Municipal Alberta
Mayor, 2 Others Resign
HINES CREEK -- Citing clashes with town staff and a "huge conflict of interest," the mayor and two councillors resigned from the five person village council. (Fairview Post)
Resignation Reasons Suspect
HINES CREEK -- All financial information is disclosed to councillors, according to a newspaper reader who asked the CAO, raising suspicion about the real reason the mayor and two councillors resigned. (Fairview Post)
Building Permits Disintegrate
MEDICINE HAT -- Although the previous February's building permit value was skewed by a $12.9 million project, last month's numbers show a steep decline in construction activity. (Medicine Hat News)
CAO Appointed
MEDICINE HAT -- The City of Medicine Hat is pleased to announce the appointment of Ray Barnard to CAO, effective April 6, 2009. (City of Medicine Hat)
Commissioners Named
MEDICINE HAT -- The City of Medicine Hat is pleased to announce the appointment of Albert Bizio to Corporate Services Commissioner and Ron Webb to Public Services Commissioner effective April 6, 2009. (City of Medicine Hat)
Family Needs 60K To Own Home
EDMONTON -- Single parent families and single people cannot afford most rental housing and homeownership in Strathcona County, according to the Capital Region Board. (Sherwood Park News)
Revenue Cut Bleeds Red
EDMONTON -- Mayor Stephen Mandel says he is frustrated that the city's finance department didn't adjust projections when investment income and planning revenues started going south. (Edmonton Examiner)
Reeves Blast Missing Minister
EDMONTON -- When Alberta's county reeves and councillors got their chance to question 12 cabinet ministers Wednesday morning, it was one missing provincial politician who drew their wrath. (Edmonton Journal)
No Designation, No Options
EDMONTON -- There's little the city can do to save a fire ravaged historic building because no official designation was placed on it. (Edmonton Journal)
Rub Parlour Owner Ticketed
EDMONTON -- One massage parlour owner -- suspected of running a bawdy house -- has racked up as many bylaw infraction tickets as the city's 40 other suspected sex houses. (Edmonton Journal)
Regional Plan Approved
EDMONTON -- Following decades of bickering and debate, Edmonton-area municipalities finally approved a regional growth plan on Thursday that could guide development for generations. (Edmonton Journal)
Land Acquisition Bill Softened
EDMONTON -- The Alberta government has proposed four changes to a controversial bill that bolsters its ability to assemble private land for major public infrastructure projects, but critics are calling for more public consultation before the law is passed. (Edmonton Journal)
County Defers To AAMDC
DRAYTON ALLEY -- Brazeau County councillors won't speak up about Bill 19, saying their voice is too small but will defer to AAMDC to speak for them. (Drayton Valley Western Review)
Mandatory Meters Sooner
CALGARY -- City council chopped four years off the deadline to wean water customers off flat-rate service. (CBC)
Fluoridation Reconsidered
CALGARY -- Five aldermen are bringing forth a notice of motion April 6 that asks city council to remove fluoride from CalgaryÕs drinking water. (CBC)
Planners, Citizens Disconnected
CALGARY -- It cost $6 million for research and compilation, but there are some people in this city who think the document known as Plan It Calgary was a waste of money. (Metro News)
Fire, Ambulance Split Proposed
CANMORE -- CanmoreÕs council directed town administration to be prepared to present plans in two years time to study splitting fire and ambulance services. (Canmore Leader)
Debenture Jobs Held Back
FORT MCMURRAY -- Councillors held back on approval for some debenture projects until full year-end financial results are complete. (Fort McMurray Today)
Centennial Marked With Plaques
AIRDRIE -- Commemorative historical plaques will be placed in five locations in the city as part of centennial celebrations. (Airdrie Echo)
Time Is Money
CLARESHOLM -- Federal approval to replace a bridge over navigable waters has not been received, jacking up the cost. (Nanton News)
AAMDC Chief Visits
CLARESHOLM -- The president of he Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties wonders if the proposed creation of a municipal auditor by the provincial government will merely add a level of bureaucracy. (Nanton News)
'Urban Nodes' Remain Contentious
HIGH RIVER -- Staff from the Calgary Regional Partnership tried to smooth feathers over the draft land use plan that MD officials have expressed misgivings. (High River Times)
Tree Protection Bylaw Enacted
HIGH RIVER -- Urban forest protection is the focus of a tree preservation bylaw the town enacted. (High River Times)
Auto Waste Collection Arriving
HIGH RIVER -- Although overwhelming snow accumulations postponed its roll-out in January, a new automated garbage truck will make its debut in April. (High River Times)
