Athabasca town council has agreed to charge a $2,000 off-street parking levy for developers who cannot fit enough parking stalls on any proposed development.
Athabasca town council has agreed to charge a $2,000 off-street parking levy for developers who cannot fit enough parking stalls on any proposed development.
Depending on the size and type of development, a certain number of parking spots must accompany it. If the developer cannot allocate the space for this number of spaces, they will pay the $2,000 levy for each space they are short.
In 2010, council removed a $1,500 levy from the Land Use Bylaw, stating the amount charged would be at the discretion of council. Chief administrative officer Ryan Maier explained it was time to change this.
“We want council to make it a policy so that it's the same for everybody, ” he said.
Maier noted that going on a case-by-case basis can lead to problems when developers are charged different amounts.
The $1,500 fee was originally set in 1994, jumping from $750, which was set in 1979.
Council has passed the first two readings of an amendment that would change a portion of its Procedural Bylaws dealing with committee appointments.
Currently, councillor committee appointments are for one year. The amendment would add a clause that committee appointments could be changed “by a majority vote of council. ”
The amendment was put forth by Mayor Roger Morrill, who wants to swap councillor Tanu Tyszka-Evans, who sits on the Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society, with councillor Tim Verhaeghe. Tyszka-Evans could then take Verhaeghe's spot on the administration committee, Morrill suggests.
Tyszka-Evans has stated he is opposed to the switch.
The amendment was first put forward at the previous council meeting, but had to be rescinded after it was found to violate regulations in the Municipal Government Act.
The section of road running between the Athabasca Regional Multiplex parking lot and baseball diamonds will now be designated as a “playground area. ”
Playground signs will be installed where Township Road 663 meets University Avenue and then further down 663, beyond the baseball diamonds. A pair of crosswalks will be installed over the road allowing safer access for those walking from the parking lot to the diamonds.
A playground area differs from a playground zone in that there is no drop in speed limit.
Administration recommended an area over a zone as the space in question didn't fit the provincial criteria for establishing a playground zone, which takes into account several factors, including location, speed limit and traffic.
Town council has agreed to cut a cheque for $7,500 for the Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society for the Kids Zone portion of the Magnificent River Rats Festival. Any remaining funds are to be given to the River Rats committee.
An estimate from the multiplex society puts the cost of the Kids Zone at $6,806.94.
The Rotary Club of Athabasca is planning to pave remaining sections of its Rotary Way trail system and is looking to the town to cover half the cost, or approximately $70,000.
These sections include lengths of trail running along University Avenue, a section along 51st Avenue near the University Drive turnoff and a length behind Landing Trailing Intermediate School, down through the forest to 47th Avenue.
An estimate from Camp 5 Paving Company put the cost of paving the 3,150 square metres of trail at $135,762.50.
Rotary is looking for the funds to possibly come in the 2015 budget.
Council was very supportive of the project.
“This council and previous councils have been very supportive of the trails projects within our community. We very much appreciate the Rotary Club presenting us with this opportunity to finish off some of these trails, ” said Mayor Roger Morrill later in an interview.
No decision was made during Tuesday's meeting.
