Sept. 26, 2002

MuniMall News and Views

Welcome Aboard!
MuniMall extends a warm western welcome to over 140 new subscribers who have joined us since the last edition. While jurisdictions are simply too numerous to mention, we'd like to say a special thank you to sign-ons from last week's AUMA convention in Calgary and students from across Canada in our LGCP, NACLAA, and IAPP programs. Welcome all!

New Reader Tips
As a service to all our recent subscribers, MuniMall offers the following New Reader Tips:

Our links expire quickly, so please read the newsletter as soon as possible after publication, preferably on Friday. We link to many news sites where content is cycled rapidly. If you wait too long before reading us, the links will either disappear or lead to very different stories.

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Scroll down.. The Newsletter can be lengthy, and if you're interested in a region east of Alberta, you'll have to scroll to get there. The sections in today's edition are:

MuniMall Bats A Thousand
Millennium celebrations of a different kind swept through Government Studies offices earlier this month as the MuniMall cracked the elusive thousand subscriber mark. Catch the comments and kudos on the MuniMall website.

Students Bring The Goods To MuniMall
Our practitioner students are talking -- and bringing cool resources to the MuniMall website. Check out their offerings or suggest some of your own in: Public Administrative Professionalism; Land Use Planning; and Information Access And Protection Of Privacy. Students and non-students alike are invited to browse and participate. If you've ever wanted to help build a website, here's your chance!

Municipal British Columbia

CivicInfo BC Newsletter
For BC's best roundup of municipal news, MuniMall recommends CivicInfo BC Check out their website for the latest news, and subscribe to their weekly newsletter, published every Friday afternoon.

Municipal Alberta

Council Dissolves Partnership
COCHRANE -- The Cochrane Partnership for Economic Development (CPED) no longer exists, due partly to concerns about its legality under the Municipal Government Act. (Cochrane Times)

Transportation Plan: Big Bucks, Big Problems
BANFF -- Controversy continues to surround the Town's West Downtown Transportation Plan. (Banff Crag & Canyon)

Changing Cop Costs Collar Council Attention
HIGH RIVER -- The provincial police commission is in discussion with municipalities over the funding of RCMP services, and the MD of Foothills may soon have to ask its ratepayers some hard questions. (Okotoks Western Wheel)

Well Of Uncertainty
PINCHER CREEK -- An aquifer that has been pumped for 72 hours to determine whether there's enough water to supply residents of Beaver Mines is of concern to some hamlet ratepayers. (Pincher Creek Echo)

Four Horse Race
TABER -- A veteran town politician and three men in their 30s are officially in the race for the vacant seat on Taber town council. (Taber Times)

Administrator Moves On
VULCAN -- After six years of dedicated service to Vulcan County, Robert Strauss plans to exchange his office computer and business suit for a pitchfork and coveralls. (Vulcan Advocate)

Corporate Review Recommends Change
CALGARY -- An air of change may soon come sweeping into Rocky View if councillors decide to implement recommendations from their corporate review performed by consultant George Cuff. (Rocky View Times)

After-Hours Boarders Getting The Boot
AIRDRIE -- The City of Airdrie is looking to get tough on after-hours trespassers at the city's skate park. (Airdrie Echo) See related story in Municipal Ontario.

Council Gets Course On Environmental Reserves
SYLVAN LAKE -- The Sylvan Lake & Watershed Stewardship Society coordinated a one-hour presentation to town council Monday regarding the importance of shoreline environmental reserves. (Sylvan Lake News)

Problems Parked On Agenda
RIMBEY -- Rimbey Town Council remains stymied by a pair of problems that were parked on their September 16 agenda and both involve parking. (Rimbey Review)

Borrowing Plebiscite Heats Up
OLDS -- The Town of Olds has been speaking to special interest groups to explain the issues surrounding the construction of a new RCMP building and the borrowing it will entail. (Olds Albertan)

Casino Plebiscite Shouldn't Be Left To Chance
CAMROSE -- Representatives of both sides of the casino plebiscite are encouraging Camrosians to take the time to vote.

