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High River's innovative and forward-thinking Council has approved the investment and implementation of reliable and affordable high speed broadband (fiber optics) to allow businesses within the Town to access services at speeds of 100 times what is currently available.

"The availability of affordable high speed fiber optics will support and attract knowledge-based businesses that have a critical dependency on high speed broadband," says Jodi Dawson, manager of economic development for the Town. "This project is another example of our Council's vision, leadership and long term commitment to the success of our local business community."

The $685,720 five year capital project will begin generating revenue when the broadband services become part of the Town's utilities as a fee-for-service model. This will provide an opportunity to stimulate significant economic growth while creating a new revenue stream for the Town. The open infrastructure will be provided by the Town and can be used by any provider to deliver services to customers.

"Companies in the health, creative, professional, agriculture and technical fields say high-speed internet, combined with the Town's other unique assets and entrepreneurial spirit, makes this community very attractive for their businesses," says Dawson.

Dawson adds that the affordability of these broadband services will allow businesses and residents to remain in town while interacting with businesses regionally and globally, improving productivity and performance while reducing time spent commuting, therefore contributing to an overall higher quality of life for residents of the Town.

"The service areas include both the downtown business district as well as the south east industrial district." says Dawson. "These services would also be available to residential dwellings physically located within or in close proximity to the business districts."

Read full article here

Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Advisory Board members presented the 2018 FCSS grant allocations to Council at the Monday, Feb. 12 regular meeting. A total of $60,000 was distributed to 11 local non-profit organizations as recommended by the FCSS Advisory Board.

The community grants are available annually to organizations that enhance the social well-being of individuals and families in High River and area, or who promote volunteerism in the community. FCSS allocates grants annually to community agencies to help them meet the provincial mandate for preventative social services.

The programs or organizations that receive the grants must do one or more of the following: help people to develop independence as well as interpersonal and group skills, strengthen coping skills, and/or become more resistant to crisis. These programs also help enhance constructive relationships, aid people and communities to assume responsibility for their decisions and actions, and provide support to sustain people as active participants in the community.

The 2018 community grants were distributed as follows:
* $3,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters
* $6,000 for Boys and Girls Club
* $4,000 for Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society
* $5,000 for Foothills Victims Services
* $4,500 for Foothills Country Hospice
* $10,000 for Foothills School Division (Family School Liaison Worker)
* $7,500 for Foothills Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings (SNAPS)
* $1,000 for Junior Achievement
* $6,500 for Literacy for Life Foundation
* $7,500 for Rowan House: Branches Program

* $5,000 for Wild Rose Community Connections

The FCSS Advisory Board consists of dedicated High River residents that act as a voice for the community on issues related to social well-being. They carefully review all applications to the community grant program and make recommendations on how to best distribute the funds.

High River Council passed the 2018 to 2022 capital budget of $4.95 million at the Monday, February 12 regular meeting. The five-year capital budget maintains fiscal responsibility by only approving the highest priority projects that the Town has the financial resources and capacity to undertake.

The Town will be faced with several large critical infrastructure projects in the next five to ten years. The focus of the 2018 to 2022 capital budget is on retaining reserves, maximizing available grants and debenture borrowing to be able to fund these projects in the coming years, while continuing to invest in needed infrastructure.

For 2018, the Town has allocated $4.2 million to the capital budget to be funded from reserves and regular grants. 

The assistance of the Government of Alberta through long term recovery support and flood mitigation grants in the last four years has greatly improved the Town's infrastructure and there is no new funds allocated for 2018 as the projects are coming to an end. 

Approved capital projects fall under the following categories:

* Reinvestment in existing infrastructure - Repairing, replacing and maintaining existing infrastructure.

* Priority infrastructure - Equipment and facilities for core municipal services are replaced and refurbished.

* Planning for the future - Proactively addressing future service demands and environmental requirements.

* Implementation of broadband project

Each year, Council approves the current year's capital budget along with those projects with multi- year funding for five years.

As part of the Town's strategic financial plan, a ten year capital plan is also presented in order to provide Council and Senior Leadership with the tools to responsibly plan for future capital expenditures. This enables Council to review and prioritize the long range capital plan in line with the Council Strategic Plan and determine appropriate funding mechanism available to the Town to fund the priority projects.

From October 2017 to February 2018, the Town's Parks and Recreation Division worked in partnership with Gibbs Gage Architects to conduct a feasibility study that determined recreation facility development priorities in High River, specifically for the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex (BSRC). 

The intent was to identify what is required for facilities, where facilities could be located, and at what cost. 

Internal and external stakeholders from various user groups, representatives from the BSRC, Town of High River, and MD Foothills, as well as staff and the public were consulted. 

Open houses were held at the BSRC on November 14, 2017 and January 11, 2018 to provide concept options for public review. Using feedback from the attendees of the first open house, the options were finalized into two concepts for final review. 

