Okotoks
Council paves
way for butt ban

Anti-smoking bylaw expected to be back on table March 12

By Laurel Nadon
Staff Reporter

Town council will now be able to bring back a motion defeated in a tie vote after one month, paving the way for a second motion to have an anti-smoking bylaw drafted.
Council unanimously passed three readings to amend the procedure bylaw at its meeting on Feb. 26. Previously, motions were allowed back after six months.
The decision was made on the heels of a motion defeated by a tie vote in December to have administration draft an anti-smoking bylaw to prohibit smoking in enclosed public places. A similar motion is now expected at council’s next meeting on Monday, March 12.
Not all businesses, however, are in favour of a bylaw being drafted.
Chris Manderscheid, owner of Smitty’s, said as a non-smoker he’s in favour of council looking into this, but as a business owner, such a bylaw could be damaging. While he said there is no question there are health issues associated with second-hand smoke, as a business owner he’s against the bylaw being drafted.
“I still think it should be left in the hands of the operator,” Manderscheid said. “If the public wants me to be non-smoking, let them tell me that and not let council tell me that.”
He noted that he banned smoking in the restaurant about four years ago with smoking still allowed in the lounge. He said he lost customers and it took almost 18 months for business to spring back.
Manderscheid estimates that if an anti-smoking bylaw was passed, revenue from his lounge would drop by more than 20 per cent. He said he would also face costs of about $2,000 to clean the smoke smell from the ceiling and walls in the lounge.
“The lounge was sort of some of the people’s sanctuary. If you take that away, I would definitely lose sales,” Manderscheid said. “I’m not in business to lose money. In five years, we’ll probably recover from it, but in the five years who’s going to pick up the losses?”
He added he would like to see a plebiscite on the issue so everyone can have a say.
In a community survey last fall, 80 per cent of the 1,465 respondents said they were very supportive of the town introducing non-smoking bylaws more broadly. Manderscheid said for 1,000 people out of an estimated 15,000 people to say this isn’t conclusive.
“That’s not a majority in my books,” Manderscheid said.
Vivian Webster, one of the owners of Foxy’s Bar and Grill, said she also has concerns council is considerig an anti-smoking bylaw. She said she fears that customers will travel to neighbouring communities to smoke.
“I think if Okotoks goes non-smoking, they should do it with High River, Black Diamond and Turner Valley,” Webster said.
“I think all the foothills communities should do it together so it doesn’t affect small businesses. If everybody does it together, I’m in favour. If Okotoks just does it, I believe it may be a struggle with the transition.”
She said that non-smokers have the option of whether or not to enter a building where smoking is allowed.
Council is revisiting the bylaw after it was defeated in a 3-3 vote in December.
Coun. Laurie Cherkowski, who voted against the notice of motion in December, said she supports the change in the procedure bylaw, but not because of the tie vote in December.
“I voted against that because I felt there should be procedure in finding out what our provincial leadership was going to be in this regard,” Cherkowski said. “Because of the lack of response from our province, I will be willing to move forward.”
A notice of motion is expected to be in front of council March 12 to have administration draft an anti-smoking bylaw.

MD of Foothills -
High costs lead to road crew expansion

Council commits $1.9 million to purchase new equipment

By Andrea Barber
Staff Reporter

The Foothills MD will be getting back into the construction business.
Prompted by the lack of available contractors and rising construction prices, council passed a motion to purchase approximately $1.9 million in heavy equipment to expand the MD’s construction crew.
Council has been forced to change its vision on the way it manages their roadwork. Only a few years ago, council was discussing the possibility of contracting out 100 per cent of its road construction work, but with the growth in Alberta, council has been forced to rethink its position.
“Access to contractors and prices make it almost impossible (to contract the work out),” said municipal manager Harry Riva Cambrin.
The MD’s public works department currently employs 37 people and with the new equipment they will need to hire an additional five seasonal employees.
Purchasing this equipment will increase the MD’s operating budget up to $300,000 by the time fuel and wages are factored in, said Riva Cambrin.
The MD plans on purchasing a trackhoe, bulldozer, packer and two 30-tonne rock trucks.
Riva Cambrin said the equipment will pay for itself if they worked on 10 kilometres of road. “Just one project alone, a five kilometre stretch of road, would cost $1.6 million. One project and it’s paid for,” said Cambrin.
Council looked at the capital expenditure as a long-term investment.
According to Sean Bartnik, the MD’s infrastructure coordinator, even local contractors were understanding of the MD’s decision to purchase their own equipment and do the work themselves. He said they also realize the demand and the expense of getting contractors to do the work.
“They are taxpayers too,” said Bartnik. “They realize that taxpayer dollars are paying for this work to get done.”
Graham Robinson, construction foreman for the MD of Foothills, said that the one problem with purchasing the additional equipment is finding manpower to run it. But he’s hoping that people will recognize the opportunity.
“I’m hoping some guys from the oil patch who are sick of working seven days a week will work for us,” said Robinson. “It’s good for those that want to spend more time with their family.”

News Stories

Editorial