Peace River, Grande Prairie Roll The Dice
PEACE RIVER -- Peace River's Moon Saloon owners will throw their hat into the ring of competition with Grande Prairie for the only new casino the provincial government intends to allow in northern Alberta for several years. (Peace River Record-Gazette)

New Economic Plan Launched
ST. ALBERT -- On buses, benches, and billboards, one message will bombard people across the Capital Region this fall: "Business is Right in St. Albert." (Saint City News)

Counties Oppose Kyoto
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- Alberta's counties, including Grande Prairie, are siding with the provincial government in the call for a made-in-Canada plan to reduce greenhouse gases. (Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune)

MD Backs Needs Assessment
BONNYVILLE -- The Municipal District of Bonnyville is calling for a needs assessment study for the Bonnyville area and is kicking in at least $5,000 to pay for part of the undertaking. (Bonnyville Nouvelle)

Cat Bylaw Clawed Back To Committee
VERMILION -- Vermilion town council chose to send the proposed animal bylaw back to the Public Safety and Protection Services Committee for further discussion following a varied debate at a public meeting. (Vermilion Standard)

Municipal Saskatchewan

Whopping City Surplus
MELFORT -- A huge increase in fine revenue, a bigger than expected income from investment and savings in the RCMP contract all played big roles in generating a big budget surplus for the City of Melfort. (The Journal)

$200G Repair Bill Has Greasy Origin
LANIGAN -- A major accumulation of grease was apparently the culprit in a sewer main blockage that will cost an estimated $200,000 to fix. (Lanigan Advisor on SaskNews.com)

Rotting Fish Contaminate Recyclables
MAPLE CREEK -- The Town's joint paper and plastic recycling venture suffered a serious financial setback when vandals contaminated recyclables with maggot infested fish. (Maple Creek News)

Welcome Wagon Greets Recent Arrivals
OXBOW -- The Expressway Family Centre and the Town of Oxbow have formed a partnership that enables the community to welcome newcomers, and at the same time promote what the town has to offer. (Oxbow Herald)

Buzz Over Bug Control
ROSETOWN -- Rosetown aldermen are looking at how to combat mosquitoes next year and reduce the chances of anyone contracting the West Nile virus. (Rosetown Eagle)

Council Still Supports Health Levy
YORKTON Ð The city of Yorkton is using a levy to raise its $3.8M share of funding for a new multi-purpose health facility to be built in the city.

Partnership Fuels Ethanol Facility
NIPAWIN -- A partnership made up of municipal, rural and town governments, industry leaders, Metis and First Nation bands signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a biomass ethanol facility in the Nipawin area. (Nipawin Journal)

Municipal Manitoba

New Conservation District
LA BROQUERIE -- A new conservation district in the Southeast is expected to promote and deliver sustainable soil and water conservation programs to landowners in the RM of La Broquerie. Bottom story on page. (The Carillon)

Hog Bid Splits Town, RM
ST. ADOLPHE -- There was standing room only as more than 60 people packed the RM of Ritchot council chambers for a hog farm hearing last night. Fifth story down from top. (The Carillon)

Council Gives It Another Run
DOMINION CITY -- The entire council of the RM of Franklin is running again in the Oct. 23 municipal election. (Altona Red River Valley Echo)

A Bloomin' Winner
ALTONA -- Altona has won first place in its population category in the Manitoba Communities in Bloom competition. (Altona Red River Valley Echo)

Wall Of Sewage Heads To Lake Winnipeg
GIMLI -- A wall of untreated human sewage is making its way to Lake Winnipeg after a pump failure at the north-end sewage treatment plant in Winnipeg. Two stories. (Interlake Spectator)

Aquatic Centre Set To Splash
STEINBACH -- After decades of discussion and debate, which included several referendums, the stunning new Steinbach Aquatic Centre will officially open to the public in the next few days. (Steinbach Carillon on mywinnipeg.com)

Red Light For Stop Signs
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE -- The City of Portage la Prairie has no plans to install stop signs on Crescent Road West despite pleas from residents who are worried about speeders. (The Daily Graphic)

Municipal North

Sewage Call Vindicated
DAWSON CITY, YK -- An independent study commissioned by the Yukon government has confirmed that the City of Dawson's choice of a sequencing batch reactor model for its secondary sewage treatment facility "appears to have been an appropriate decision." (Whitehorse Star)

Muni Staff Lack Skills
IQALUIT, NU -- Many of the lands officers, senior administrative officers, work foreman and building maintenance officers who work for Nunavut's hamlets don't have the proper skills to do their jobs -- and the Nunavut government will have to spend $1.5 million on training to get them up to par, a new GN report says. (Nunatsiaq News) See related story in Politics And Policy section.

