Rural Review. M.D. s T&U department paving the way. February Tax deadlines. Reeve s Message. Good fences. Page 3. Page 3. Page 6.

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1 Rural Review Page 2 Page 3 Reeve s roots Putting Message down in the M.D. Page 3 4 Roads in the Municipal District of Bonnyville were a busy place to be in 2013 and not just because of the traffic. In addition to pothole crews doing repairs throughout the M.D., and the usual grader maintenance of our gravel roads, ratepayers also saw construction and repairs happening. Last year we oiled in excess of 50 miles of roads, explained Transportation and Utilities Director, Darcy Zelisko. We also reconstructed 10 miles and had 20 miles of roads contract paved. Zelisko said last year s season got off to a great and early start, which helped make up for the lull in the middle, where rainy weather delayed some road projects. With the addition of a new paver at the end of August, we were able to pick up the pace and complete all projects, he said. He explained some of the tender processes changed, which made penalties stiffer if timelines were not met by contractors. In direct relation to that, all contract paving was done on time this year, Zelisko said. Zelisko said he plans on growing the paving crew, which will help keep up with the work that needs to be done on some of the M.D. s 2,000-plus kilometres of roadways. We will be able to do more paving internally, but there We have the capability and manpower to oil between 50 and 60 miles of roads this year, and there will be about four miles of contract paving. This year will see the end of Phase 1 in the Ardmore Street Improvements project, which included the re- will still be contract work because of the number of priorities Council wants looked after. While the 2014 Roads Project list hasn t been finalized yet, Zelisko says there are a number of projects his department is looking forward to starting work on, and a few more they re looking at finishing. The amount of construction will remain about the same (10 miles), he said. placement of underground services along Railway Ave. It will also see the start of Phase 2, which includes replacement of underground services and resurfacing of a road in another section of the hamlet. There will be a tender going out to rebuild three miles of road to Crane Lake Range Road 444. A tender will also being going out for the second phase of the Wolf Lake Road, which would see grad- Good fences Tax deadlines February 2014 Reeve s Message ing and reconstruction of the road leading to the M.D. s Wolf Lake Campground. We re doing that to safely accommodate industry traffic, as well as residential and recreational traffic, Zelisko explained. Range Road 461 to Highway 660 will see pavement this year, and there are three other projects that will be tendered out for design work Baywood Road, which completely connects Cold Lake North to Cold Lake South, the completion of Gurneyville Road and the reconstruction and base paving of Range Road 485 from Highway 660 to Township Road 630. There will also be 200 miles of roads that will receive dust suppressant. Zelisko urges anyone who sees a problem with an M.D. roadway to contact the 24-hour hotline at All secondary highways (i.e. Highways 660, 892, 897, etc.) and primary highways (i.e. Highways 28, 41, 55, etc.) are the responsibility of the Province of Alberta and their highway contractor, Carillion Canada. Page 6 M.D. s T&U department paving the way

2 Rural Review Page 2 Agriculture and Waste Services News Fence Line Clearing Program back for 2014 Council has budgeted $17,000 for the Municipal District of Bonnyville s 2014 Fence Line Clearing Program. This program is available for farmers to do their own brushing along the roadside. This allows the farmer to extend the cultivated portion of their land to the edge of the roadway. Farmers are also compensated for clearing the road allowance portion. The road allowance has to be cleared of rocks and trees and sloped to allow proper drainage. The farmer s fence also has to be placed at the 66 foot or 100 foot mark to correspond to road width. Compensation rates depend on the amount of brush and rocks in the road allowance. Rates vary from $500 to $2,500 per half mile. Please contact Assistant Agricultural Fieldman Janice Boden at for more information and to set up an inspection. This program is only intended for agricultural purposes, and cannot be accessed for commercial or industrial improvements. Application forms for the Fence Line Clearing Program can be found on our website at ab.ca under Departments, Agriculture and Waste Services. M.D. provides rental equipment for local farmers Do you need a cattle scale? How about a post pounder, skunk trap or loading chute? The M.D. s Agriculture and Waste Department is once again giving local farmers an opportunity to rent a variety of equipment to help them with their agricultural operations. Coming from a farming family, I know the value of this program, said Matt Janz, Director of Agriculture and Waste Services. It allows farmers who may not own some of this equipment or experience breakdown of