Peace River Town Council Committee of the Whole: November 1, 2010

Items on Monday's Committee of the Whole agenda include:

• An update by Staff Sergeant Brian Bohlken, RCMP Detachment Commander, on the annual performance plan
• The July and August RCMP reports
• My request to join the library board as a public member 
• A backgrounder from Wendy Nickel, the Town's Finance Manager, on the 2011 budget process. This budget process is intended to be completed earlier than in previous years, which is something CAO MacQuarrie has been moving staff towards for two years. I note that there is a budget open house scheduled for January 5, 2011. January 24 is the proposed date for Council to adopt the 2011 operating and capital budgets, with the tax rate bylaw to be passed in April.
•  Significant Events for September and October 2010 from the CAO, Corporate Services Department (which includes Planning & Development, Communications and the official election results), Community Services Department (which includes Family & Community Support Services--FCSS, Recreation, & Administration), Protective Services (Fire Department & Bylaw Enforcement plus Safety Committee Meeting minutes), Engineering, Infrastructure & Public Works Department.
  
  From Corporate Services, note the initiative from the museum to join a project so that Peace River's historical bylaws from 1914 to 1964 can now be accessed. Note that the link in the report doesn't work. Bylaw No. 1 was about animal control--something the Town recent revisited. While dogs don't roam the way they did in 1914, animal control continues to be challenging--now it's uncontrolled barking dogs.
  
  Planning & Development: In September and October there were 2 commercial building permits issued (total value of $15,000 and 4 residents (total value of $721,700).
  
  Recreation: A first draft of the Parks and Trails Master Plan is being reviewed prior to presentation to Council on November 8. 

• Request for Decision: Think Local Market Initiative (proposed website).
• Request for Decision: Visitor Friendly Community Assessment draft terms of reference
• Request for Decision: Peace Region Waste Management Company Proxy. This is a request to appoint a proxy holder, who will vote on behalf of the Town of Peace River, during shareholder meetings.
• The official list of 2010/11 Council Member Appointments to Boards & Committees
• A request to cancel the November 22 Council meeting, since mayor and council will be attending the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention in Edmonton

Under Information items:

• Provincial Fund-raising Functions and Provincial Political Contributions. This letter from Elections Alberta clarifies proper payment policies for councillors that attend political fundraisers.
• Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) Communique for September 23, 2010.
• Letter from Transport Canada accompanying a copy of the Rail Freight Service Review Panel's Interim Report and a letter of response from PREDA (Peace Region Economic Development Alliance).
• Thank you letter from the U of A Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry for the Town's involvement with the Preclinical Networked Medical Education (PNME) pilot project. Thirteen second-year students spent 4 weeks here as part of that project.