Little Lots On The Tundra
IQALUIT, NU -- A small group of residents and developers gathered at city hall this week to check out plans for a new subdivision. (Nunatsiaq News)

Municipal Ontario

$750G Windfall
BROCKVILLE -- City coffers could be enriched by more than $750,000 due to an education tax overpayment expected to be repaid as soon as next month. (Brockville Recorder & Times)

Smoking Ban Gets Sweeping Support
KINGSTON -- Seven months from now, bingo halls will almost certainly be the only public place where smokers can legally light up in the city of Kingston. (Kingston Whig-Standard)

Dump Site Expanding
KAWARTHA LAKES -- The expansion of the Lindsay-Ops Landfill may begin as early as next week. (Lindsay Daily Post)

Hands Off!
COBOURG -- Northumberland County councillors are unanimously backing Northumberland MP Paul Macklin's push to retain the existing federal electoral boundaries for Northumberland. (Northumberland Today)

Court Halts Fire/Ambulance Integration
OWEN SOUND -- A court ruling set back Owen Sound's efforts to create the province's first integrated fire and ambulance service. (Owen Sound Sun Times)

Water Deal Inked
COLLINGWOOD -- Collingwood's water could be flowing further south. (Enterprise Bulletin)

Golf Club Drives Loan Through Council
KENORA -- Kenora city council has agreed to play caddie to a $600,000 loan agreement for the Kenora Golf and Country Club. (Kenora Daily Miner and News)

Municipality Meets Troubled Businesses
CHATHAM -- The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is taking some steps behind the scenes to help out businesses that are in danger of leaving. (Chatham This Week)

Capital Spending Tops $116M
THOROLD -- More than $116.5 million worth of capital projects are on the table for next year's regional budget in the Regional Municipality Of Niagara. (Niagara Falls Review)

Mayor Won't Be Censured
SARNIA -- Mike Bradley got his way Monday when city council backed down on a threat to censure the mayor behind closed doors. (The Observer)

Boarders Bash Bylaw
CLINTON -- Banning skateboarders from the sidewalks along Highways 4 and 8 and in Clinton parks is an unfair bylaw, say some skateboarders. (Clinton News-Record) See related story in Municipal Alberta.

Road Salt Debate Continues
GODERICH -- The next two months appear to be a critical period for those fighting to keep road salt off the toxic list. (Goderich Signal-Star)

Cop Computers Costly
SAUGEEN SHORES -- Becoming part of the province-wide integrated police computer system is going to cost the Saugeen Shores Police Service thousands of dollars.

Municipal Maritimes

Rink Construction Skating On Schedule
SACKVILLE, NB -- Work on Sackville's new rink is progressing at a good rate and is expected to be completed between Aug. 10 and Sept. 24, 2003. (Sackville Tribune-Post)

Swarming Spawns Zero Tolerance Policy
SAINT JOHN, NB -- Saint John Police say they would arrest any person who takes violent action against them after a near-riot broke out Tuesday between local high school students. (Telegraph Journal on canadaeast.com)

Council Sparks Over Power Outages
GUYSBOROUGH, NS -- With the advent of a number of summer and early autumn storms throughout Guysborough County power outages have been more prevalent especially in the Goldboro and Isaac's Harbour regions, noted councillor Derek Hayne. Second story down. (Guysborough Journal)

Town, Top Cop Erred In Firing, Court Told
STELLARTON, NS --The Stellarton Police Commission had decided to fire officer David Kingsbury for violating the Police Act almost a month before getting his side of the story, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court was told Wednesday. (New Glasgow Evening News)

Strategic Plan Set
RENCONTRE EAST, NF -- Members of the Rencontre East town council are determined to make the community prosper, and have put wheels in motion to move ahead with a strategic plan. (The Coaster)

