At a special council meeting to Tuesday, July 23rd, Myron Thompson, Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, presented a report on the annexation process with the Municipal District of Ranchland.
Thompson recommended that Council determine the area of land to be included in the annexation process and direct Administration to prepare and forward the Notice of Intent, to annex the MD of Ranchland, as required under the Municipal Government Act.
The proposed annexation will be of a portion of the MD of Ranchland, approximately 870-quarter sections in size.
The Notice of Intent is the written notice of the proposed annexation forwarded to the MD of Ranchland Government Board and any other authority that may be affected, such as school divisions and hospitals.
The letter would describe the physical land area to be annexed, the reasons for the annexation and methods of communication and consultation that will take place with land owners.
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass have exchanged correspondence, prepared a discussion paper, assembled statistics and data, prepared presentations and participated in a joint Council meeting with the MD of Ranchland.
The Notice of Intent to annex can be withdrawn, amended or left in abeyance, even after it is submitted.
There will be a fee to annex, including an application fee of $300 for the first quarter and $50 per quarter for the remaining land area.
This fee can be reduced or waived by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths and the fee is not required at the front end of the process. It is payable at the approval process stage.
Mayor Bruce Decoux moved that Council defer the Notice of Intent to a later date pending the review of additional information. The motion was defeated, as many councillors said they have already delayed the decision enough and they have to reach a conclusion sooner rather than later.
Councillor Brian Gallant moved that Council direct Administration to proceed with the Notice of Intent in order to annex 870 quarter sections of the MD of Ranchland. The motion was carried.
