News Releases 2018

With colder weather here, Lacombe County would like to encourage people with ice fishing huts on local lakes about the Take it Off program for Gull Lake, Sylvan Lake, and Buffalo Lake. 

“Most of the people on the lakes seem to understand the importance are taking their huts and garbage out with them before spring arrives and the Take it Off program is a great way to protect our water resources,” said Lacombe County Environmental Coordinator Jennifer Berry. “We do remind people that they need to re-register each year to get their identification card.” 

Why is it important to register your ice hut?

Registering is completely voluntary and it ensures that each hut is accounted for at the end of the ice fishing season, reducing the likelihood of ice huts falling through the ice in the spring and polluting the lake. This not only helps to protect the environment, but also ensures the safety of the animals who depend on that water source, as well as lake users throughout the year. Registration of huts also protects ice fishing huts from vandalism and theft, and helps identify the owner of ice huts in the event of any issues related to ice hut property. 

On November 30, Lacombe County Council adopted the County’s 2019 interim operating and capital budgets. Following the priorities set out in the County’s Strategic Plan and its long-range road construction and capital equipment replacement plans, the budget reflects the desire to support the maintenance of existing service levels while managing the County’s spending in a responsible manner that reflects the current economic situation.

The $55,212,370 interim operating budget is balanced and supported by a 2.0% property tax rate increase for residential properties, a 3.5% tax rate increase for farmland and 4.5% property tax rate increase for all other properties and a transfer of $67,630 from the tax rate stabilization reserve. The 2.0% property tax rate increase represents an additional $20.04 in taxes on a $400,000 residential property. 

On November 28, the public is invited to a drop-in style open house to provide input on the vision and direction for the Sylvan Lake Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). A public open house is set for November 28, 2018, at the NexSource Centre – Seniors Centre in Sylvan Lake from 4:30pm to 7:30pm.

 “The eight partnering municipalities have a long history of working collaboratively, and we are confident that the IDP process will build on these existing relationships and plans that have been created over time,” said Sean McIntyre, mayor of Sylvan Lake and chairperson of the Sylvan Lake IDP steering committee.

 The IDP will work toward common goals while respecting the unique interests of each municipality, and will also:

• set the policy framework for coordinating future land uses and development between the municipalities;
• build upon the wealth of existing planning documents that provide strong background information;
• result in an agreement between the municipalities on how to work together to manage lands related to future land development areas, transportation and infrastructure, environmental considerations, agricultural land use viability, and economic development.

“It’s crucial for the residents and stakeholders surrounding the lake to come out and tell us their unique perspectives on what are seen as key issues for the IDP to address,” said McIntyre. “Their feedback will help us develop a coordinated approach to growth and development for the benefit of all our communities.”

The IDP is a new type of policy for some of these municipalities, and so being clear about the project scope is helpful to understand. The IDP is not:

• An annexation or amalgamation process;
• A process that can change land uses directly;
• A process that will impact taxes; or
• A plan for the waterbody of Sylvan Lake.

What if you can’t make it to the Open House?

An online survey will be available November 26-December 9 for the public to provide input, with online mapping to spatially locate opportunities and areas of concern within the IDP area. The survey and online mapping will be focused on identifying the main values and priorities that people would like to see addressed in the IDP.

Hard copies of the survey will also be available November 26-December 9, from any municipal office (the Town Sylvan Lake office, the Summer Village office, Red Deer County office and Lacombe County office). Hard copies of the survey can also be mailed out upon request.

To complete the online survey, find more information or keep updated on the project, please visit www.sylvanlakeidp.com. For more information, please contact:

Lacombe County is proud to announce the winners of our 2018 State of the Environment Photo Contest. We received so many amazing shots, but these were the winning submissions for this year. Thank you to everyone who submitted photos for our contest!

