Sturgeon County Council Recap: September 8, 2026

Here are the highlights from Sturgeon County Council’s regular meeting on September 8, 2026.

PROCLAMATIONS

Mayor Hnatiw proclaimed September 10, 2026, as Suicide Prevention Day in Sturgeon County.
Mayor Hnatiw proclaimed September 21 to September 27, 2026, as Rail Safety Week in Sturgeon County.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Northern Lights Estates Water and Storm Water Infrastructure Concerns

Council received the Northern Lights Estates Water and Storm Water Infrastructure Concerns presentation and directed Administration to present information and a recommendation at a future Council meeting.

Undeveloped Road Allowance Adjacent to NW-25-57-20-W4

Council received the presentation requesting additional enforcement measures, surveying, marking, and clearing of the undeveloped road allowance adjacent to NW-25-57-20-W4 and directed Administration to present a recommendation to Council at a future Council Meeting.

Variable or Permanent Speed Limit Reduction on Lily Lake Road (Range Road 235)

Council received the Prairie Gardens request for variable or permanent speed limit reduction on Lily Lake Road presentation as information.

Council approved a permanent maximum variable speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour on Lily Lake Road (Range Road 235) in front of Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm, from August 31 to October 31 of each calendar year, with the limits of the reduced-speed zone and placement of regulatory signage to be determined by Administration in accordance with engineering best practices. Permanent regulatory signage will be installed at Prairie Gardens’ cost.

Rescission of Cheque Signing Authority Policy and Tangible Capital Assets Policy

Council rescinded the Cheque Signing Authority Policy and the Tangible Capital Assets Policy as these are better suited as Administrative Directives that will be reviewed and updated by the Chief Administrative Officer.

Bylaw 1721/26 – 2026 Off-Road Vehicle Track Redistricting – First Reading

Council gave first reading of Bylaw 1721/26, a bylaw amendment that would allow for the redistricting of this section of land from Agriculture (AG) to Recreational District (REC) to allow the landowner to proceed with a development permit application for an outdoor motorized vehicle facility. The bylaw will proceed to a public hearing for Council to receive input from the public.

Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Resolution – Review of Provincial Regulatory and Engagement Framework for Large Scale Data Centre Development

Council approved the resolution for a Review of Provincial Regulatory and Engagement Framework for Large Scale Data Centre Development to be submitted to the Rural Municipalities of Alberta for advocacy consideration and debate.

Greenspace Maintenance Agreement Framework

Council approved the Greenspace Maintenance Agreement Framework and the approach to the Greenspace Maintenance Agreement Engagement Plan.

Major Development Interim Resourcing

Council approved interim funding of $300,000 from the Heartland Infrastructure Attraction Reserve to address a funding gap related to temporary administrative staffing costs, consisting of $156,000 in 2026 and $144,000 from January to May 2027, with the full amount to be repaid upon receipt of development administration fees in 2027.

Resource Requirement to Support Current and Expected Development

Council approved the addition of four permanent staff positions to support development approval, development planning, current planning, and engineering management capacities at an estimated cost of $691,000, with 2026 staffing costs funded through forecasted surplus, 2027 and 2028 costs funded through permit revenue, and 2029 and future year costs being funded with revenue growth and incorporated into the County’s operating budget.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Hamlet Strategy Scope of Work

The Committee received the Hamlet Strategy Scope of Work presentation as information (including a profile sample), with the Committee’s input incorporated into the final scope of work.

Letter from City of Cold Lake Re: Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Concerns

The Committee received correspondence from the City of Cold Lake regarding payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) concerns.

Fast facts about land use bylaw amendments and public hearings

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 new Sturgeon County 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 www.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 780-939-8029.

When considering public input, Council considers how and to what degree the person is impacted by the proposed amendment.