Cypress County looks at meeting dates, new command unit

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Commentator/Courier
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With summer officially behind us, Cypress County is looking over the past harvest season and into the future.

At Cypress County Council’s Sept. 6 meeting, it was noted in the CAO’s report that the Cypress Sunset Scamper Race has submitted their request to have a reprise of the race on April 6, 2024. Provided all conditions are met, there should be no issues moving forward in allowing the race to happen. 

Councillors were quite busy in the past few weeks, between several attending the Dunmore Days pancake breakfast, to meeting in Irvine to look over the progress at the Community Resource Centre; work is being done on the drywall and interior, and they expect to be installing playground equipment later this month.

Some calls have been placed in the last few days regarding utilities in Desert Blume, and it was requested to look into having a clearer understanding with regard to service delivery.

Council is set to have their 2023 organizational meeting on Oct. 17 at 10 a.m., with the regular Council meeting to follow. 

The first November meeting will be moved to Oct. 31, with the November meeting left as is; some lighthearted discussion among council added that dressing up for this meeting date is optional.

During the 2022 budget deliberation the Fire Chief’s vehicle was approved for replacement at $95,000, and the intent was this vehicle would be a smaller SUV that can still meet all the requirements and functions of fire command operations. 

There were no bids received for a diesel option, and at the meeting, Council passed a motion to re-tender the RFP for a police edition SUV.

Council directed administration to do a survey of the St. Margaret’s Church grounds. The request was brought forward by David Carter of the Medicine Lodge Coulee Heritage Society, in order to establish the legal boundaries of the church site, to plan for succession and needed expansion of the cemetery.