Commercial Lands Pondered
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- The last significant chunk of undeveloped land in Fort Saskatchewan could see its intended use shift slightly away from medium industrial with the aim of allowing for more commercial development at future highway intersections in the city's east end. (Fort Saskatchewan Record)
Solar Panels Unveiled
SHERWOOD PARK -- The city unveiled solar panels which provide some of the electricity for its parks compound. (Sherwood Park News)
Vulcans Excited, Says Spock
VULCAN -- After a failed bid backed by actor Leonard Nimoy to host the world premiere of the newest Star Trek movie, a southern Alberta town is content to be invited to a sneak peek at the film. (CBC)
How's Life, City Asks
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- The city is conducting a survey to determine how the public rates the quality of life . (Herald-Tribune)
Recession Trumps Morale
PINCHER CREEK -- The recession is being blamed for the council backtracking on a pledge to hire a specialist to improve relations between and among council and staff. (Pincher Creek Echo)
Abandoned Construction Bond Sought
CALGARY -- Calgary's chief building inspector wants developers to pay a clean-up bond so the city isn't stuck with dangerous abandoned condo and office tower projects. (CBC)
Cooperation: Municipally Excellent Practice
IRMA -- Three villages have banded together to work on joint projects, grants and ideas and to research best practices. It's an excellent practice posted on MEnet, Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network. (www.menet.ab.ca)
Alberta Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Alberta, MuniMall recommends starting with Municipal Profiles, a very current set of listings maintained by Alberta Municipal Affairs.
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Municipal Saskatchewan
Budget Applauded
REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association views the 2009 provincial budget as an important step forward for cities, towns and villages. (SUMA)
Province Bails Out Recyclers
REGINA -- The Saskatchewan government is putting $2 million into recycling programs to help organizations to get through tough economic times. (CBC)
Speedy Water Resolution Urged
HEPBURN -- A report showing significant levels of contaminants in well water is prompting the village of Hepburn to step up its lobbying for a municipal water system. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix)
Water Plant Loses Power
VANSCOY -- Residents were advised to boil there water after the municipal treatment plant lost power for a few hours. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix)
Rainy-Day Fund Drained
SASKATOON -- The city's rainy-day fund has run dry, forcing administration to find other ways to cover the bulk of an expected $1.25-million deficit from 2008. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix)
Saskatchewan Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Saskatchewan, MuniMall recommends starting with the Municipal Directory System, maintained by Saskatchewan Municipal Affairs.
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Municipal Manitoba
Crumbs In Budget: AMM
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE -- Municipalities that were hopeful the government would acknowledge the infrastructure gap were given crumbs, said the president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. (AMM)
Flooding Prompts Emergency
ST. LAURENT -- Four rural municipalities declared states of emergency because of overland flooding. (CBC)
'Pile Of Dung'
WINNIPEG -- A "pile of dung" replaced the usual mud-slinging at city hall on Tuesday, as council's finance chairman resorted to graphic means to combat criticism of Winnipeg's spending plan for 2009. (Winnipeg Free Press)
Sewer Partnership
ST. CLEMENTS -- The Rural Municipalities of St. Clements and East St. Paul are hoping a government grant from the province will enable them to jointly use a sewer system in the near future. (Selkirk Journal)
Regional Sewage System Proposed
STE. ANNE -- The rural municipality will look of support in its bid to develop a regional sewage system so it can deal with its capacity issue. (mySteinbach.ca)
Manitoba Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Manitoba, MuniMall recommends starting with Manitoba Municipal Profiles, maintained by Manitoba's Department of Intergovernmental Affairs.
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Municipal North
Municipal North Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in the Northwest Territories, MuniMall recommends starting with the MACA Community Database, maintained by the NWT's Municipal and Community Affairs. For Yukon contacts, try Yukon Community Profiles. Best contact listing by far in Nunavut is the Nunavut Association of Municipalities Communities Directory.