their own equipment to get things done. Equipment can be picked up from the Ag and Waste Services office at Range Road 455. There is also some equipment available from one of our three satellite lending locations in Goodridge, Cherry Grove and Iron River. MD of Bonnyville No 87 ASB Rental Equipment & Rates Pickup & Return Times: 7:30-8 a.m. or 2:30 3 p.m. Call: Equipment Backpack Sprayer Bin Crane Bloodless Castrator Broadcaster Calf Turntable Castrating Knife & Emasculator Castrator Rubbers Cattle Scale Corral Panels Cyclone Seeder Dehorner Eco Spreader Hand Seeder Hoof Trimmers 15 Land Roller 30 Land Roller Loading Chute Magpie Trap Portable Tub, Alley & Squeeze (Delivered) with gas engine Rock Digger Skunk Trap Tree Planter Truck Sprayer Custom Spraying Rent/Day + GST 100/day 3.60 ea 2 14 days 150/day 250/weekend days /hr Goodridge Cherry Grove Arnold Ouelette RR 414 SW W4 Erik Mawer B Hwy 55 SW W4 Landroller Loading Chute 25 Corral Panels Calf Squeeze Calf Squeeze Calf Squeeze Loading Chute 25 Corral Panels Mike Kwiatkowski RR 490 SE W4 Damage Deposit Iron River (Iron River Store) January 2014

3 Page 4 New Home Warranty Now Required No new residential building permits will be issued by the municipality until builders acquire a New Home Warranty. Starting February 1, 2014, every new home built in Alberta will require a New Home Warranty under Alberta s New Home Buyer Protection Act (NHBPA). New homes (single detached family homes/duplexes/multi-family homes/condominiums/manufactured homes/recreational properties) would at minimum, include a warranty for: One year labour and materials; Two years for defects in labour and materials related to delivery and distribution systems; Five years building envelope protection, with a requirement for the warranty provider to offer the consumer the option to purchase additional years of coverage; and, 10 years coverage for major structural components. Learn more about Alberta s better warranty standards and get to know your role at For More Information Municipal Affairs Public Safety Division Phone (Toll Free): Frequently Asked Questions What buildings are covered under this Act? All new residential construction for which a building permit is issued after the in-force date of February 1, 2014 will need to comply with the Act. This includes houses, condominiums, recreational properties (cottages and cabins), and modular and manufactured homes. Owner-builders will be allowed to not procure a warranty. If they choose to sell their home before the 10-year term of warranty, they must purchase warranty coverage to match the remaining 10-year term, similar to manufactured homes. Any manufactured/modular homes moved to Alberta from another province or country would be required to carry warranty if they were new enough to fall under the warranty periods. For example, a manufactured home that is four years old and is being moved into Alberta from Saskatchewan would have to have warranty of one year for building envelope and six years for major structural. Dorms, work camps, hotels and rental apartments will be exempt, as they follow a different ownership model. What are the minimum required terms of coverage under the NHBPA? The minimum required warranty coverage terms are: One year labour and materials for detached homes and non-common property in condominiums; Two years for defects in labour and material related to delivery and distribution systems; 10 years for major structural; and Five years on building envelope, with a requirement for the warranty provider to offer the option to purchase additional years of coverage. What will warranty coverage cost? The cost of warranty for an average house is estimated to be $1,700 to $2,000. Exact cost will vary, depending on the warranty provider, the builder, and the home. In January 2012, the average price of a home in Alberta was $342,000. Based on that average, warranty coverage would cost less than one per cent of the price of the home, and less than many of the upgrades often made to a home during construction to protect the biggest investment most people make. For More Information Call the Municipal Affairs Public Safety Division Phone (Toll Free):

4 Tax deadlines approaching The deadline to sign up for the M.D. s monthly payment plan for property taxes is fast approaching. Friday, February 28 is the last day to get on the automatic payment plan. Here s how it works. Property Tax Notices are usually mailed out in May. Ratepayers already on the payment plan in 2014 will see an estimated tax amount used to calculate property tax payments from January to May. For example, if the estimated property tax is $1,200, the estimated monthly payment from January to May would be $100 ($1,200 divided by 12 months = $100 per month). In June, the payments are recalculated so the tax bill will be paid off in December. For example, if the property tax levy mailed out in May was for $1,100, the amount remaining would be $600 ($1,100 property tax levy - $500 amount paid from January to May). The remaining months (7) are divided into the amount remaining ($600) to revise the payment plan to $85.71 per month. February 28 also