Property tax
Property tax assessments will be mailed out at the end of this month and the deadline for complaints has now passed and tax bills will be due on or before June 28.
The rate will increase by 2.74 per cent, or an average of $61 per year for the average household; this is down from the original forecast of 2.98 per cent through the 2019 budget process.
Heartland Stage 2 ASP and land use amendment
Council, with the exception of Coun. Morgan Nagel, gave the green light to amend the residential site contained within Stage 2 of Heartland, which would slightly increase the density of the site to allow for around 100 more residents. The decision was based on the perceived difficulty to fill the site with as much commercial as originally planned for.
The pass will get the ball rolling for the adjacent site for the new RCMP station.
Back-up beepers
East End residents Bryan Skrynek and Kevin Shier returned to council to propose that the town take from the success learned in their own community and extend it throughout the town.
The pair are proposing that the town amends the current noise bylaw to mandate the employ of broadband back-up beepers throughout the town.
This is on the heels of measurable success in the East End community, which was once plagued with the back up beeper noise from adjacent industrial/commercial sites. Through the work of the community members, nearby businesses like Allspan and Spray Lake Sawmills, the sites have changed all back-up beepers to broadband from tonal.
The result has been a significant reduction in noise and a restored quality of life. All Town of Cochrane commercial vehicles are now equipped with the broadband back-up beepers, as well.
Skrypnek and Shier would like to see this extended throughout the town to mitigate any noise issues in developing communities in the future.
Council received the presentation and applauded the pair for their efforts and has requested administration to bring forward more information to the July council meeting, including town program options that would assist businesses in easily, and cost effectively accessing the specific back up beepers learned about at the meeting.
Public works week
Mayor Jeff Genung proclaimed May 19-25 public works week.