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Municipal Ontario
Province Giveth And Taketh
TORONTO -- Municipalities are in line for some major provincial infrastructure money, according to the Ontario budget, but they'll also be asked to take back some of the welfare burden they were expected to relinquish. (Globe and Mail)
Walkers Tops, Says Waterfront Plan
TORONTO -- A waterfront development plan calls for reducing a four-lane street to two-way to share a boulevard for pedestrians and cyclists. (Toronto Star)
Mayor Calls For Pay Freeze
TORONTO -- Mayor David Miller has called upon the city's non-union employees to take a wage freeze this year and one per cent next year. (CBC)
Housing Funds Applauded
TORONTO -- The Association of Municipalities of Ontario applauded the $1.2 billion in joint funding that will be poured into housing initiatives. (Canada Newswire)
City Seeks 1,300 Hires
TORONTO -- The city is planning to hire 1,300 new staff -- many in front-line positions and others to design and manage a number of new public works projects. (Toronto Star)
Speech Lessons For Councillors
TORONTO -- A city councillor spent $4,500 to take public speaking lessons and put them on her expense account. (Toronto Star)
Icy Falls Cost Millions
TORONTO -- Lawsuits springing from slip-and-fall incidents on icy city sidewalks between 2003 and 2008 are estimated to cost the city more than $30 million after all the bills are paid. (Toronto Star)
Smoking Practice Advised
BURLINGTON -- Smokers will be forced to stay away nine metres from entrances to municipal buildings under a new bylaw. (Brampton Guardian)
'Realignment' Cost 44 jobs
OTTAWA -- Ottawa City Hall is going through a "corporate realignment" that will mean pink slips for 44 employees, says the city's manager. (CBC)
Censure Unfair, Says Councillor
COBOURG -- A town councillor says her censure by council for her discrediting statements about staff and councillors is unfair since she was only following up on what she was told. (Northumberland Today)
Region, Tattoo Parlour Sued
BRAMPTON -- A $20 million negligence lawsuit has been launched against Peel Region and the owners of a Mississauga, Ont., tattoo parlour for allegedly failing to ensure proper sterilization of equipment and potentially exposing as many as 3,000 clients to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. (CBC)
Recycler Seeks Bailout
BRAMPTON -- Halton Region's recycling contractor wants a bailout to cope with the depressed market. (Brampton Guardian)
Butt Out Near Playgrounds
OWEN SOUND -- Smoking near playgrounds, soccer fields and baseball diamonds in Owen Sound is to be discouraged under a new city policy. (Owen Sound Sun Times)
Old Cemetery Resurfaces
THOROLD -- Human remains that were believed to have been removed from an old cemetery to make way for the Welland Canal in 1923 were found in their original location as they began to resurface after a holding pond was drained. (St. Catharines Standard)
Cut Staff, Say Councillors
MEAFORD -- Two town councillors want staff cuts made to save taxes. (Owen Sound Sun Times)
Ontario Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in this province, MuniMall recommends starting with Community Profiles, maintained by Ontario Economic Development.
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Municipal Québec
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Municipal Atlantic
Council Allows Conflict Of Interest
SAINT JOHN, NB -- City solicitor John Nugent told common council this week he would be in a conflict of interest when drafting legislative changes to the city's pension plan, but the politicians voted to allow Nugent to carry on with the work anyway. (Telegraph-Journal)
Debt Too High
DIEPPE, NB -- After years of rampant spending, the city can no longer borrow enough money to fund new infrastructure projects, the city's mayor says. (CBC)
More Sewage Progress Needed
SAINT JOHN, NB -- Although municipalities are making strides to stop dumping raw sewage into provincial waterways, more needs to be done, the Department of Environment says. (Telegraph-Journal)
Hidden Tax Hikes Targeted
FREDERICTON, NB -- Municipalities will no longer be able to raise their tax revenues based on property assessment hikes. (Telegraph-Journal)
Cut Funding Without Compliance
KING'S POINT, NL -- The Liberal Opposition has accused the government of Newfoundland and Labrador of blackmailing a small town, after the province threatened to cut off capital works funding in a messy waste management dispute. (CBC)
Municipal Atlantic Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Prince Edward Island, MuniMall recommends starting with the PEI Municipalities web page maintained by InfoPEI. For Nova Scotia officials, try Municipal Contacts from Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. For contacts in Newfoundland and Labrador, check out the Municipal Directory on this province's Municipal and provincial Affairs website. The List of New Brunswick Municipalities provides contact info for cities, towns, and villages in that province, as well as the names of elected officials.
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Current Events
The Next 30 Days:
-
Community Planning Association of Alberta conference
-- Red Deer, AB, April 6-8
-
Challenge North 2009, annual conference of the Northern Alberta Development Council
-- Cold Lake, AB, April 22-24
-
VITALIZE 2009 Provincial Voluntary Sector Conference
-- Calgary, AB, June 4-6
More Events on MuniMall
See the MuniMall website for a much more comprehensive listing of regional municipal events.
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