 
Based on feedback from the community and stakeholders, and a business case analysis, the need and desire for a new aquatics facility was identified. 

The conceptual designs presented at the second open house focused on finding an alternative location for the pool, or building near the BSRC. 

Concept A presented an option for a new and expanded aquatics facility at the BSRC.
Concept B presented the option to relocate the aquatics facility to the Charles Clark Park.
Respondents clearly indicated they preferred that access to the pool remained available during construction, and expressed a clear preference for one-stop shopping of recreational amenities at the BSRC. 

According to the study, a new aquatics facility at the BSRC site will cost 23 per cent less to build and 14 per cent less to operate than one at Charles Clark Park. Approximately two thirds of open house participants favoured Concept A. 

 
On February 12, the results of the study were presented to Council. Final analysis indicated that a feasible plan would be to develop a new pool adjacent to the existing BSRC aquatics facility.

The Town's Parks and Recreation Division will now develop an implementation plan containing suggested steps and requirements for development, including project governance, engagement, the architectural process for a project of this kind, and ideas for options for funding strategies.

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High River Council approved a balanced operating budget that invests in key service priorities for Town residents and businesses at the regular meeting on Monday, February 12.

The operating budget is based on a 3.8 per cent tax increase for residential properties and a 5.3 per cent increase for commercial properties. This results in an overall tax increase of 4.1 per cent.

The approved operating budget allows the Town to maintain required service levels and put money into reserves to be used to repair aging infrastructure.

Budget discussions have been ongoing for the past several months, the last of which was a four-day Council review held between January 15 and 23.

Town council and staff worked to find efficiencies and savings to keep tax increases as low as possible.

The overall 4.1 per cent increase was necessary to keep up with inflation costs and account for several other required additions to the budget like the implementation of the new broadband fibre project for the Town, among other key initiatives planned for 2018.

The resulting operating budget included a 2.0 per cent infrastructure levy (approximately $369,000 increase) to be put into reserves and used to address the municipality's infrastructure deficit.

While the tax rate will not be set until April, an average residential household valued at $300,000 will see a total annual tax increase of approximately $71 and a commercial property valued at $1 million will see an annual tax increase of $529 for 2018.

A revised tax arrears list was presented to High River Council on February 12 that includes five properties for public auction scheduled for May 4 in line with the Town's tax recovery process.

Two notification letters were sent to the property owners that are in arrears greater than two years and their financial institutions. A third and final pre-auction letter was sent on January 30 through registered mail to all the five affected properties.

Municipalities rely on the collection of property taxes to provide services, to make improvements to their infrastructure and to meet their financial obligations. Under Section 304 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the property owners are responsible for paying the appropriate property tax.

Under Section 418 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), municipalities must offer for sale at public auction any parcels of land shown on their tax arrears list if the tax arrears are not paid by a certain date. Administration has exhausted all attempts to collect the tax arrears on the five properties and the Town must now proceed with the public sale.

The Town will offer the parcel of lands for sale by public auction at the Municipal Building, 309B Macleod Trail S.W., High River, Alberta T1V 1Z5 on Friday, May 04 at 10 a.m.

Administration will continue to reach agreements and/or receive full payments until the date of the public auction and properties will continue to be removed from the tax arrears list.

The Town has set minimum reserve bids on the properties based on 80 per cent of the market value assessment. The Town cannot auction the homes for less than the minimum reserve bid. If the homes are not sold at the public auction, they automatically become property of the Town of High River.

Mayor, Councillors and staff are not allowed to bid or act as agents. Details will be posted on Town notice boards in March.

• No person shall operate an Off-Highway Vehicle as defined in Part 6 of the Traffic Safety Act, R.S.A. 2000 Chapter T-6 as amended, on any portion of a highway, sidewalk or boulevard within the Town of High River.
• No person shall operate any off-highway vehicle within the areas designated as parks or urban reserve within the Town.
• A person shall not do any of the following:

Pound with Barb

It's time to Pound! Come and unleash your Inner Rock Star! This 45 min. full body workout is inspired by playing the drums. Suited for all fitness and Rock Star Levels. Bring your yoga mat, water and a Rocking attitude!
Location: Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex - Studio A
Thu. Mar. 1-Mar. 29 7:45PM-8:30PM $55
5 classes (Min 6 - Max 12)

NEW Taste of India: Vegetarian Entrees - with Anna

Anna Keyes will lead your through this interactive cooking class where you will enjoy the exotic tastes of India. Your taste buds will be awakened with 2 vegetarian entrees - one a succulent potato, eggplant tomato and cilantro dish, and the other a delectable curried cauliflower dish, along with lemon rice and crispy flatbread to complete your dining experience. Meal and recipes included. Please bring Tupperware containers for possible left overs.
Location: Culture Centre
Sun. Feb. 25 1:00Pm-4:00Pm $60
1 class (Min 6-Max 12)