Town of High Prairie

Monthly Newsletter

February 15, 2017 – Edition 1, Volume 3

Busy Busy Busy!! As mentioned in the last newsletter, January is the time of year when the Finance department is super busy with finalizing and closing off the previous calendar/fiscal year. Just like every year-end, we review all the previous year’s transactions to find and fix any errors. Plus there are many reports and spreadsheets to complete for WCB, T4’s, asset listing, amortization, etc. This is time consuming work, but the end result means we have a clean audit which is always good news to our ratepayers. One of the items I noticed last summer was that our records had not been updated for a very long time regarding ratepayer’s school declaration form. Most of you will have received on already and many have completed and returned the form. Normally this gets done whenever a property is transferred to a new owner and this will be the process from here on after we are caught up with updating everyone. Council had an open house for the 2017 Interim Operating budget on January 12th to get public input. Since only one person showed up, we take this to mean that residents/ratepayers are happy with the decisions of Council with the recommendations of Administration. In February we get the property assessments for 2016 and can calculate the Tax Levy Bylaw in either March or April. I will update everyone in the next newsletter. Remember we are halfway through winter….Yay…… Terri Wiebe, Treasurer

Enforcement Services:

January 31st was the deadline to have your dog

licensed with the Town of High Prairie. The fine

for failing to license a domestic animal within

the Town of High Prairie is $50.00. Please

attend the Town Office and license your dog to

avoid further penalty.

Licensing Fees:

Neutered/Spayed: $10.00

Unaltered: $20.00

Tag replacement: $5.00

February’s focus on the 2017 Alberta Traffic

Safety Calendar is Distracted Driving. Distracted

Driving carries a fine of $287.00 and 3 demerit

points.

TIPS TO HELP FOCUS ON THE ROAD AND

MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS:

1. Put your phone away. Use your cellphone

only when your vehicle is parked in a safe

place. If your phone rings while driving,

have a passenger take the call or let it go to

voicemail.

2. Stay calm. Avoid emotional conversations

with passengers as they can lead to unsafe

behaviours.

3. Keep your hands on the wheel. Never take

notes or use a laptop while driving. Park in

a safe place before writing things down.

4. Pull over. If you need to attend to your kids

or attend to pets in your car, find a safe

spot to park.

5. Plan ahead. Don’t program electronics like

mp3 players and GPS units while driving.

For more information on distracted

driving visit www.saferoads.com

Upcoming Meetings Regular Meeting of Council

February 28th, 2017

March 14th, 2017

7:00 p.m.

Council Chambers

www.highprairie.ca

or check us out on Facebook

High Prairie, Alberta

Town of High Prairie Public Works

Here are some of the activities of Public Works for

the Month of January 2017

Snow removal as required.

Fueled up all vehicles and equipment to avoid the incoming carbon tax on fuel.

Cleaned and did maintenance on lift stations.

Working with treasurer on 2017 capital budget.

Mid-winter inspection and servicing furnaces in public works buildings.

Trimmed some boulevard trees so they do not interfere with snow removal equipment.

Responding to Gas customer service requests.

Numerous locates completed for residents and other construction companies.

Continuous cleaning of recycling area.

Upgraded gas service to West Fraser Mill.

Flushed mainline sewers will continue with more as time permits.

Turned off Christmas lights January 16, 2017 after Ukrainian New Years.

Replaced tiles and lights in Moostoos Building.

Safety Message for February

A scald injury can happen at any age. Children, older adults and people with disabilities are especially at risk. Hot liquids from bath water, hot coffee and even micro waved soup can cause devastating injuries. Scald burns are the second leading cause of all burn injuries. FACT! Treat a burn as soon as possible. Cool the burn with cool water for 3–5 minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Get medical help if needed. Have a safe month.

Ken Melnyk – Fire Chief Town of High Prairie

From the Utilities Desk:

This month we will be conducting water meter inspections to ensure your water meter is working properly.

Please note that it is a criminal offence to tamper or remove the seal on your water meter.

CAO Brian Martinson welcomes any questions or concerns regarding town services, please come and visit or call during

regular office hours 8:30 am to 4:30 pm – Monday thru Friday 780 523-3388 4806 – 53 Avenue

AXIA IS LOOKING FOR THE NEXT 40 FIBRE TOWNS! Axia is a fibre optic internet provider that provides rural communities with the highest performing internet service. High Prairie is on their list of communities that AXIA would like to provide service to. Community engagement is key and they would like to see 30% of households complete a short survey. Please visit www.axia.com/alberta

*****One survey per household*****

Something to look forward to……………

Many Mosquito species live through the

winter as adults. In the fall,

mosquitos mate, but only the male

dies. The females spend the cold

months hidden in a protected place,

such as an animal borrow or hollow log.

February Fun Fact: February was added to the Roman calendar in 713 BC. The length of the month changed over time and, at one time, it had as few as 23 days. When Julius Caesar remade the Roman calendar, the month was assigned 28 days during normal years and 29 days during leap years which occurred every four years.

Family Day February 20, 2017

Town Office will be closed