatively dry even though they are safer for burning and to ensure they are familiar with the conditions included with permitted burns. Fire permits can be requested through our iPhone app (myLacombeCounty), through our online Fire Permit Request form, over the phone, or in person.

Please visit our website (www.lacombecounty.com) for the most current information.

At its May 10 meeting, Council approved the Lacombe County 2018 operating and capital budgets and tax rate bylaw. As indicated in the interim budget, municipal tax rates for 2018 will increase by 2.5% for residential properties, and by 4.5% for farmland and non-residential properties over 2017 rates.

The 2018 tax rate changes for Lacombe County, Alberta Education, and the Lacombe Foundation are as follows:

2018 Tax Rate Changes

The governments of Canada and Alberta recognize how important investing in modern reliable wastewater services is to building healthy sustainable communities for Albertans.

On May 4, Amarjeet Sohi, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Brian Mason, Alberta Minister of Transportation, attended a commissioning ceremony for the North Red Deer Regional Wastewater System. Also participating in the event were Grant Creasey, mayor of Lacombe, Richard Poole, mayor of Blackfalds, Paula Law, reeve of Lacombe County and Tara Veer, mayor of Red Deer.

The new wastewater transmission system connects the communities of Lacombe, Blackfalds and Lacombe County to the wastewater treatment facility in Red Deer with a 28-kilometre pipeline. The new system also includes two major lift stations, emergency storage reservoirs and odour management measures.

This project will address the region’s critical wastewater needs, helping safeguard the health and well-being of central-Alberta residents. It will also allow the participating communities to meet current federal and provincial wastewater regulations, and help protect local waterways and ecosystems. 

Lacombe County has received several inquiries about a water storage project south of the Town of Bentley. If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please contact Vesta Energy.

Due to the dry conditions, Lacombe County has issued a Fire Advisory.

While valid fire permits can be used, the County will not be issuing anymore until the fire threat has been minimized. We ask that all conditions of valid fire permits are strictly adhered to.

Allowed

• Burns with permits issued prior to May 1
• Bylaw compliant backyard and camping fires
• Cooking/recreational appliances that produce heat & can be turned off with a switch
• Portable propane fire pits

The public is asked to make sure all fires are completely extinguished before leaving unattended. 

If the fire hazard continues to increase, further restrictions may be implemented. Please follow our website, www.lacombecounty.com, for the most current information.

Please note: Alberta Environment has advised that they are going to be gradually releasing some water from the Dickson Dam. This shouldn't impact Lacombe County significantly.

If you want more information, or to see if you could be impacted, please visit https://rivers.alberta.ca and zoom into your area.

The April County News is here! You can read it online here, or pick up your copy from the Lacombe County Office.

Our next submission date is on May 11...

Lacombe County supports the use of volunteers and community groups to assist in the cleanup of road ditches and communities. Residents, community groups, and businesses are encouraged to participate in cleanup programs organized by volunteers and have several options to consider.

The Community Clean-Up Program is for an organization providing cleaning services by picking up litter within their community.

The Roadside Clean-Up Program is available for organizations to provide cleaning services by picking up garbage in the ditches along the roadway. Lacombe County shall make a donation to the organization in the form of a grant.

The Adopt-a-Highway Program concept allows a group/company/individual to adopt a minimum three-kilometre maximum five-kilometre section of roadway by agreeing to pick the litter once a year, before the end of August. Lacombe County will provide identification signs adjacent to the highway section that will include the group/company/individual's name.

Lacombe County will be hosting a two-day voluntary farm vehicle safety check at our new public works shops located in the east and west sides of the County.  The purpose of this check is to increase both the safety and the awareness of our agricultural industry as it relates to vehicle safety.

Details:

Please show up any time between 9:00-3:00; refreshments and lunch will be provided.  Call the number below to book a time, or just stop in.  Those who book a time will be prioritized, drop ins will be fit in.    

(NOTE: if bringing multiple vehicles, please space arrival times by approximately 20 minutes).

Locations:

• April 17, west County Shop located on Rainy Creek Road near RR3-0.
• April 18, east County Shop located on Hwy 12 and Hwy 821, Tees.