Issue No. 31, March 28, 2014

Your Countyin Touch

Council meets with Municipal AffairsDuring the recent Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties spring convention, members of Council arranged to meet with Minister Ken Hughes of Alberta Municipal Affairs to discuss a number of County-related matters.

“We met with Minister Hughes to talk about a few issues – emergency services on Highways 63 and 881 topping the list,” said Mayor Aurel Langevin.

With the influx of traffic on the two highways, local firefighters are dealing with more accidents. According to the County’s Protective Services department, motor vehicle collision calls account for 87 per cent of all emergency fire and rescue responses.

“The County wants the Province to take steps to reduce the collisions on the two busy highways by improving road conditions in the winter, developing more rest stops and highway improvements and adding more traffic patrols on Highway 881,” added Mayor Langevin.

Other discussion items included provincial program funding and revenue from the former Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.

Water treatment plant tours in honour of Water Week

With spring approaching, construction projects in the region will get back underway—projects that include the second and final leg of the improvements to Beaver Hill Road.

“The snow needs to be melted and the frost needs to be out of the ground,” said Evan Hendry, Civil Engineering Technologist with the County and one of the municipality’s employees working on the administration of the project.

To track the level of frost in the ground, both the province and individual contractors have “frost probe” in the soil across the province. This equipment measures the current state of frost under the top soil and lets project managers know when to dig.

“If you mix ground that is frozen with

ground that is not frozen, it won’t compact to the required density. When it warms up, the frozen ground will contract and the concrete or asphalt will settle,” Evan said, explaining the sagging that can occur in this situation.

Weather permitting, the contractors plan to get started on Beaver Hill Road by the end of May. The first order of business for County staff, consultants and contractors will be to complete an assessment to identify deficiencies—i.e. cracks in the concrete from winter freezing, or settlement due to low compaction on the road or walking trails.

Contractors will then work to complete the concrete sidewalk on the east side of Beaver Hill Road spanning from Nipewan Road to 91 Avenue. Manholes will need be

On March 19, Water Treament Plant staff led local students and residents through tours of the facility as part of Water Week.

Here, staff Kelly Havanka and Abu Chowdhury stand next to the plant’s six filters.

2014 to see completion of Beaver Hill Road projectLandscaping, sidewalks, and asphalt completion top the priority list

Continued on page 2

Whistleblowing is the reporting of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices. Because Lac La Biche County is committed to transparent governance, we’ve hired MNP, an outside company, to provide whistleblowing services. MNP is one of the largest chartered accountancy and business advisory firms in Canada, and they’ve been in business for more than 65 years.

Lac La Biche County’s previous Council had proposed hiring a whistleblowing service to assure ethical practices in the administration of Lac La Biche County. In 2013, the County issued a Request

for Proposal, and MNP made the most appealing bid. After several months of familiarizing MNP with County policies and practices, the County has started to roll out whistleblowing services.

MNP has a well-established call centre that operates out of Calgary, where operators take whistleblowers’ calls 24/7/365 in English or French. The “Ethics Alert” Hotline can be reached at either 1-866-529-9589 or through email at eth-ics.alert@mnp.ca. Operators are trained to assess the complaint, then forward the concern to one of their investigators.

Depending on the complaint’s nature, the investigator decides if the concern should be handled by Lac La Biche County, which can include Council, the CAO, or the Manager of Human Resources. Investigators can also tap external resources, like the RCMP or Municipal Affairs, if they suspect illegal activity.

“MNP has already resolved a few complaints using internal and external re-sources,” says Debbie Menard, Manager of Human Resources at Lac La Biche County. “We’ve already developed a great working relationship with them.”

We encourage both members of the public and County employees to report illegal or unlawful behaviour, financial mismanagement, and unethical or wasteful conduct. If you have reason to suspect wrongdoing within Lac La Biche County, call 1-866-529-9589 or email ethics.alert@mnp.ca. Callers can remain anonymous, though those hoping to follow up on their complaint need to provide their contact information.

And if you have questions about the County’s whistleblowing procedures, contact Debbie Menard, Manager of Human Resources, at 780-623-6770.

adjusted in preparation for the second layer of asphalt. Contractors will work on the landscaping of the medians and boulevards, spreading top soil, sodding, seeding and mulching, as well as planting hundreds of deciduous and coniferous trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses.

Finally, the second layer of asphalt will be set and traffic lines will be painted, marking the end of the two-year project.

“One of the biggest reasons for this project was the replacement of the underground infrastructure,” Evan said of last year’s major excavations to replace the water/sewer system along Beaver Hill Road.

The work planned for this year is minor compared to last year’s infrastructure overhaul. Contractors are confident that while traffic flow may be reduced to one lane during some of the work, there should be few causes for it to be eliminated altogether. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Beaver Hill Road should remain open. Contractors estimate that the work will take several weeks to complete, depending on the weather.

If you have any questions about the Beaver Hill Road project, call Brian Shapka, Manager of Transportation Services/Acting General Manager of Operations, at 780-623-6816.

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www.laclabichecounty.com

2014 to see Beaver Hill Road completionContinued from page 1

Lac La Biche County’s milestone and achievement recognition policyDid you know that Lac La Biche County recognizes the significant milestones and achievements of its residents? If you or a loved one will be celebrating a significant birthday (80th, and every consequent birthday in five year intervals), marriage anniversary (50th, and every multiple of five after), or an achievement (in sports, fine arts, or science), let us know. Lac La Biche County will provide you or a loved one with a framed certificate signed by the Mayor. If you’re holding an event to celebrate, you can request the Mayor or member of Council to join you and present the certificate. To request a certificate, call 780-623-6823.

