Budget survey

“If you were given $1,000 to spend on core services provided by the Municipality, how would you allocate the funds?”

“In addition to property taxes you currently pay, would you support a dedicated 1% increase to property taxes to specifically fund the rehabilitation of Municipal assets and infrastructure?”

“Please select the top 5 priorities that you feel require the most attention from Council and Municipal Administration.”

These are some of the questions part of a survey that, as of Friday, October 5, the municipality is disseminating for residents to have their say regarding the municipality’s budget priorities.

The survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, can be accessed online via the municipal Facebook page, the municipal website and through the digital newsletter. Hardcopies are available at the office and will be inserted into the Pass Herald newspaper. There will be drop boxes at various locations throughout the community or it can be dropped off at the municipal office.

The deadline to submit responses is October 25. Administration will compile the results in time for the November 1 budget meeting. A prize, as of yet undetermined, will be randomly drawn among those who completed the survey.

Visit the municipal website or Facebook page for updates.

RCMP boundaries

The Crowsnest Pass RCMP detachment will be requesting a boundary change from the Southern Alberta District.

Presently, the Crowsnest Pass detachment boundary extends up to Chain Lakes Provincial Park along Highway 22. As RCMP Staff Sergeant Greg Wiebe explains, they will request the north boundary to be pushed down approximately 20km.

“If I have one constable working, doing patrols 100 km up the road leaves the base of the populace here without police,” says S/Sgt. Wiebe. “It’s a 30-minute response time for us to come back down. All in all, we just want to have better service for our clients here.”

Although he adds that the detachment receives a minimal call volume from that area, the boundary change would increase client satisfaction and service delivery, and enable more proactive patrolling and more frequent interactions with residents.

With Nanton RCMP detachment approximately 20 minutes away, he says it just makes more sense for them to be responsible for that area. It would also be more convenient for residents in that area to drive to the Nanton detachment, which is considerably closer to them than that of Crowsnest Pass.

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and the MD of Ranchlands have agreed to provide a letter of support.

2.4-km rule for busses

Mayor Blair Painter had spoken with David Eggen, the Minister of Education, to make a case for amending the 2.4-km bussing rule in Alberta, which stipulates only children living at least 2.4 km away from their school are eligible for school bus transportation to and from their school.

“There are busses, a lot of the time completely empty or with one or two kids in, driving past all the other kids that are walking to school, and they don’t pick them up,” he says.

Minister Eggen had said they would examine the issue further.

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