MD Council notes November, 2012

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Council for the Muncipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9 held public meetings on November 6 and 27.

Creek bed woes

Gordon Carlson appeared before the council on November 6  to seek assistance with a creek bed where Pincher Creek and Chipman Creek meet.

Carlson said that back in 1953 at MD straighten out what was to become Tower Road, replacing a wooden bridge with a box-type cement culvert.  "The area immediately east of the culvert was a quagmire of mud and the M.D. was unable to complete the job," Carlson said in his initial letter to the council.

Carlson also said he had reluctantly parted with a rock pile in the past "on the promise that the M.D. would supply me with rocks whenever the need should arise.  They said they crushed gravel every year and that there were always large rocks as a by-product."  He said that when he tried to acquire some rocks after the 1995 flood he was told none were available.

"I have spent $6000 of my own money in an attempt to fortify the creek bank.  Arnold Nelson was dispatched by the M.D. to examine my problem and he thought Environment would need to be involved."  Carlson said it had been estimated that at least 700 tons of rock had been hauled form his property.  "I made this contribution to the M.D. and now I feel I deserve some consideration to address my problem."

Carlson said one of the after effects of the damage done by the 1995 flood was a dramatic increase of invasive plants.

Reeve Berg said council would discuss the situation and get back to him.


Roadworks

According to Operations Manager Leo Reedyk on November 6, the landfill road paving project had been completed with some deficiencies that were expected to be addressed right away. Work on the North Burmis road was still expected to take "the better part of three weeks on the north end", with dirt work and chip seal work expected to be completed by April 15, 2013.  According to Reedyk the North Burmis road will be gravelled and fixed up for winter.  He said more dirt had to be moved and the terrain was more difficult for the North Burmis road project when compared to the Landfill road project, explaining the difference in time and costs associated with the two projects.  According to Reedyk the Bonertz road bridge project has been tendered and Alberta Transportation is reviewing the project. "The intent is to have it done in the spring."

Winter roads

Councilor Rod Cyr asked Operations Manager Leo Reedyk why sand and salt were not being used on gravel and oiled roads in the winter months.  Reedyk said that salt creates a brine that freezes at different temperatures on oiled roads, creating more problems than it solves.  "On gravel roads it's just a waste of resources."  According to Reedyk no salt is allowed at the airport due to the corrosive effects it has on aircraft.

Crowsnest/Pincher Creek Landfill Board Councilor Terry Yagos asked Reedyk for an estimate of how much it would cost to plow the landfill road, "to pay for on a monthly basis".  "I'm impressed," Yagos said.  "After the first snowstorm I was there just after 8 am and it was already sanded."

New Corporal for RCMP

Corporal Kevin McKenna has been transferred from the Crowsnest Pass RCMP to head the Pincher Creek RCMP.

Boundary change

Council has decided to move the electoral boundary for the Castle Mountain area from Division 1 into Division 3.  A bylaw for such a boundary change must be adopted at least 180 days in advance of the next Council election.  "It makes more sense," said Division 1 Councillor Helen Cyr, who will lose about 6 voters with the change.  Division 3 Councillor Garry Marchuk said the change seemed sensible to him as well.  The proposal unanimously passed first reading on November 27.

Riverview Wind Power Plant

Enel Alberta Wind Inc. Project Manager Michael Kehle appeared before council on November 27 to discuss plans for and answer questions about the proposed Riverview Wind Power Plant to be constructed north of Pincher Station.  Enel is the general partner of the Castle Rock Ridge Limited Partnership that operates the Castle Rock Ridge wind farm.  Enel also held an open house on November 29 at the Heritage Inn to get feedback from local citizens, in accordance with Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) requirements.  Kehle said this was stage 3 of the interconnection process, and that Enel was almost ready to move to stage 4, submitting their application to the AUC, which he said would likely happen in January of 2013.

According to Kehle the specific turbine to be installed has not yet been decided, with two suppliers providing designs that would call for different setbacks, affecting the number of turbines it would be possible to install.  He said the turbines would not generate more than 150 megawatts.  "That's the capacity for the substation we've planned."  He said that even though the submitted layout was for 111 turbines "We're not going to be building that many."  He also said the turbines would be bigger than the ones in place at the Castle Rock wind farm.  "These are the biggest that I think we can build for this wind region."

Reeve Bjorn Berg expressed concerns with the kinds of roads and the reclamation process that occurred with the original Castle Rock project.  "Is there a change in your process?"

"We're not in the design phase yet," said Kehle.  "What will dictate the size of the roads will be the size of the crane we need, which will depend on the size of the turbines we choose.  We will be trying to maximize the roads that already exist."

Reeve Berg also expressed concern about the light noise associated with turbine projects.  "We've collected a lot of concern about lighting in the Pincher Station area," he said.  "I will be very concerned if you're going to follow the current lighting regime.  You can see it all night long and it's in your face, all the way to Highway 22.  Why do people who live there have to put up with this industrial style flashing in their face, it's continuous?"

Kehle said the lighting requirements were dictated by Transportation Canada.  "They review it and they come back and tell me which turbines need to be lit, and how they are lit."

"I have to do what the law tells me to do,"

"Could you appeal their decision?" asked Councillor Terry Yagos. "What it would take, I think, if sufficient complaint that came from the wind farm we forwarded, if I received something I could say to Transport Canada..." replied Kehle.

"If you want letters you'll get a lot," Said Reeve Berg.  "It disappoints me that you won't take the Municipal Councillor's opinion as a supported view.  The lights constantly blinking on and off is the problem.  If you want a petition you'll get one."