The following are highlights from the July 8, 2019 regular meeting of council.
Land Use Bylaw – Review and Update
A public hearing was held regarding changes to the Land Use Bylaw, after which Council approved the proposed updates and amendments. The updates were made in response to changes to the Municipal Government Act, Town staff’s day-to-day use of the LUB and items that have been flagged by Council as needing review. Some of the changes include notifications of development approvals, variance and relaxation standards allowing the MPC more latitude and increasing maximum driveway widths.
Strategic Plan Update
A second-quarter update on the strategic plan, including action items and their corresponding completion dates, was presented to Council. Council accepted the update as information.
Policing & Safe Community Committee Bylaw
Earlier this year, after hearing a report outlining options for developing a community-based safe community committee or a policing committee, Council gave direction to Town staff to develop a bylaw establishing a Policing & Community Safety Committee. The bylaw was presented to Council and received first and second readings.
Hereford Meadows Development
A proposal to allow for a portion of the zoning in the Hereford Meadows Development – located at the south end of town – to be changed from Future Development (RD) to Highway Commercial (HWY-C) was brought before Council. Council approved first reading, with a public hearing scheduled to be held August 12, 2019 in Council chambers.
Change of Zoning, 5160 56 Street
A proposed bylaw would allow for zoning of the parcel identified above to be changed from Residential Multi-family District (R3) to Residential Single-family District (R1-B). Council passed first reading and a public hearing will be held August 12, 2019 in Council chambers.
North Industrial Site
Lands in the north part of town are identified for future industrial development. For development to proceed, planning and engineering design work must be completed. Council directed administration to identify preliminary work as a project in the 2020 budget.
Criminal Record Check Fees
Due to an increase in RCMP criminal record check requests, an additional clerk was hired to process the paperwork involved. To offset the cost of the additional staff, a bylaw was proposed to introduce fees for the service. Council passed the bylaw without changes.
Kemp House Lease Agreement
The Innisfail Family Day Home Society has leased the upstairs space of the historic Kemp House for the last three years. Council was presented with a proposal to renew the lease for an additional two years with a slight increase. Council approved the lease renewal.
Traffic Bylaw Updates
Updates to the Town’s traffic bylaw were brought before Council earlier this year. Some of the changes include school zone hours remaining in effect from 08:00 to 16:30 on school days and updates to penalties to better reflect those in the Provincial Traffic Act. On Monday, the revisions were passed by Council. Additional public education and communication on the revisions will be part of the ongoing series of bylaw education.
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