Residents Bailing Out
PETITES, NF -- Another coastal Newfoundland community is facing desertion. (The Gulf News)

Paving Paused Again
CORNERBROOK, NF -- The paving of city streets could begin at the end of this week or early next week. (Cornerbrook Star)

Cities and Regions

High-Tech Bait Cars Tempt Auto Thieves
VANCOUVER, BC -- Leaving a bunch of cars around town for thieves to steal hardly sounds like an innovative anti-crime program. (Vancouver Sun)

Supreme Wait For Taxi Bylaw
CALGARY, AB -- The city has put a review of its taxi bylaws on hold until after it learns if it can argue its freeze on cab licences at the Supreme Court of Canada. (Calgary Herald)

Councillor Proposes Red Light District
EDMONTON, AB -- Sick of seeing prostitutes and their johns treat 118th Avenue as a sex sales room, Coun. Janice Melnychuk wants the city to create a "zone of tolerance" for sex trade workers. (Edmonton Journal)

Crime Rate Tumbles
REGINA, SK -- You don't often see Regina Police Chief Cal Johnston with a grin on his face, particularly on the day monthly crime statistics come out, but this day was different. (Leader-Post)

Expressway Ramps Up $4M Legal Bill
HAMILTON, ON -- The city of Hamilton is closing in on the $4 million mark in legal and consultants' costs to get the Red Hill Creek Expressway built next year. (Dundas Star News on Canada.com)

Dump That Dump
HALIFAX, NS -- Residents opposed to a proposed construction-debris dump in Antrim offered one alternative last night -- put it somewhere else. (The Daily News)

Getting Wired

RM Scores New Website
OAKBANK, MB -- Residents of Springfield have a new weapon in their fight to find out what's going on in the world around them: www.rmofspringfield.ca (The Clipper Weekly)

Northern Net Gets Fast
IQALUIT, NU -- Canada's veteran satellite operator, Telesat Canada, is now offering a two-way high-speed Internet service to businesses and organizations in northern Canada. (Nunatsiaq News)

Politics and Policy

Sewage Funding Flows
PEACHLAND, BC -- The District of Peachland will receive close to $6.2 million under the Canada-British Columbia Infrastructure Program to expand its community sewage collection system. (Government Of British Columbia News Release)

$14.3M Infrastructure Boost
EDMONTON, AB -- Approval was announced for38 Infrastructure Canada-Alberta projects that will direct $14.3 million towards community infrastructure throughout Central Alberta. (Infrastructure Canada-Alberta Program News Release)

Smoke Eaters Score New Fire Truck
WHITEHORSE, YK -- A new $220,000 fire truck was officially handed over to the Golden Horn Volunteer Fire Department by the Yukon Government. (Yukon Government News Release)

Training Partnership Established For Municipal Employees
IQALUIT, NT -- The Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators (NAMA) today announced a training partnership that will enable municipal employees to better serve Nunavummiut. (Government Of Nunavut News Release) See related story in Municipal North.

Border Gateway Gets Big Bucks
WINDSOR, ON -- Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Ontario Premier Ernie Eves committed $300 million over the next 5 years to upgrade existing infrastructure on the Ontario approaches to the Windsor-Detroit border crossings. (Government Of Ontario News Release)

Phase-In Of Industrial Property Tax Assessments
FREDERICTON, NB -- Increases in the property tax assessments for New Brunswick's 62 biggest industrial employers will be phased in over the next 3 years, providing increased revenues to most municipalities. (Communications New Brunswick)

Municipal Awareness Week Launched On The Rock
ST. JOHN'S, NF -- Dignitaries signed the proclamation officially launching Municipal Awareness Week for 2002. The theme this year is Municipal Government: Creating Value for Your Community. (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador News Release)

MuniMall Newsletter is published on the web and via email most Thursdays by MuniMall.Net at the University of Alberta. If you're not on our mailing list, it's free and easy to subscribe. Comments, concerns, suggestions, submissions? Email MuniMall Editor John Sinclair at john.sinclair@ualberta.ca or call John at 780-492-2783.
Copyright © 2002 University of Alberta