Construction of the 50 Ave. trail could begin within the next couple of months.
After receiving feedback from administration, Town of Bonnyville council decided on a change of plans during their Sept. 24 meeting.
The original draft called for the walking path to run along the north-side of 50 Ave. between the Centennial Centre and the 37 St. 7-Eleven. However, assistant CAO Bill Rogers noted new information has shown there is a more suitable option.
"The engineers are recommending that we construct trail option two on the south-side of 50 Ave., and go up the south-side as far as the 7-Eleven."
He continued, "When we looked at the costs, the engineers figured the southern portion could be constructed in this year, and that it could be done for the money we already budgeted."
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Learning about the future of 911
Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) fire chief Jay Melvin made a presentation to council outlining what the future holds for 911 operations.
Next Generation 911 is an overhaul to the way a caller can contact 911 operators.
"The change to Next Generation 911 will significantly enhance public safety communications and services," detailed Melvin.
The BRFA began making upgrades around five years ago ahead of the June 30, 2023 deadline given to all 911 dispatch centres across Canada.
It will include real-time texting with a 911 operator, with future plans to incorporate multimedia aspects.
"There's a picture of something happening, or if there's an accident scene and you need a video, or if you need to be instructed on how to do CPR, you're going to have a video back and forth with the 911 operator to provide that service to the public," Melvin said.
Click here to read our full story on Next Generation 911.
Multi-family subclass bylaw moving ahead
The multi-family subclass bylaw passed its first reading, and is set to be in place for 2020.
"The rationale behind creating it for multi-family properties is based on the fluctuation of the assessment year over year as the economy fluctuates," explained director of finance Renee Stoyles. "Multi-family assessments are based on the evaluation of income approach, and fluctuations of the economy as it happened in the Lakeland area over the past few years."
The discussion first came up during council's April 9 meeting.
The bylaw will be brought before council for a second and third reading in the coming months.
Giving back for the holiday season
Councillors will once again be serving up a feast during the Bonnyville Friendship Centre's community dinners for Thanksgiving on Oct. 10 and Christmas on Dec. 12 at the Beaver River Fish and Game Building.
They also voted in favour of contributing $400 to each event.