Lac La Biche County introduces new whistleblower policy for employees and the public to report unethical acts

Unethical acts hurt us all. Help put a STOP to it.

Your County in Touch • Issue No. 31, March 28, 2014

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New builders required to put homes under warrantyAs of February 1, 2014, the Alberta government requires that all new homes built in the province are protected under warranty.

The New Home Buyer Protection Act (NHBPA) states that a building permit cannot be issued unless the appropriate government warranty is in place on the property.

This legislation applies to new single family homes, as well as duplexes, multi-family homes, condominiums, substantial

reconstructions and manufactured modular homes.

To find out more about the Act’s requirements, contact NHBPA Alberta Municipal Affairs toll-free at 1-866-421-6929.

Since construction season is almost upon us, check out our next issue of Your County In Touch to view a detailed list of Lac La Biche County’s Building Permit requirements.

Spring road bans for heavy haulersWith the projected forecast for warmer temperatures in the coming weeks and months, road bans will be in effect in the near future.Road bans protect County roads by restricting the weight that large trucks and heavy haulers are allowed to carry when driving on roads that are sitting on soft soil due to the spring thaw.Lac La Biche County usually takes its cue from the road bans prescribed by the Government of Alberta on our connecting provincial roads and highways.Trucks carry 100 per cent of their legal load during the cold winter months when the ground is hard, but in spring, can only carry between 75 and 90 per cent of their legal load—depending on the road. Drivers also have the option of adding more wheels to their rig, in order to distribute their weight more evenly.Applying road bans protects against the creation of ruts, and uneven compaction, increasing the safety of the road’s surface and improving its lifespan.

Keep an eye for road ban notices in the near future on both our website and through advertising.

Ice road officially closedThe ice road spans from the Lac La Biche Mission to Poplar Point, and when the conditions are safe, is open through the winter months. A recent week of warm weather led to cracks and melting on the ice road. The ice deteriorted on the surface at ramp locations and in sections throughout. So, Lac La Biche County decided to close the road.

Spring creates perfect conditions for potholesCounty residents are looking forward to spring—rejoicing when the temperature rises above zero and dismayed when it plummets again. Unfortunately for our County roads, this kind of weather—fluctuating between above and below freezing—is the perfect condition for the creation of potholes.Potholes form when snow and ice melts and runs into cracks in the road. The water freezes when the temperature drops, expanding the cracks. The road surface breaks away in chunks under the wear and tear of traffic, creating new potholes and expanding existing ones.County crews have been out repairing potholes in our County’s roads and will continue to do so as spring battles winter on the thermometer.Crews repair potholes by removing any loose debris and then filling the hole with an asphalt mix, often using torches to heat the asphalt to make it more malleable in the cold weather. Once the hole is filled, the asphalt is compacted and allowed to harden.Keep in mind that the province’s road maintenance contractor is responsible for repairing the potholes on all numbered provincial highways—including the ones that run through our hamlets: Highways 55, 36, 881, 858, 866, 867 and 663.

According to Fountain Tire’s website, here are a few tips to best protect your vehicle during pothole season:• Hitting a pothole at speed can

cause damage to your car’s steering, suspension and alignment.

• If you notice a particularly rough patch of road, slow down. This reduces the possibility of doing damage to your car.

• Be wary of puddles. Puddles can hide the existence of a pothole.

• Don’t brake into a pothole. Braking shifts the weight of your car to the front end, causing a harder impact.

• Make sure you have appropriate tire pressure to protect your car.

County staff have been working to repair potholes across the County over the past week.

Your County in Touch is produced by Lac La Biche County and available to every resident.

An electronic version of this newsletter is available. All you need to do is call 780-623-1747 or provide your e-mail address to intouch@laclabichecounty.com.

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Dates to RememberMarch 31 - April 5, 2014March Madness at Portage Pool. Head to Portage Pool for themed swims and activities during spring break.

April 1, 2014Policy and Priorities Committee meeting at County Centre at 10 am. Open to the public.

April 6 -12, 2014National Volunteer Week

April 10, 2014Volunteer Appreciation Day

April 18 and 21, 2014Good Friday and Easter Monday

April 30, 2014Dust abatement applications due to the County’s Transportation Services department.

Bold Center 2014 Spring Fitness Program Guide released: paper and online copies available

We’ve just released the 2014 Spring Fitness Program Guide (pictured left). Check it out to find new times for favourite fitness classes, like Crunch & Punch, Hatha and Vinyasa Flow yoga, and the Youth Introduction to the Cenovus Fitness Area. Plus, take a look at some of the Bold Center`s new offerings, including an outdoor bootcamp from May to June at McArthur Place.

The program guide also walks you through signing up for Bold Center fitness classes, personal training set-up and fees, and Par-Q forms. It also details the Bold Center`s child minding services.

You can pick up paper copies at the Bold Center’s front desk. You can also find the booklet online at boldcenter.ca/programs/. Should you have questions about the 2014 Spring Fitness Program Guide, please call the Bold Center at 780-623-3829.

Your County in Touch • Issue No. 31, March 28, 2014

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COMMUNITY FITNESS HAPPENS AT THE BOLD CENTER.

2014 SPRING FITNESS PROGRAM GUIDE

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