First Place – Vicki Heidt	Second Place - Ron Prins	Third Place - Jon Pfenghanssi

Several projects scheduled for 2018 will be postponed until warmer temperatures return in 2019, including the Hamlet of Mirror Boulevards, the Alix North Road, and Centreview Road. Click "Read More" for full details

Lacombe County invites tenders for the following property located in the southeast corner of the SE 25-40-24-W4M. The property contains approximately 25 acres of hay land. The successful lessee will be required to enter into a four-year lease agreement with Lacombe County which will include, but not limited to, the following terms and conditions.

1. The lease term will commence January 1, 2019 and will expire December 31, 2022.
2. The lessee is responsible for payment of property taxes.
3. The lease payments must be made on or before January 31st in each year of the lease.
4. In the event the lessee fails to make property tax and/or lease payments as required, the lease may be terminated.

Lacombe County reserves the right to reject any or all tenders or to accept any tender which may be considered to be in the best interests of the County.

Tenders will be received at Lacombe County Administration Office until 4:30 p.m. on  February 2, 2019. For more information and specific conditions, please visit www.lacombecounty.com or contact:

Donna Mae Grant, Lacombe County, 403-782-6601

Lacombe County reminds residents that although fire permits are not required from November 1 until March 31, there are still limitations that come with burning, and any burning must be done in a safe and controlled manner.

No person shall:

• Burn prohibited debris.
• Set, permit or maintain any fire where the smoke emitted from the fire impairs visibility on a highway or becomes a nuisance or safety concern to neighbouring persons or property.
• Light a fire without first taking sufficient precautions to ensure that the fire can be kept under control at all times. Only burn the number of brush piles that you can control at one time.
• Fail to take reasonable steps to control a fire for the purpose of preventing it from spreading onto neighbouring property.
• Fail to extinguish a fire when a fire ban is in effect. This is especially true for previously burnt brush piles, and rekindles are no exception.

Lacombe County is honoured to accept a second generous donation of land from local residents, Frank and Rosalie Kuhnen. Located on the east side of Lacombe County, the 65 acres of land runs along the north side of the Red Deer River and will remain in a natural state for the public to use for passive recreational purposes.

“We are excited to have a peaceful retreat in the east part of Lacombe County, where the public can enjoy the tranquility of nature,” said Reeve Paula Law. “The gift of this land from the Kuhnen Family exemplifies the importance community residents place on managing green space for the betterment of current and future generations.”

After two years of trying to revitalize the membership and viability of the Mirror Fire Department, Lacombe County Council opted to cease operation of the organization, effective October 31, 2018. This decision comes after significant efforts by Lacombe County, as well as current Mirror Fire Department members and residents of the hamlet, to bolster membership.

“It’s not an easy decision to close this department, but we were unable to get the membership necessary to safely operate this fire department,” explained Paula Law, Lacombe County Reeve. “Unfortunately, we didn’t receive enough viable applications to increase the membership of the fire department to a suitable level.”

Lacombe County’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB) was amended to accommodate cannabis legalization at the October 25, 2018, Lacombe County Council meeting. Before these changes were drafted, staff held two public meetings, in conjunction with Alberta Health Services, as part of the County’s Cannabis in Your Community public engagement strategy. The feedback from these meetings and a public survey were used to gather comments and concerns regarding cannabis legalization and its impacts on Lacombe County. 

“Our goal from the start was to ensure the changes to the bylaw took into account the many perspectives held by our ratepayers,” said Reeve Paula Law. “Council felt that this updated Land Use Bylaw encompasses the concerns and opportunities felt by Lacombe County ratepayers while providing a strong foundation that can be built on for this emerging industry.” 

During the October 23, 2018, Organizational Meeting, Lacombe County Council elected Division 4 Councillor Paula Law as Reeve for a sixth one-year term.

“Being Reeve of Lacombe County over the past five years has been an honour and I look forward to continuing my responsibilities as Reeve,” said Reeve Law. “I appreciate the trust and confidence my fellow councillors have in me, and I’m committed to working with this passionate group of individuals to serve Lacombe County.”

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 .
• 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.