marks the last day to have any outstanding taxes paid before an additional 10 percent penalty is applied March 1. If you have any questions about this penalty or your balance on your property tax account, please contact our office at What s new at Kinosoo Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort has unveiled some improvements this year. From the new quad chair lift (pictured), to new runs, a new website and the new Kinosoo Park Academy to teach young snowboarders more freestyle moves, things have definitely been busy at the hill. Check out or follow them on Facebook for upcoming events and camps. Page 3 Putting down strong roots with the M.D. Even though the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) Shelterbelt Program has been discontinued, the Municipal District of Bonnyville is continuing to assist ratepayers in acquiring trees at discounted prices for their properties. The focus of the program is to conserve soil and protect it from erosion caused by weather such as wind and rain, said Director of Agriculture and Waste Services, Matt Janz. It s also for aesthetic reasons and to protect homes and outbuildings from high winds, like the ones we experienced a few weeks ago, he said. This year, residents have three tree suppliers to choose from: 1 - Local trees supplied by the Boreal Horticultural Services. These trees include White Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Tamarack, White Birch, Walker Poplar (fast-growing hybrid). This particular program, is first come, first served, as there are a limited number of trees available. Call Ag Services at to order. 2 - Trees supplied by Alberta Nurseries. Trees can be ordered online at www. marketland.net. Click on Farmstead Trees Order Form, and use Bonnyville as the delivery point. The deadline to order from this supplier is end of March. 3 - This year, for the first time in the M.D. s shelterbelt program, there will be access to a variety of berry bushes, fruit trees, nut trees and larger trees from These trees and bushes come from Smoky Lake. The deadline for this supplier is the end of May. I urge our ratepayers to take advantage of this great program, as not only does it help our environment, but it makes our M.D. look fantastic, and increases the quality of living in our area, said Janice Boden, Assistant Ag Fieldman for the M.D. Contact Boden at or jboden@ md.bonnyville.ab.ca for more information on these shelterbelt programs. Give us your feedback on Rural Review Is there something you d like to see featured in Rural Review? Did you like a particular feature? Let us know! our Communications Coordinator, Tracy Wasylow at twasylow@md.bonnyville.ab.ca or call ext

5 From the desk of Reeve Ed Rondeau Page 6 Reeve Ed Rondeau erondeau@md.bonnyville.ab.ca Now that t h e holidays are over, Council is getting down to business and moving ahead with the long-term Capital Plan. The four-year plan will position the Municipal District of Bonnyville to capitalize on provincial and/or federal grants that become available during that time. With elections coming up both federally and provincially, Council expects both governments to offer some type of grants for road construction, and perhaps other projects such as water and recreation. Undertaking a four-year plan enables Transportation and Utilities and Recreation departments to begin planning (such as engineering designs) for these projects, allowing the M.D. to be ready to access the grant funding when it is first announced. Ward 1 - Don Sinclair dsinclair@md.bonnyville.ab.ca Ward 4 - Barry Kalinski bkalinski@md.bonnyville.ab.ca One factor in applying for grant funding is up-to-date population statistics. To maximize the dollars that the M.D. can access, Council has agreed to undertake its first Municipal Census from April to June, With the strong growth in the past two years, Council believes the M.D. population has increased significantly from the 2011 Federal Census. Council has also applied for approval from the Minister of Municipal Affairs to be able to count the shadow population of workers living in the M.D. While these workers are not permanent residents, they add to the traffic on the roads and use services provided by the M.D. I urge all residents to stand and be counted this spring. We will be making it as easy as possible to fill out the census form with online applications, through the mail and door-to-door follow-up. Larger grants mean less, or no, tax increases. So make sure that you and your family are counted. In this instance, every person counts. Along with accessing all the Meet Your Councillors Ward 2 - David Fox dfox@md.bonnyville.ab.ca Ward 5 - Dana Swigart dswigart@md.bonnyville.ab.ca grants that we can, Council is actively lobbying the provincial government to prioritize certain road projects that are under its jurisdiction. A huge priority for local residents and industry partners are improvements to intersections at Highways 41 and 660 and Highways 28 and 892 (Ardmore). We need to keep reminding the Province these intersections need to be improved to prevent accidents and we need to get action sooner than later. Council would like to