March 13, 2003
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MuniMall News and Views

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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:

Well, Are You? Part V -- The Tally
The results are in, and the majority of municipal administrators hold their own professionalism in high esteem. Of all respondents to our Discussion and Poll, 5% said municpal managers were NOT professional, 20% said MAYBE, and a whopping 70% said YES.

It's still not too late to add your voice to this fascinating discussion on local government professionalism. Drop by the MuniMall Forum and tell the world what YOU think. You can even post your thoughts anonymously, so no one on council will ever know. Simply follow the headline link above.

War -- A Muni Concern?
Seventeen Canadian municipalities think so, and have passed resolutions against the impending conflict. See the list, and check out this municipally oriented anti-war website.

NACLAA News

Introduction
MuniMall is proud to bring you NACLAA News, a weekly feature on the distance learning program everyone is talking about, the National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration, or NACLAA for short. Offered on the Internet by two of Canada's leading universities in partnership, NACLAA is emerging as Canada's new national standard in local government administration certification. For more information on NACLAA, click on the graphic below.

NACLAA animation

Writing Across 6 Times Zones -- Part VI
NACLAA News continues its series on the course development process with a look at Preparing for Print, a process more picky than you might think. Penned by the UofA's own Susanne Glenn.

To see all previous articles in this informative series, please drop by the NACLAA News Archive.

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

$20M In Infrastructure Grants
COALDALE -- Diamond City and Monarch are among the list of 14 new community infrastructure projects with over $20 million in funding announced by the federal government. Second story down. (Coaldale Sunny South News)

Development Plan Underway
TURNER VALLEY -- The Town of Turner Valley wants to ensure it is not unprepared if a population boom, similar to the one being experienced in Okotoks, hits the town. (Okotoks Western Wheel)

Annexations Tough On MD Staff
CALGARY -- A growing municipality, combined with four different annexation proposals within Rocky View, has planning staff wondering when they'll ever catch up. (Rocky View Times)

Gas Well Puts Damper On Development
AIRDRIE -- Future residential development and a gas pipeline project proposed for the city's northwest have a mutual obstacle Ñ a sour gas well which was drilled too close to Airdrie's boundaries. (Airdrie Echo)

City Eyes Enviro Protection
CALGARY -- An aldermanic committee on Wednesday approved the creation of a program to protect Calgary's waterways from harmful materials. (Calgary Herald)

Constables Handcuffed
WETASKIWIN -- An unwillingness to authorize special constables to enforce drunk driving laws has County council looking for a hidden agenda. (Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser)

ED On Track
LACOMBE -- The Town of Lacombe's Economic Development Board is on track to receiving its reaccreditation from the Community Economic Development organization. (Lacombe Globe)

Developer Rebates Pledged
RIMBEY -- It worked to spur development of new rental and commercial properties and Rimbey Town Council hope it will be a factor in getting more housing lots to market and attract more development. (Rimbey Review)

Wages In Line -- And Out
RED DEER -- The substantial raise Red Deer County councillors afforded themselves has brought them in line with wages Lacombe County pays its council, but puts them well ahead of their counterparts in Ponoka. (Sylvan Lake News)

Subdivision Under Fire
ROCHON SANDS -- Several residents of the Summer Village of Rochon Sands claim that a new adjacent subdivision could impact the environment and interrupt their country way of life. Second story down. (Stettler Independent)

Boom Boast
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- Fort Saskatchewan is booming, with record growth this past year, and more to come, Mayor Ken Hodgins told the Chamber of Commerce in his annual "State of the City" address last week. (Sturgeon Creek Post)

Firearm Bylaw Revamped
SHERWOOD PARK -- Strathcona County Council approved changes to its Firearm Control Bylaw, which restricts the use of firearms and weapons in hamlets surrounding Sherwood Park. (Strathcona County News Release hosted on MuniMall)

Paramedics May Get Body Armour
EDMONTON -- City paramedics, many of whom say they are increasingly under threat from patients who become violent, may soon be strapping on bulletproof vests as part of their standard uniform. (Edmonton Journal)

Ambulance Service Dumped
ECKVILLE -- Eckville town council decided at its regular meeting, March 10, to get out of the ambulance business by the end of the year. (Eckville Echo)

Smoking Issue Re-Ignites
BONNYVILLE -- The spectre of a non-smoking bylaw in Bonnyville could come back to the forefront if comments made at last week's action on drugs meeting is any indication. (Bonnyville Nouvelle)

No Urban-Rural Rift
FORT McMURRAY -- No one should think that Wood Buffalo is degenerating into two solitudes, despite occasional testy exchanges between urban and rural councillors. (Fort McMurray Today)

Stray Dogs Get Specialist Treatment
HIGH PRAIRIE -- The M.D. of Big Lakes decided to hire an outside firm to come into the region, deal with stray dogs and then decide whether it's a service they want to make use of in the future. (South Peace News)

