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East Central Alberta R 72 pt
Targeting East Central Alberta
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Your favourite source for news and entertainment in 30 pt EastR Central Alberta, reaching 90 communities weekly
Thursday, December 15, 2016 Volume 105 No. 50 www.ECAreview.com
COUNTY OF PAINTEARTH R 24 pt
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Extensive interim work is being done at Valley Ski hill at Alliance this fall in hopes of getting it open for this year’s ski season while more work will be required in the long term to keep the ski hill operating. Snow was being made on Mon. Dec. 12 on the ‘dog leg’ while operators were manning the big equipment on the ‘expert’ and ‘bowl’ to push dirt back up the hill.
Extensive work at Valley Ski hill at Alliance Extensive work is being done on the ski hill supported financially with $300,000 each from Paintearth county and Flagstaff county over a period of three years. The ski hill is looking for volunteer equipment operators to push dirt up the hill in an interim effort to get the ski hill open this year with long term plans for extensive work to keep the hill going, said CAO Aaserud. Council determined there were too many implications [safety assessments, etc.] to have county staff out there during work hours. “That’s why we give the financial contribution,” said Coun. Dalmer. That doesn’t prevent county staff from
doing it on their own time, outside of work hours.
Interim budget
Paintearth council approved their Interim Budget with a 2.4 per cent cost of living increase in wages for nonunion employees for 2017 in a 7 - 1 vote with Coun. Dalmer opposed. “I think we’ve been pretty generous in the seven years I’ve been back [on council],” said Coun. Rocky Dalmer noting it’s likely around the 20 per cent over the seven years and adding in these times we need to be prudent. Coun. Dalmer also noted he had talked with other counties and found most were not going over the 1.5 per
cent. He also said he had a problem with the per cent system of raises because it broadens the gap between the higher paid employees from the lesser paid employees, noting he has seen this happen in other fields [of employment], as well. Dalmer however, noted he was was satisfied with the “cautious budget which is good”. Coun. Doreen Blumhagen reported that Flagstaff County wage increase was 1.8 per cent. “We’ve been in that position before, we don’t want to play catch-up,” noted Coun. Tyrill Hewitt making the motion to adopt the Interim Operating budget saying that he did not want to
INDEX Big Valley council ��������������� 2 Stettler town council ���������� 3 Flagstaff county ������������������ 3 Obituary ����������������������������� 4 On the other hand �������������� 6 PrairieView ������������������������� 6 Letters �������������������������������� 7 Classifieds/Careers �����������10
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Unveils Single-tier Residents vision for governance generous future model Page 8 Page 2 Page 3
RCMP �������������������������������12
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see the county have to play catch-up on wages. The county union employees, according to their contract, have a 2.4 per cent increase for 2017. CAO Tarolyn Aaserud noted the cost of living increase added $15,000 to the budget. No adjustments were added into the budget for the effects of the carbon tax as no one knows, as of yet, what effects the carbon tax will have on the municipal budgets. Fuel alone impact would be approximately $70,000, said CAO Aaserud, noting on a 3.3 million dollar budget, an estimate of the carbon tax would be $100,000 but until we know, it’s hard to budget. Turn to Technology, Pg 2 YOUR SPECIALIST FOR YOUR SPECIALIST FOR YOUR SPECIALIST FOR flooring flooring window furnishings flooring window furnishings wall coverings window furnishings wallwall coverings coverings lighting lighting interior design paint & accessories interior interiordesign design
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