see the shoulder of Highway 659 east of the Town of Bonnyville widened to accommodate heavy truck traffic. In addition, Council would like to turn over the municipal portion of Highway 657 to the province as it has become a major artery for industry traffic. Council is also lobbying the province for a needed overlay to the La Corey North Resource Road (from La Corey to the Air Weapons Range). This road is the main access to the Range for industry traffic. When the province signed the five-year accord with the City of Cold Lake Ward 3 - Mike Krywiak mkrywiak@md.bonnyville.ab.ca Ward 6 - Fred Bamber fbamber@md.bonnyville.ab.ca for the Air Weapons Range funding, it provided the M.D. with $600,000 for the first year, with the funding increasing incrementally each year thereafter to a maximum of one million in the fifth year of the accord to maintain the roads that lead up to the Air Weapons Range. When the M.D. signed the accord, Council made it clear that the maintenance of these roads did not include capital costs, such as a pavement overlay. The La Corey Resource Road will need an overlay within the next three years, and the work cannot be done without significant monetary assistance from the province. The next four years will be extremely busy for Council as we work to improve our roads, campgrounds and, if the province provides funding, perhaps a regional water line. I would like to hear residents concerns and opinions regarding the work that Council is doing. The M.D. Facebook page has attracted a lot attention from residents as we provide up-to-date information on what is happening in the region. To reach residents in as many ways as possible, we are starting an online Town Hall on Facebook every month called Corner The Reeve. The first one will occur on Wed., Feb. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. Drop by and ask a question, or just to see what your neighbours are concerned about.

6 As of February 1, 2014, all new residential buildings across the Province of Alberta will require a New Home Warranty before a building permit can be issued by the municipality. Read below for more information. Page 5 Will renovations be covered? Renovations and substantial reconstruction will be defined in regulation, and a reconstruction threshold that will trigger warranty will be identified. In British Columbia that threshold is set at 75% of the home above grade that has been rebuilt. The province is evaluating the threshold for Alberta. Municipal Affairs will develop guidelines and assist municipalities in determining when the threshold for substantial reconstruction is met. I am building my own home. How will I apply for an owner/builder authorization after the Act comes into force? After the Act comes into force, owner/builders will take the following steps to apply for an owner builder authorization: Contact Municipal Affairs to become an authorized user of the online new home registry. Apply for an owner/builder authorization online. This will include stating your intent to live in the home, indicating whether you have a registered interest in the land, and paying the applicable fee. Your application for owner/builder authorization will be assessed. If it is approved, you will be able to receive a building permit. How will permit issuers know that warranty coverage or an owner/builder authorization is in place on my project? Permit issuers will be able to use the Government of Alberta s online New Home Registry to determine whether warranty coverage or an owner/builder authorization is in place on a project. As well, the system will enable builders and owner/builders to provide printed confirmation, if required by the permit issuer. How will buyers know which builders are a good risk? Buyers should research the builders they are considering contracting with to build their new home, including how long the builder has been in business and asking for and following up on references. How will the implementation of the program affect municipalities? Municipalities and permit issuers will be required to check for proof of warranty before issuing construction permits. They will have access to an online database to confirm warranty coverage. The New Home Buyer Protection Act does not affect a municipality s requirement to comply with the Safety Codes Act. Accountabilities set out in the Safety Codes Act, and the accreditation agreement remain the same. Municipalities will have to do a small amount of additional data entry upon issuing the permit. Municipal Affairs will provide guidelines, materials and advice to assist municipalities in meeting the new requirement. What are the penalties for non-compliance under the Act? Penalties are up to $100,000 for a first offence and up to $500,000 for second and subsequent offences. When does the NHBPA take effect? The NHBPA will take effect on February 1, The Act will apply to new homes constructed under a building permit applied after the Act comes into force. If you have more questions, call the Alberta Municipal Affairs Public Safety Division at or visit For More Information Call the Municipal Affairs Public Safety Division Phone (Toll Free):