A public hearing on Bylaw 393, a land use amending bylaw on the Wild Fire Risk Zones Map was held prior to council giving second and third reading to the bylaw. No public input was received at the hearing. The map was first adopted in 2006. It establishes fire hazard areas on a three level scale from Zone 1 – High Risk; Zone 2 – Moderate (or Medium) Risk and Zone 3 – Low Risk. These zones are established to ensure development takes place in a manner that considers wildfire interface risk to person and property, and seeks to mitigate that risk through design management and recommended planting regimes.
Council approved expanding the Combustible Roof Replacement Inventive Program to all residential combustible roofs in the Town of Banff. The program, established in 2016, had been limited to homes in the high and moderate wildfire risk zones to encourage the replacement of combustible roofs. With recent fire behaviour and weather patterns, it is probable that embers from an approaching wildfire could reach any structure within the town boundaries, so the program has been expanded to all residential roofs. Within the existing low wildfire risk zone there are approximately 60 residential structures that have combustible roofs with approximately 10 being multifamily. An additional $64,800 over 9 years ($7,200 per year) has been dedicated to the program from the budget stabilization reserve.
Council approved the 2017 consolidated financial statements. Council had met with auditors at an in-camera session to review the documents prior to the vote. Alberta municipalities must prepare annual audited financial statements and upon approval, they must be submitted to Alberta Municipal Affairs by April 30 of each year. Council also made a motion directing administration to return with a public report commenting on the recommendations on page 10 of the auditor’s report.
Council gave three readings to the 2018 Supplementary Property Assessment Bylaw 55-12. The Municipal Government Act requires council to pass a bylaw annually in order to authorize the preparation of the supplementary assessment roll. Every year the annual property assessments are set based on the property value of the previous year. Supplementary assessments are required to tax any new developments or improvements throughout the current year. The supplemental levy is pro-rated based on when the development or improvement is complete, occupied, or moved into the municipality or began to operate.
Council approved Sidewalk Seating Policy C7005 and Bylaw 395 – Fees and Charges Bylaw Amendment No.1 with some amendments. The policy changes include sidewalk seating categories, added definitions related to design and sidewalk configuration, requirements for full service sidewalk seating areas. The policy also provides clarity with regards to the procedures for enforcement and the required pedestrian zones. Council added wording about proactive enforcement and the inclusion of public fixtures (such as nearby bike racks) along with seating plans. Council also directed administration to mark on sidewalks the extent of the sidewalk seating areas to make it clear where businesses may place their tables/chairs on the sidewalk.
Council scheduled a special meeting on Monday, April 30 at 9 a.m. to consider options for moving the Banff Refreshing - Caribou Wolf Street project PW189-16 to 2018. Due to time constraints, several items on the agenda were also postponed until the April 30 special meeting, including: Briefing – Taxation; Briefing – Additional Means for Contributing to the Housing Reserve; Briefing – Banff Recreation Grounds Redevelopment Plan Update; Briefing – 2017 Financial Results.
Council authorized administration to purchase the Town’s electricity supply for the fiscal years of 2021-2023 for a cost not exceeding $50.38/MWh. Since 2013, the Town has proactively managed its physical energy supply requirements based on the wholesale forward electricity and natural gas markets. The Town of Banff currently has contracts for electricity supply in place with ENMAX Energy until December 31, 2020. Our energy consultants recommend taking advantage of current wholesale market prices and securing a fixed price electricity supply contract for 2-3-year term, starting January 1, 2021. Based on the preliminary bid the Town predicts the savings will be approximately $40,000.
Council received a briefing on the vehicle routes and parking lots being monitored and displayed on the Traffic Dashboard, available at
dashboard.banff.ca. The new vehicle travel time data will report live data for following routes: East Entrance to Downtown (and reverse), West Entrance to Downtown (and reverse) and Downtown to Cave Avenue (and reverse). Historically, the Town has focused on Mountain Avenue traffic as an indicator and reporting tool for traffic congestion. The addition of these new routes will help expand administration’s view and knowledge of traffic movements in Banff.
Council received a briefing on five years of fuel consumption by Town of Banff vehicles. Council has directed administration to optimize fuel efficiency and decrease fuel consumption in vehicles and equipment as laid out in the 2016 Green Fleet Policy. Administration is striving to lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption through conservation first and innovation second. By improving our tracking and data systems we will be able to further understand levels of energy consumption and implement better reduction tactics. The adoption of electric vehicles is an attainable step in accomplishing these goals through innovation.