Here are the highlights from Sturgeon County Council’s regular meeting on January 30, 2024.
Public Hearing |Technical Redistricting
Council held a public hearing for Bylaw 1639/23 so the public could provide input before Council considers the proposed bylaw further. This bylaw proposes to redistrict three parcels to the correct land use districts. Sturgeon County assessed all parcels of land in 2021 to make sure they were zoned correctly, and 38 parcels were redistricted as a result. The three parcels included in Bylaw 1639/23 were subject to recent subdivision applications and were not captured by the previous audit. All landowners are aware of the redistricting; the second property located in Carbondale will be removed from the bylaw at second reading due to owner feedback. Council will consider the presentations and submissions at the public hearing and will make a decision at a future Council meeting.
Public Hearing | Land Use Bylaw Housekeeping and Clarity Updates matters
Council held a public hearing for Bylaw 1632/23 which proposes updates to the Land Use Bylaw in response to public, Council and developer input. The proposed changes include minor updates for clarity and efficiency, and to help the County provide good customer service. Proposed updates are expected to reduce development appeals by 70 per cent.
Amendments include the following:
- Adding clearer explanations for certain words used in the definitions section of the Land Use Bylaw.
- Changing site grading from a permitted use to a discretionary use on an interim basis while administration reviews site grading policy and regulations. This means adjacent landowners are notified of proposed developments and have an opportunity to provide feedback.
- Requiring new event venue operators to live onsite and attend every commercial event. This rule would not affect existing developments that have already been approved; this is considered being “legally non-conforming.” However, if these legally non-confirming operations were expanded/changed, then this new rule would apply to them.
- Providing clarity about when a proposed development is referred to Canadian Forces Base Edmonton for input.
- Giving the development authority the ability to approve increased variance requests and make minor changes to issued permits supporting plans.
Council will consider the presentations and submissions at the public hearing and will make a decision at a future Council meeting.
Public Hearing | Resource Extraction Application
Council held a public hearing for Bylaw 1637/23, which proposes to redistrict 21012 Victoria Trail from AG – Agriculture district to RE – Resource Extraction district for the purpose of starting a silica sand resource extraction operation. Council will consider the presentations and submissions at the public hearing, and will make a decision at a future Council meeting.
Land Use Matters
Council gave first reading of Bylaw 1647/24 to amend the POS – Public Open Space district to provide greater clarity between that and the REC – Recreational district. Read a listing of the proposed changes. A public hearing will be scheduled to allow landowners to provide their feedback before Council considers the proposed bylaw further. Details of the public hearing will be posted on the public notices page on the Sturgeon County website, in local newspapers and road signs.
Council gave first reading of Bylaw 1642/24 to redistrict 48.5 hectares of land near Calahoo from AG – Agriculture district to REC – Recreational district. The applicant – the West Sturgeon Agricultural Society – wants to pursue future recreational developments such as a walking and cross-country ski trail. A public hearing will be scheduled to allow landowners to provide their feedback before Council considers the proposed bylaw further. Details of the public hearing will be posted on the public notices page on the Sturgeon County website, in local newspapers and road signs.
Council gave first reading of Bylaw 1644/23 to redistrict nearly 15 hectares of land near ProNorth Industrial Park from AG – Agriculture district to REC – Recreational district so the applicant can pursue development of a golf driving range. A public hearing will be scheduled to allow landowners to provide their feedback before Council considers the proposed bylaw further. Details of the public hearing will be posted on the public notices page on the Sturgeon County website, in local newspapers and road signs.
Sand and Gravel Advisory Committee
Council gave third reading of Bylaw 1643/23 to establish the Sand and Gravel Advisory Committee. This changes the name of the existing Calahoo-Villeneuve Sand and Gravel Advisory Committee, outlines updated committee responsibilities, and changes membership to two councillors and five public members with industry members serving in an advisory/non-voting capacity. The County will recruit for two vacancies on this committee in the coming weeks.
Council Remuneration Task Force
Council gave third reading of Bylaw 1636/24 to establish the Council Remuneration Task Force. This task force is responsible for making recommendations to Council on appropriate compensation for elected officials, including salary, benefits, pensions, allowances, and other forms of compensation, and for providing recommendations for changes to related policies. This task force will include five members of the public, and the County will recruit for this committee in the coming weeks.
Bridge Maintenance and Other Work Contract
Council awarded the Bridge Maintenance and Other Work Contract to Bridgemen Services Ltd. The contractor will repair and extend the life of 17 bridges throughout the County in 2024. These bridges were identified as needing repairs during the annual inspection process.
Next Council Meeting
The next Sturgeon County Council meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on February 13, 2024. Future agendas and past meeting minutes can be found online.
Fast facts about land use bylaw amendments and public hearings
View our webpage about land use planning and community engagement.
- At Sturgeon County, before Council gets public feedback on a proposed land use bylaw amendment, it gives the proposed bylaw first reading. This does not mean Council supports the bylaw; this allows the proposed bylaw to go to the next stage of the bylaw process, which is gathering public input.
- Public hearings, along with other public notices, are promoted on the public notices page on the Sturgeon County website as well as in local newspapers, on social media, and on road signs in accordance with the Public Notification Bylaw.
- Public hearings are open to any members of the public to view or provide input.
- Viewing the public hearing: You can view the hearing in-person or via livestream at sturgeoncounty.ca/CouncilMeetings
- Making a written submission: you can provide a written submission by email up to the close of the public hearing.
- Speaking at the public hearing: you can provide a statement at the public hearing in person or via videoconference. You are encouraged to pre-register to speak in-person at the public hearing. If you wish to speak via videoconference, you must register at least 24 hours prior to the opening of the public hearing. Register by contacting Legislative Services at 780-939-8277.
- When considering public input, Council considers how and to what degree the person is impacted by the proposed amendment.
