Morinville Council Briefs

By Colin Smith
Here is an overview of some of the items from the Nov. 26 regular meeting of Council.
Collective Bargaining to Begin
Town council has directed administration to begin collective bargaining with Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2426.
A motion to that effect was passed after the matter was discussed in closed session at council’s Tuesday, Nov. 26 meeting.
Another motion granted bargaining authority and the ability to sign a memorandum of agreement of with CUPE Local 2426 to Morinville’s bargaining committee for ratification by council.
A further motion ensures that the CUPE collective bargaining mandate report will remain private as set out in various sections of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.
Meadows of Morinville
A group of Meadows of Morinville residents attended the meeting in support of a measure to address concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety in the area.
Councillor Maurice St. Denis made a motion “that council direct administration to provide an information report regarding the pedestrian and traffic safety concerns brought forward in the Meadows of Morinville correspondence.”
Efforts by area residents to make their concerns known have included circulation of a petition.
St. Denis noted that an in-depth analysis of the situation using reports and data is now underway.
“This motion is to signal to residents that this administration and council value their input and concerns and that community safety remains the highest priority for all of us,” he said.
The motion passed unanimously. Councillor Scott Richardson was not in attendance at the meeting.
Elections Bylaw
Council has given first reading to a new Election Bylaw.
The bylaw needs revision to ensure that Morinville conforms to changes to the Local Authorities Election Act recently made by the provincial government.
One major change is a provincially mandated prohibition on automated voting systems, including tabulators, which means that ballots will need to be counted manually.
In addition, use of drop boxes for collecting special ballots is prohibited. Special ballots must now be received directly by the Returning Officer or Substitute Returning Officer.
Under the revised act, the council could require criminal record checks for candidates for office, increase the number of signatures required for nomination and move the election date from the third Monday in October to the preceding Saturday.
However, none of these discretionary options were included in the revised bylaw.
Tax penalties
A full review and update of the Unpaid Property Tax Penalty Bylaw is to be brought forward by administration. The bylaw was last reviewed almost eight years ago.
This announcement came in connection with a report requested by council on tax penalties for late payments.
The issue arose when a Morinville property owner made a presentation to council seeking cancellation of interest charges applied to the tax bill on her property because the 2024 penalty date fell on the weekend and bank processing times delayed the receipt of payment.
In that situation, council decided to waive the interest charges.
However, a review of the tax penalty policies of seven regional municipalities found that six clearly state that the responsibility for payments being made on time, regardless of payment date or other processing issues, resides with the property owner.
St. Albert is the regional exception, while the Canada Revenue Agency also provides flexibility through a moving due date.
The report also notes that Morinville’s tax penalty rate, 7.5%, is the lowest of the municipalities reviewed and well below the 15% average.
Community Services Advisory Committee Mandate
The 2024-25 mandate letter for the Community Services Advisory Committee has been approved by council.
The committee acts in an advisory capacity on matters pertaining to the social well-being of Morinville residents in the areas of sport and recreation; Family and Community Support Services; and culture and events.
Specific priorities include volunteer development and opportunities, a community services fee review, community and stakeholder engagement, operational work plans engagement, barrier-free programming and select community development initiatives.
The committee will also advise Council on potential gaps or barriers in the service area and provide a public forum for community sharing of information, ideas and feedback on trends and issues.