ATHABASCA — As the holiday celebrations come to a close and reality sets back in, work for local elected officials also picks up to regular speed.
Athabasca’s town councillors will gather for their first meeting of 2025 on Tuesday, Jan. 7 in the Town Office to hear an update on a joint project and begin discussion around a potential vacant land tax rate.
First on the agenda is a presentation from Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS), detailing enrolment, staffing and more updates on the division’s schools within the town limits, including WHPS, LTIS, and the CAVE.
Following AVPS are Mike Gismondi and Cara Shan who will give councillors the low down on the upcoming events and workshop series for Athabasca Grown, a joint project focused on strengthening local food production between the town, researchers at Athabasca University, and industry experts.
Two councillor-submitted items are included in the Jan. 7 agenda package; one from Coun. Sara Graling requesting more information on the number of empty lots around town to inform discussions around creating a tax rate for property left undeveloped for more than five years.
Coun. Ida Edwards will be asking fellow officials for their support in the form of a letter for Alberta TrailNet’s grant application to replace a bridge along the historic path.
The bridge in question is described as on the south end, and the Athabasca Landing Trail Steering Committee and TrailNet are hoping to utilize the Trans Canada Trail repair grant, with a deadline of Jan. 10, to cover a portion of the project costs.
Regular council meetings are open to the public and begin in the Town Office at 6 p.m. An online version of the agenda for the meeting can be found here.
