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Local libraries being well utilized

Posted on May 28, 2019 by 40 Mile Commentator

Justin Seward
Commentator/Courier

Petra Mauerhoff of Shortgrass Library System visited with County of Forty Mile council at their May 22 meeting to talk about the libraries and the services they offer.
She focused her update on the local libraries in the area in Bow Island and Foremost.
Between both libraries, a total of 33,164 items were burrowed by patrons in 2018.
Local card holders checked out 3,079 eBooks and 14 users took 31 online courses for free.
The two libraries have received five new public use and four new staff computers with Shortgrass funding in 2018.
Both libraries also received five new public use and four new staff computers with Shortgrass funding in 2018.
Mauerhoff did note that e-book usage has climbed 29 per cent.
A Municipal Levy is applied at $5.12 per capita and is equaled to $18,335 based on the county’s population of 3,581 in 2018. The levy pays for the membership in the Shortgrass library system.
Materials allotment is $5.08 per capita which is equal to $18,191 based on the local population. The fee is divided evenly between the Foremost and Bow Island libraries and covers the cost for patrons to access, including e-resources.
Provincial funding works out to $5.55 per capita, totaling $18,515 for the population for Forty Mile County and is redistributed to Foremost and Bow Island libraries to cover expenses related to service county residents.

Broadband internet

The county is still one of the municipalities showing interest in the fibre technology broadband ring that would complete the circuit from Calgary to Medicine Hat, along the Highway 3 corridor and back up to Calgary after council viewed a list of communities who have dropped out. A final list of communities involved and their financial contributions will be decided on June 7.

Highway 61

An environmental study has been done on the last stretch of Highway 61 improvements from Etzikom to Orion. Construction is expected to commence in 2020.

New policy requirements for authorized employers of Peace officers

As of September 2018, through the Peace Officer Program, municipalities will have two new policy requirements to follow in response to the Lazenby fatality inquiry.
Under the Communications System Policy and Protocol, all authorized employers must implement a communications system that allows them to know where their officers are during a shift and ensure officers can call for assistance when needed. The type of system utilized will depend on the needs of the community and can range from online apps monitored through the PRCC to a traditional system.
In the Known Risk Policy and Protocol, All authorized employer must implement a system for identifying individuals or sites within the community that pose a known risk should a peace officer attend. The purpose of this system is to ensure officers can reasonably access risks to officer safety before attending a site and request the necessary back-up to undertake their duties with the lowest level of risk possible.
These policy requirements were implemented after peace officer Rod Lazenby was killed in 2012 while investigating a dog complaint on a rural property near Priddis and did not have adequate access for back up and was under equipped.
Council approved the policy requirements.

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