By Kevin J. SaboFor the Bashaw Star
The new Town of Bashaw council met for the first time on Oct. 21, 2021.
Happening just days after the Oct. 18 municipal election which saw the election of councillors Bryan Gust, Jackie Northey, Kyle McIntosh, and Cindy Orom, the two-and-a-half-hour-meeting was both an organizational meeting and a regular meeting of council.
Under section 192 of the Municipal Government Act, the legislation that guides the activities of all municipalities in the province of Alberta, a municipal council is required to hold an organizational meeting no later than two weeks after the third Monday in October.
It is at the organizational meeting where the meeting dates are set for the upcoming year, as well as council committee appointments, and council per diem rates.
The new mayor and councillors were officially sworn in during the meeting. Rob McDonald was sworn in as mayor of the Town of Bashaw by Chief Administrative Officer Theresa Fuller, who then handed control of the meeting over to him.
McDonald’s first act as mayor was to nominate Bryan Gust as deputy Mayor, who did let his name stand, and the motion was subsequently carried.
One change coming out of the meeting is to the town council meeting dates. Previously the council met the first and third Thursdays of the month. Moving forward, council dates have been moved to the first and third Mondays. The time will remain at 6 p.m.
As far as committees go, Mayor McDonald has been appointed to the Bashaw Ag Society, Bashaw Public Library, and Bashaw Airport Commission.
Gust has been appointed to Bashaw and District Support Services and the Bashaw Bus Society.
Northey has been appointed to sit on the Parkland Regional Library Board and the Bashaw Area Recreation Board.
Orom has been appointed to the Camrose Area Lodge Authority board, the Bashaw Youth Foundation, and the Highway 22/21 Regional Water Services Commission.
McIntosh has been appointed to sit on the community Emergency Alert System along with the fire chief.
A full listing of committees and who is on them will be published to the Town of Bashaw website later.
Also discussed during the organizational meeting were the town’s strategic plan, emergency preparedness plan, municipal development plan, and arranging tours of all the town’s facilities for the council members.
During the regular council meeting, which occurred immediately following the organizational meeting, the new council reviewed the Town of Bashaw year-to-date budget, monthly statements, and discussed the curling rink roof.
The Town of Bashaw has Municipal Sustainability Initiative funds available to use for the repair or replacement of the curling rink roof.
However, due to not being able to get a straight answer from anyone regarding what exactly the repairs or replacement would entail, and the requirementof the funds to be spent by the end of the calendar year, Fuller has suggested that council request an extension on the funds until fully costed estimates can be done and the full scope of the repairs are known.
Also reviewed during the meeting was an initial look at the Town of Bashaw’s strategic plan.
Northey made a motion to bring it back to council in January once all the new councillors have had an opportunity to go through the orientation training and digest the information presented so far.
The next meeting for the new council will be Nov. 1, 2021, at 6 p.m.