Municipal Saskatchewan

COPs Not Tops
GRENFELL -- Only twelve people left their homes to help stop crime at an informational meeting of Citizens On Patrol (COP). (Grenfell Sun)

Radio Broadcast Boosts Town
BROADVIEW -- Radio audiences in the southeast had the opportunity to hear the story of Broadview as Mayor Carol Mills and radio personality Doug Falconer illustrated not only the history of the community but current attractions of the town. (Broadview Express)

Private Cell Proposed For Landfill
WEYBURN -- Weyburn city council is considering a proposal from one of western Canada's largest waste handling companies to set up and operate a non-hazardous storage cell on city land. (Weyburn Review)

Trade Clout Clamour
LLOYDMINSTER -- The FCM wrapped up its quarterly meeting in Regina, and among other resolutions was the resounding call for the municipalities to have the same status in Canada's position on trade issues as the provinces and territories. (Meridian Booster)

Don't Get Burned!
MEADOW LAKE -- Muncipalities across the Northwest are trying to remind landfill users that burning garbage at refuse sites could lead to large fines. (Meadow Lake Progress)

Cop Concerns Rankle Reeve
BROOKSBY -- The RM of Willow Creek is frustrated with the level of service received from police forces, according to the reeve. (Melfort Journal)

Stocks Okayed For Cities
REGINA -- Changes to provincial legislation mean that Saskatchewan cities can now be players in the stock market. (Regina Leader-Post)

Redevelopment Sweepstakes Begin
SASKATOON -- The City of Saskatoon plans to open sealed envelopes containing ideas to redevelop south downtown's Gathercole site and reveal the proposals at a public meeting on Friday. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix)

Municipal Manitoba

Name Game Advice From Alberta
BRANDON -- The Keystone Centre can learn about the value of a name from Lethbridge, an Alberta city that successfully sold its area's name some years ago. (Brandon Sun)

New Hire Unveiled
CARMAN -- The Carman-Dufferin Recreation Commission has hired their first-ever general manager-director. (Carman Valley Leader)

Turnaround Year
DAUPHIN -- According to City of Dauphin CAO Brad Collett the year end numbers for 2002 are showing a great improvement from last year. (Dauphin Herald)

Unusual Annexation
MORDEN -- As takeovers go, the one between Morden and the RM of Stanley appears to be far from being hostile. (Morden Times)

Hog Hearing Huge
ST. PIERRE-JOLYS -- The RM of De Salaberry is moving an upcoming public hearing into three hog barn applications to the roomier Otterburne curling rink. Seventh story down. (The Carillon)

Municipal North

No Money, No Games
WHITEHORSE -- Whitehorse city councillors are threatening to pull out of the 2007 Canada Winter Games. (CBC North)

Paving Put On Hold
KUUJJUAQ, PQ -- Regional councillors grilled Nunavik's director of municipal public works last week after he announced that, to achieve long-term benefits, there will be a one-year delay in the region's municipal paving projects. (Nunatsiaq News)

Bus Is Back
IQALUIT, NU -- Iqaluit city council brought back the colourfully made-over school bus to offer a full-time service starting March 3, after deciding that a city-wide public bus service experiment in Iqaluit last fall was a success. (Nunatsiaq News)

Municipal Ontario

Smoke-Free Bylaw Popular
STURGEON FALLS -- It's almost a foregone conclusion that West Nipissing's public places and workspaces will go smoke-free Dec. 31. (North Bay Nugget)

Subdivision Yes, Phosphorous No
CORBEIL -- East Ferris Township council does not object to North Bay's proposed official plan amendment allowing new lot development on Trout Lake, but insists development adhere to strict regulations minimizing phosphorus loading. (North Bay Nugget)

Thirsty Times Ahead
MATHESON -- The town of Matheson is without water indefinitely following a water main break Tuesday afternoon. (Timmins Daily Press)

Former Mayor Mourned
TIMMINS -- Timmins is mourning the loss of city councillor and former mayor Dennis Welin. (Timmins Times)

Garbage A Mixed Bag
LEAMINGTON -- Some aspects of garbage in the municipality are improving, but others are not, according to a report on the town's collection system. (Leamington Post)

Towns Sign Landfill Agreement
DEEP RIVER -- After more than three years of on-again, off-again talks, and seven months after the new North Renfrew landfill site opened, the towns of Deep River and Laurentian Hills are putting the finishing touches on a new joint waste agreement. (North Renfrew Times)

. . . While Another Goes To Court
AURORA -- A former Aurora landfill operator is suing the town for more than $5.8 million, claiming municipal officials abused their authority and interfered with his ability to do business. (yorkregion.com)

