Athabasca town council is pressuring Alberta Transportation to adhere to the town’s standards for utility placement at the Highway 55/813 interchange.
Currently, utilities being added to any new development or subdivision in the town are placed underground.
Late in the Highway 55/813 interchange project, the contractors needed access to electricity to power the streetlights and wanted to erect a power pole near the corner of 50th Avenue and 46th Street.
According to town chief administrative officer Ryan Maier, Town of Athabasca outside services superintendent Rick Kolach met with the contractor to inform them the town goes underground with new electrical infrastructure.
Maier said Alberta Transportation received a quote from Fortis Alberta indicating the cost to go underground would be approximately $17,000 more than for an overhead pole, and Alberta Transportation wasn’t willing to pay that difference.
“Since Alberta Transportation does not have a budget for beautification, we cannot accommodate the additional cost that the Town is requesting,” wrote Alberta Transportation construction manager Michal Pylko in an email to town administration on the matter.
Councillor Tim Verhaeghe said he believes power lines should definitely go underground and at the expense of Alberta Transportation.
Administration indicated that for the town, this $17,000 cost would be an unbudgeted item and would have to be taken from reserves. There is a capital reserve for utility equipment, but its current balance is $38,005.21 — the power pole would eat into almost half, so administration advised against it.
Council passed a motion to deny an easement for a power pole and overhead installation and to request administration ask Alberta Transportation once again for underground installation of hydro lines.
Council’s first crack at Highway 55/34th Street intersection debate
The Town of Athabasca’s new council had its first say about concerns surrounding the intersection of Highway 55 and 34th Street by A&W after receiving an Oct. 1 letter from a concerned citizen on the matter.
The unnamed citizen acknowledged “no easy solution to (the) intersection woes,” but said no vehicles should be allowed to exit 34th Street whatsoever, although turning into the street may be permitted.
According to Maier, statistics from Alberta Transportation indicate nine non-animal-related collisions occurred at the intersection in four years between 2007 and 2011, some of which sent people to hospital.
One of those injuries was to a young boy in an accident this summer. The collision was remarkably similar to one last December that also involved a vehicle turning left out of 34th Street colliding with a vehicle travelling east up the Highway 55 hill.
The citizen said 34th Street should be made one-way only, and anyone wanting to get to the highway should exit Cornwall by Canadian Tire.
Councillor Steve Schafer said he is opposed to 34th Street being made one-way street and suggested council deny any such request.
After former councillor George Hawryluk’s request for collision statistics from Alberta Transportation revealed the intersection is not as bad as some in other regions, the former council’s final decision was that the intersection be left as is.
The present council passed a motion to accept the citizen’s letter as information; no decision on the fate of the intersection was made.
Campground collaboration
Mayor Roger Morrill floated an idea by town council for the campground near the Athabasca River.
He said he would like for administration to open discussions with the Athabasca Lions club to explore the possibility of the club taking over the campground.
Verhaeghe said it would be a good starting point and would foster community collaboration.
Councillor Nichole Adams expressed concerns with the site and said it was closed in June after the fire department and community peace officer investigated it. She said there is a fire hazard due to brush, lack of sanitation, lack of available water to put out campfires and the width of passageways for quads.
Verhaeghe said there are not sanitation facilities on site.
Maier said if discussion is sparked with the Lions, he suspected the discussion could take the direction of alternative campground locations.
“I think the idea has merit,” said councillor Shelly Gurba. “I think that it’s really great that we get the campsite going again.”
Council passed a motion “to direct administration to contact the Lions Club at no charge for the purpose of campground discussions.”
Morrill’s push to pass town budget by year’s end may be pushing it
Morrill said it would be preferable for the town to pass its budget for the following year by year-end as the county does, as this would coincide pro-actively with collaborative services between the two bodies.
Traditionally, Athabasca County passes its budgets for the next year by year-end, whereas the Town of Athabasca has in the past not completed these processes until for a few months into the budget year.
The mayor said he has “been an advocate for some time in getting our budget in step with Athabasca County” and suggested council give a firm recommendation on whether or not it would like the 2014 budget to be ready by Jan. 1.
“This is not a light situation. This usually involves the better part of a week of sitting down and going through various processes,” said Morrill, conscious that the end of the year is quickly approaching.
“I would like us to go ahead and start, at least, the process this year — doing as much as we can with the intent of trying to get things done up as quick as we can in the new year,” said Morrill.
Maier said he was aware the desire in the past has been to get the budget done sooner, but this year, it will be particularly difficult to achieve that end with the new council having just been formed.
“It’s really tough for us to sit down and work on budget before we sit down with the council and having a planning session, because we really have no idea of the priorities of this council,” said Maier.
The CAO suggested getting the budget done by year’s end may be more attainable next year, but said it may be “too much of an obstacle” this time around, although the budget could be done sooner.
Gurba said funding in some areas is already in place and may only need minor adjustments if a skeletal foundation is already set. She suggested it should not take until March to get the budget together.
Council discussed the matter, but no motion was made.
