Boyle village council discussed the possibility of changing user fees at the Boyle Arena at their meeting on June 1.
Chief administrative officer Charlie Ashbey compared rates of other community rinks, including the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, to Boyle’s regular rate of $76 per hour and $105 per hour for tournaments.
Councillor Mike Antal said the Boyle rates are not out of line with other arenas in the area.
At issue was the role of users in the upkeep of the rink during and after tournaments.
Mayor Don Radmanovich said it should be up to those who use the arena to help clean it up, while councillor Roger Hall mentioned possibly bringing in a student to help on weekends and during tournaments.
In the end, council decided to take the issue of rink rates and how the arena is run to a joint meeting with Athabasca County councillors on June 28.
The mayor said it was important to include county leaders because “they pay half the cost” and that discussions should be held as soon as possible if they are to have the new rates and policies in place by Sept. 19, the planned re-opening of the ice.
Two more summer students for property maintenance
Councillors passed a motion to hire two more summer students to work on property maintenance around town, including mowing lawns and watering flowers.
After budgeting for only two summer students, council decided it was best to hire two more, four being the number used in previous years.
Councillor Roger Hall said the village was already behind on grass cutting and weeding and that they should maintain their investment in planted flowers and trees.
Director of corporate services Elly Zeggelaar said the two extra students would cost Boyle approximately $10,000 and that the funds would come from general reserves.
Councillor Mike Antal said it was a good move financially since they would not have to use higher paid senior employees to cut grass and water flowers.
All councillors except David Bencharsky voted in favour of the motion.
Gateway Estates should be paved
Council discussed the possibility of paving Gateway Estates in the coming years.
Mayor Don Radmanovich said, “I think it’s about time we look into paving that area, the whole village is paved except them.”
CAO Charlie Ashbey said that although the paving will not happen this year, it is a good idea to start thinking about it now to get a head start on the tender process.
He added that paving the 27-lot residential development will make it more marketable and drive up property value which will, in turn, pay itself off with higher tax rates, a point reiterated by Hall.
Ashbey explained that if 10 per cent of property owners desired paved roads, it would come down to a vote.
Bencharsky made a motion for the CAO to gather estimates on how much the paving would cost.
Dust control program for Market and Airport roads
Council passed two motions calling for the implementation of dust control programs on portions of Market and Airport Road.
CAO Charlie Ashbey explained that Boyle does not have a dust control policy in effect since most roads are paved.
Before the annexation of Market Road into Boyle, the county provided the service for the half-mile portion of the road. The successful motion means the county will cover the summer dust control program at a cost of $3,220 to Boyle.
After a resident expressed concern about dust on the 400-metre portion of Airport Road at the south end of Gateway estates, the town agreed to cover the section at a cost of $1,698.
Ashbey said the program would address the concerns of residents on the road and serve traffic coming and going to the airport.
The funds to cover the program will come from the village’s operating budget and will see the application of calcium chloride and water to the gravel surfaces. Ashbey said the application of the process is guaranteed and will not cost the town more if re-application is required.
At the end of the discussion, Radmanovich said the town would provide dust control this year and then develop a policy for charging for the service in the coming years.