911 Proposal Raises Alarm
INGLESIDE -- A new system to speed up 911 emergency calls by Bell Canada in the counties is not going over well with the Township of South Stormont. (Cornwall Standard Freeholder)

Zoning Change For Resort Casino
LANSDOWNE -- Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township has approved zoning changes to permit construction of a seven-storey hotel near the Thousand Islands Charity Casino. (Kingston Whig-Standard)

Councils On New Legal Hook
TRENTON -- New provincial safe drinking water regulations have created a new set of legal responsibilities for municipal councils, says a legal expert on water provision. (Trenton Trentonian)

Water Raps Could Cost $12M
KING CITY -- King Township failed to act appropriately when the chlorine in its water system dropped to unsafe levels last March, Ontario's Environment Ministry will contend in a courtroom next week, and the fines could total $6M. (yorkregion.com)

Snow Budget Blown Big-Time
UXBRIDGE -- The ferocious weather Old Man Winter dished out this winter caused the Township to almost double its snow budget. (infodurhamregion.com)

Bully For Edmonton
ORILLIA -- The Sunshine City should take a look at an Edmonton bylaw that makes bullying illegal and fines offenders a minimum of $250, says an Orillia municipal councillor. (Orillia Packet and Times)

False Alarms Could Cost
BURFORD -- Home and business owners in Brant County could soon face fines of up to $200 if the police or fire department are called to their properties frequently by false alarms. (Brantford Expositor)

Planner Questions Industrial Strategy
HAMILTON -- Hamilton councillors are being told the city will have to rethink its economic-growth strategy because developing industrial lands is a money-losing venture, even by the planned Red Hill Creek expressway. (Stoney Creek News)

$500G For Empty Space
WINDSOR -- The city has paid about $500,000 to lease two vacant floors of DaimlerChrysler's Canadian headquarters, with no prospective tenants in sight. (Windsor Star)

Less For More
GODERICH -- Amalgamation may have dropped the number of Huron County councillors but the costs for council continue to soar. (North Huron Info)

Halt To Hog Growth?
WALKERTON -- Brockton council has agreed to look at proposals that would limit the size of livestock operations. (Walkerton Herald-Times)

Municipal Atlantic

Pesticide Ban Pushed
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- A Charlottetown city councillor is renewing calls for a public debate over the use of cosmetic pesticides. (CBC - Prince Edward Island)

Enterprise Centre Opens
KENSINGTON, PE -- The Town of Kensington and other partners celebrated the opening of the Kensington Enterprise Centre, a 15,000 square-foot industrial complex that will accommodate and attract the needs of new and expanding businesses in the hub of PEI. (PEI Business Development Inc.)

NACLAA animation

Mega-Subdivision Gets Green Light
FREDERICTON, NB -- Fredericton City Council has given a green light to a large housing development that could see the construction of more than 1,000 new homes on the provincial capital's north side. (CBC - New Brunswick)

Town Gains Sunday Exemption
OROMOCTO, NB -- Stores in the Town of Oromocto will begin opening for business on Sunday, after receiving a special designation from the province as a tourist destination. (CBC - New Brunswick)

Province Ponies Up
HALIFAX, NS -- It was all just a misunderstanding, says Municipal Relations Minister Peter Christie, who hand-delivered a $2-million cheque to the city yesterday for its sewage-treatment project. (Halifax Daily News)

Displaced Residents Meet
BADGER, NF -- Although the Town of Badger called a meeting for residents of the red zone, is was apparent that there were people there from all areas of the community. (The Advertiser)

Councils Line Up For And Against
MARYSTOWN, NF -- The Town of Marystown has distributed a resolution to delay the proposed $17.4 million health care development in Grand Bank until a review is undertaken, and area councils are starting to respond. (Southern Gazette)

Weather Wreaks Havoc On Infrastructure
PORT AUX BASQUES, NF -- Town workers are having a hard time trying to keep up with the demand for attention to frozen water and sewer lines. (Gulf News)

Smelly Water Leaves Residents Bitter
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, NF -- People in Happy Valley-Goose Bay are complaining bitterly about the taste of chlorine in their drinking water. (CBC - Newfoundland & Labrador)

Getting Wired

Village Goes High Speed
LOON LAKE, SK -- Residents in the Village of Loon Lake now have the option of surfing the internet using high speed access. (Meadow Lake Progress)

Internet Voting Not Ready For Prime Time
SUDBURY, ON -- Studying ways to get more people to vote in November's municipal election, city clerk Tom Mowry rejected Internet voting but recommended optical scanning. (Sudbury Star)

The MuniMall Newsletter is published via email most Thursdays by Government Studies at the University of Alberta. All subscriptions are free. Please follow this link to subscribe or unsubscribe. Comments, concerns, suggestions, submissions? Email MuniMall Editor John Sinclair at john.sinclair@ualberta.ca or call John at 780-492-2783.
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