Year ahead could be challenging

The Town of Turner Valley celebrated many achievements over the past year, but Mayor Kelly Tuck is worried about the year to come.

“Just knowing where the economy is right now I have some concerns,” she said. “I know families are struggling. I don’t think 2017 is going to be any better for families. I think they are still going to be struggling.”

The top concern for Tuck is the introduction of a provincial carbon tax in the new year.

“I can’t believe this government would move ahead with a carbon tax provincially or federally… knowing Canada as a whole doesn’t even make a mark in emissions,” she said. “None of it makes any sense.”

Tuck said every municipality is faced with adding the extra cost of the carbon tax to their 2017 operating budget – a cost many can’t afford.

Turner Valley council approved its budget last week and absorbed the anticipated costs by using money from its stabilization reserve funds to prevent an increase in municipal taxes.

“We know, as a council, things are tough for everyone,” she said. “We have a lot of families struggling that were laid off and don’t have employment.”

Looking back at 2016, Tuck said it was a busy year with many achievements. Some projects were completed and others are ongoing.

The Town reduced its speed limit in most residential areas from 50 km/hr to 40 last spring and installed signage in its five playground zones that posts a speed limit of 30 km/h from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“It was definitely an issue, that’s why council put together a pedestrian committee to come back to council with some changes and recommendations,” said Tuck.

She said the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee is considering other traffic calming initiatives such as increasing the visibility of more crosswalks in the community. Rapid flashing crosswalk lights were installed on Sunset Boulevard and another set is slated for installation in Seclusion Valley in 2017, Tuck said.

The Town is also working at finding more sources to provide adequate water to supply Black Diamond, Turner Valley and parts of the surrounding municipal district after the majority of the water wells in both towns were destroyed in the 2013 flood. Black Diamond and Turner Valley have been sharing water since Black Diamond’s water treatment plant was destroyed in the flood.

“One of the things the community should be very proud of is we have our Sheep River Utility Corporation up and running right now,” said Tuck. “The benefit was being able to build a state-of-the-art water treatment plant that’s going to take us into the future. It wouldn’t have happened without the dollars that came from DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan).”

A portion of 2016 was spent replacing hundreds of water meters in Turner Valley to reduce water loss caused by outdated meters that weren’t working properly. The installation is expected to be complete in 2017, said Tuck.

“With the new water meters we know we are capturing the water that’s being used,” she said. “We have some homes in Turner Valley that don’t have water metes and are just paying a base rate – higher than anyone else. It’s to ensure our municipality is doing due diligence with water.”

A new project for Turner Valley this year was the On-it Transit regional system that began operation in the fall, providing busing to and from Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Okotoks, High River and Calgary.

“I’m hearing some really good things,” she said. “I know the numbers aren’t there yet, but as people become more aware and with the carbon tax people are going to have to look at how they are going to get from Turner Valley to the city and that might be an economical way to go. I think it’s a good beginning for the area.”