County of Forty Mile council discuss Yellow Lake subdivision

Steve Wikkerink

By Justin Seward

Commentator/Courier

Cornelius Friesen came to visit the County of Forty Mile Council to discuss his subdivision development plans for his property on the north end of Yellow Lake on Sept. 23.
Both Friesen and council discussed the requirements of what he has to do with his roads moving forward for dust control.
“We talked about a few different options and looked at what our policies say about that, and tried to work with him a little bit to not make the costs be so high, that he can’t afford to do the subdivision,” said County Reeve Steve Wikkerink.
“Any subdivision that gets approved and the developer does the subdivision, they build the roads. They have to build roads to meet our specs because two years after they start filling that subdivision, the roads become ours and then we have to take them over and do all the maintenance from there on.”
Friesen told council the lots will be similar to a subdivision that is already at the north end of the lake and will be for residence and a small shop.
“It’s not going to be a house and a large quonset or a business to be worked out of. It’s more of an acreage-type setting,” said Wikkerink.
The other developer built a subdivision in that area in 2007 and Friesen will be building right beside him.
Friesen will extend the service road by 600 metres past the existing subdivision.
“The way our policy reads now is once a subdivision is 50 per cent filled or sold, then your roads servicing the subdivision have to be oiled,” said Wikkerink.
“That was his biggest question and council decided that because it is way out in the country- the first subdivision-which is going to be right beside him and he is going to join on to the same service road, (which) is not oiled, (and it)was not required to be oiled because that was not put into the policy yet back in 2007,” he said.
Council offered Friesen a break on not oiling the roads.
However, if the residents out there would like some sort of dust control, then Friesen may have to look into his options.
Council briefs
Fall RMA Convention
Council was initially heading to Edmonton in November for the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) conference and was wanting to book meetings with certain ministers.
“Then we found out the RMA Convention would be all virtual and it’s going to be on Nov. 3-4,” said Wikkerink.
“We are still writing letters to three or four different ministers that we still want to try either meet with virtually or if we can co-ordinate it (and) council makes a trip to Edmonton to meet with the ministers. It still would be pretty important to get in front of these ministers to talk about some of our concerns.”
Council would like to meet with Municipal Affairs minister Tracy Allard, Minister of Transportation Ric McIver and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen and with the association minister of red tape reduction Grant Hunter.
Council would like to discuss the Highway 3 work coming up, Highway 61 and Highway 885’s crumbling issue, south of Etzikom, with McIver.
With Dreeshen, council would like to promote the speciality crops that are grown in southern Alberta.
The Hunter discussion would involve things delaying county projects and promoting HALO.
Agriculture department change
The municipality has designated Kevin Jesske to Ag Fieldman from assistant Ag Fieldman, so he meets the requirements and represents the county at the AAAF level (Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen).
The County has been without an Ag Fieldman since Darrel Van Arragon resigned back in mid-summer.
Shortgrass Library System
Council approved the municipality’s annual funding to the Shortgrass Library System in the amount of $35,609.
Recreation funding
The county doled out a grant of $150,000 in recreation funds to be split in each community in the municipality.

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