Residents could be facing a bigger penalty if they don't pay their taxes on time in the Town of Bonnyville.
Council tasked administration with coming up with an incremental tax penalty during their Aug. 27 meeting.
Rene Stoyles, director of finance, said it's been 12 years since the bylaw has been changed for residential and commercial properties.
The town's current tax penalty is 27 per cent; a 12 per cent penalty of the taxes owing is charged on July 1, while an additional 15 per cent is tacked on to the remaining balance on Jan. 1.
After comparing their own process to surrounding municipalities, council agreed to look into a system similar to the City of Cold Lake's, which has a two per cent increase on the first of every month someone is late paying their taxes.
"That bylaw is an incentive to pay early," detailed Coun. Brian McEvoy. "Where ours, as soon as (you're late), you might as well wait until Dec. 31. This is an incentive to get somebody to pay us as soon as possible, which gives us cash flow."
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No alcohol in Bonnyville parks
Alcohol consumption won't be permitted in town parks after council had the local policing committee weigh in on the issue.
Council voted against relaxing their bylaws surrounding the topic after receiving feedback from the committee.
"Observations made by the committee when we discussed this matter included the fact there's presently no suitable recreation infrastructure in town to support having a dedicated picnic or similar area where alcohol can be consumed, along with food," noted assistant CAO Bill Rogers, who sits on the committee.
If there was an appropriate space developed in the future, the policing committee suggested council consider bringing the subject back to the table.
The town discussed the possibility after the province requested municipalities contemplate relaxing their consumption bylaws earlier this year.
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Open house slated for aquatics centre feasibility study
Residents will have the chance to ask questions and see the plans for the proposed aquatics centre in town.
The project team for the feasibility study will present key findings from the community engagement, facility options and concepts, and estimated capital and operating costs. The open house is scheduled to be held at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
More to come.
Discussing public use of the community room
Town administration will be ironing out the details and bringing a draft policy for not-for-profits that could access the community room in the basement of the town hall.
Among the issues discussed was how groups would be able to access the building after hours, and who would be responsible for ensuring the doors were locked after everyone had left.
"I would suggest talking to Shaw House because they have their little board room off to the side that groups can use, they'll do it after hours, and their staff isn't there," suggested Coun. Elisa Brosseau.
Council agreed not-for-profit organizations could use the facility at no cost, however, a damage deposit would be required.
"We would have some sort of a rental agreement where the responsibilities of both parties are pretty clear, and our expectation would be to get the facility back in the same condition as we rented it out," McEvoy stated.
Council will discuss the topic further after administration reaches out about what procedures organizations and municipalities with similar spaces have in place.
Town supports MD of Bonnyville's rec park
Council was on board with plans moving ahead to have the MD's recreational multi-use outdoor park located in town.
Preliminary discussions between the municipalities suggested the site should be situated on the west-end of town.
CAO Mark Power believes the designs are in progress, and town staff will be involved in discussions with the MD moving ahead.
Addressing congestion on main street later
Council is waiting to hear more from the policing committee regarding left-hand turns on 50 Ave.
"They're hoping to obtain a copy of the Hwy. 28 formal report that was done by the province to see what recommendations were in the report specific to downtown Bonnyville," Rogers explained. "We're in the middle of trying to get that from transportation officials at this time, and that's going to be discussed again in a couple of weeks at the committee meeting in September."
Coun. Rene Van Brabant requested council discuss the topic during a June 25 meeting to address issues surrounding traffic during certain times of the day. It was sent to the policing committee to get recommendations during a July 9 meeting.
Making Bonnyville healthier
The Bonnyville Wellness Coalition received an Alberta Healthy Communities Initiative grant, said Brosseau, who sits on the board.
"We're going through that project to see what that could look like here in Bonnyville," she added.
The coalition will be receiving $20,000 over the next two years, funding that has been earmarked to enhance and enrich the community by creating more opportunities for residents.
