Original Published 09:19 May 18, 2022

By Sean Oliver, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Pincher Creek town council held its monthly committee of the whole meeting Wednesday, May 4.

Korbett kudos

Former councillor Scott Korbett was presented with an award of appreciation for his service.

“I appreciate your hard work,” said Mayor Don Anderberg. “You were one of the hard-working councillors on last council and served on a lot of important committees. It’s a lot of work and a lot of commitment, and the community thanks you and I thank you.”

Y2Y update

A delegation from the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative attended to update council on Y2Y’s efforts to encourage environmentally sustainable economic development.

The group has created community and economic advisory groups and conducted interviews and regional socio-economic assessments. Working in tandem with local governments, Y2Y aims to secure nature-positive economic diversification.

Tourism, renewable energy and agriculture have been identified as key economic drivers in the Pincher Creek region, with housing, broadband internet, business development and communications viewed as the primary economic sectors.

Y2Y is currently completing its final report, which will be presented to stakeholders later this year.

Infrastructure master plan

Alexa Levair and Al Roth from the operations department were on hand to answer questions about the town’s recently completed infrastructure master plan.

The plan, prepared by ISL Engineering and Land Services, outlines potential capital projects for the town to complete over the next 10 years. It is the first all-inclusive plan completed by the town, with comprehensive reviews of Pincher Creek’s water, wastewater, storm, road and sidewalk infrastructure.

“We are thrilled with how thorough the plan came out to be, covering a huge swath of our infrastructure,” said Levair.

The document offers a sort of road map for council to prioritize repairs and replacements while determining which projects to save up for. Overall, town infrastructure was considered to be in fair to good condition, with the largest issue being the water system, which does not meet the minimum capacity for fire flows and storm drainage.

Replacement of the town’s old, leaky cast-iron pipes is also recommended, as they contribute to the town’s water loss, along with several components in the water treatment plant that are original to the plant’s 1991 construction.

Other suggestions include a yearly $138,000 allocation for sidewalk replacement, replacing the sanitary main and roadway on Canyon Drive in 2023 ($530,000), upgrading the water distribution system from Wentworth Avenue to Main Street along Bev McLachlin Drive in 2025 ($1.6 million), and replacing the main lift station force main lining in 2032 ($2 million).

Having so many details and suggestions, said Mayor Don Anderberg, was helpful for planning around infrastructure needs.

“The first master plan has served us well,” he said. “Of course, things change and conditions change, and having enough relevant information is critical for making good decisions.”

“It’s always cheaper to be proactive than reactive,” agreed Levair, “so that’s where this [master plan] comes in.”

The infrastructure master plan is available online at bit.ly/PC_IMP.

Council’s next committee of the whole meeting will be held Wednesday, June 1, 9 a.m. at council chambers.

This item reprinted with permission from Shootin’ the Breeze, Pincher Creek, Alberta