Vermilion Town Council Meeting - October 1

The Vermilion Town Council held its regular meeting on October 1, with the public portion lasting just 45 minutes. Councillor Rob Snow moved to accept the minutes from the previous September 17 meeting. Councillor Paul Conlon suggested a minor correction, and the motion was carried.

An addition to the agenda allowed Brooke Waylishen, President of the Vermilion Skating Club, to address the council. Waylishen expressed concerns over changes to the 2024 ice schedule, which moved all the Vermilion Skating Club practices from the Vermilion Stadium to the Vermilion Arena.

Deputy Mayor Rayment welcomed Ms. Waylishen and, following her presentation, encouraged her to discuss the issue with Mike van der Torre, advising, “If you are unhappy with the conversation with Mike or you guys can’t reason something out, then Mike can bring it to us, or you can bring it back to us so we can have a discussion from there. We just want to make sure that the administration has the opportunity to do their job as this is a very administration function, and it is right on the edge of being something that we shouldn’t meddle in as council, as it is scheduling and something that council would not address.” The information was accepted as presented.

At 6:11 p.m., public commentary opened, but with no attendees or submissions, it was closed one minute later.

Councillor Paul Conlon moved to amend the 2024 Operating Budget, authorizing the transfer of $161,015 from the Garbage-Equipment Reserve to fund the temporary rental of a waste collection truck and contractor services following a fire that damaged the town’s waste collection truck. The fire, which ignited in the hopper of the truck from an unknown source, put the vehicle out of service from January 2024 until late June 2024.

The amendment sought to cover the unbudgeted expenses from the incident, increasing the 2024 budget by $161,015. This figure does not include vehicle insurance reimbursements. Council was informed that there are no grants or debentures available to cover the expense, and it was not accounted for in the current utility rates, leaving the Garbage-Vehicle and Equipment Reserve as the only funding source. The reserve, which started with $601,941, will be reduced to $440,926 following the transfer. The amendment was carried, increasing the 2024 budget from $351,178 to $512,193.

Council also discussed a letter of support for Councillor Robert Snow’s application to the Alberta Health Regional Advisory Council. Additionally, Councillor Kevin Martin moved to designate the week of October 6–12 as Fire Prevention Week, which was also carried.

Committee reports from the Vermilion & District Chamber of Commerce and the Vermilion Wellness Coalition were accepted as information.

Accounts payable totaling $362,835.53 for the period of September 18–26, 2024, were presented. Councillors Whitlock and Martin requested clarifications on a few expenses, which were satisfactorily explained.

The meeting progressed to the council round table, where each Councillor presented updates.

Councillor Robert Snow moved for the meeting to enter a closed session at 6:45 p.m. Council returned to the regular session at 8:00 p.m., with the meeting adjourning one minute later.