Your County
IN TOUCH
Issue No. 69 May 2017
How FireSmart
is your property?
Lac La Biche County’s Protective
Services department is offering
free home assessments for residents
interested in protecting their properties
from the threat of wildfire.
Mayor Omer Moghrabi (third from left) with archers (from left) Ron and Roseanna Quintal
and Gil Davis. National championships for 3D indoor archery were held at the Bold Center
on the Easter long weekend, hosted by the local Lakeland Archers club.
Council sets tax rates for 2017
Lac La Biche County’s tax rates have
been set for the year.
As the weather warms and fire season
continues, trained inspectors are
available to examine local properties
and recommend ways to reduce
risk. The inspectors follow FireSmart
guidelines, which include measures
ranging from pruning low-hanging tree
branches to buildings with fire-resistant
materials. The County has previously
received and used FireSmart grant
funding to help make rural subdivisions
safer, but there are many things the
average resident can do as well.
A pair of property tax bylaws for 2017
were adopted at County Council’s
meeting on April 25. Council chose
to reduce the urban non-residential
rate, which applies mostly to small
businesses in major hamlets.
Call (780) 623-6774 to arrange a
home assessment.
The Urban Service Areas are special
zones surrounding the hamlets of Lac
The mill rate for residential properties
and farmland is 2.5259. The rates for
non-residential properties are 10.1688
in the County’s Urban Service Areas
and 18.5585 in rural areas. The rural
rate has not changed from last year.
Your County In Touch
La Biche and Plamondon. Not every
municipality in Alberta is allowed to
use different tax rates in different areas.
The County has applied for specialized
municipality status, which will allow it to
keep this split mill rate and expand the
Urban Service Areas to accommodate
more commercial and industrial
properties.
What do the mill rates mean to you?
The mill rate is used to calculate how
much each property is required to pay
in taxes, as shown in this example:
Mill rate
2.5259
X assessed value
X $350,000
÷ 1,000
÷ 1,000
= taxes payable
= approx. $884
Article continues on page 2.
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Your County Under Construction:
Water and sewer lines for Mission Beach
Residents of Mission Beach subdivision can expect to receive
some long-awaited utilities this year.
The first phase of bringing water and sewer lines to Mission
Beach will see existing lines expand to reach around 70
more residential lots. This project has a total cost of $1.2
million, with a portion to be financed through a local
improvement levy. Installing these utilities will address both
an infrastructure need and an environmental concern, due to
the subdivision’s lakeshore location.
Water and sewer lines will be installed in Phase 1 of Mission Beach
this year. Construction is expected to begin near the start of summer.
Council budgets
for Level One
Peace Officers
Peace Officer programs throughout
Alberta are regulated by the provincial
government. County Administration has
contacted Alberta Justice to begin the
advancement process.
Council has approved a budget
increase of $16,400 to allow two
current Level Two Peace Officers to
advance to Level One status.
Council has heard concerns from
residents and business owners,
especially regarding the safety and
appearance of downtown Lac La
Biche, and the County is mindful of the
need to help with law enforcement in
the community.
Level One officers have greater
authority, including traffic enforcement.
Councillors will review the Community
Peace Officer Policy to ensure the
program continues to function in
accordance with their priorities.
Local tax rates
set for 2017
Now that tax rates have been
determined, official tax notices will be
mailed to all ratepayers. The deadline
to pay taxes without incurring any
penalties is Friday, June 30, 2017.
Municipal taxes are the County’s
largest source of revenue, but the
County does not have total control over
the amounts levied. The County sets the
local rates but property assessments
are done by an independent firm. There
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The appointment of Level One officers
is expected to meet an immediate need
for “boots on the ground.”
are also provincial requisitions to pay
for education and seniors’ care. The
County has no control over these.
Residents with questions about
assessment and taxes are encouraged
to contact the County’s Finance
department at (780) 623-1747 or
e-mail [email protected].
How residents can pay their taxes
The County accepts property tax
payments using these methods:
• In person at the County Centre
offices (13422 Highway 881)
using cash, cheque, post-dated
www.laclabichecounty.com
Other law enforcement aids
Administration has also been directed
to apply for two enhanced RCMP
officer positions. If approved, this
measure would effectively bring two
more RCMP officers to the community
and the County would cover their
salaries.
Furthermore, Council has allocated up
to $30,000 for a pilot project to install
surveillance cameras on Main Street
in downtown Lac La Biche. The camera
program will be revisited and assessed
once it has been implemented, to
determine if more cameras are needed.
cheque, Visa or MasterCard
• Cheques or post-dated cheques by
mail, postmarked by June 30 at:
Lac La Biche County
P.O. Box 1679
Lac La Biche, Alberta T0A 2C0
• Internet and telephone banking
(contact your financial institution to
arrange payment)
• Autopay: The County has a
program that enables tax payments
to be electronically debited to your
bank account monthly, without
penalty. Please call (780) 6231747 for more details.
Large Item Pick-Up
running this month
As part of the County’s Clean Sweep
initiatives, the Large Item Pick-Up
Program is offered each spring,
allowing residents to dispose of large
household items they no longer want.
The County will pick up large items for
free from residents in the hamlets of Lac
La Biche and Plamondon during the
following periods:
• May 8 to 11: hamlet of Lac La
Biche on the north side of the
railroad tracks. Put out items by
May 7.
• May 12: hamlet of Plamondon. Put
out items by May 11.
• May 15 to 18: hamlet of Lac La
Biche on the south side of the
railroad tracks. Put out items by
May 14.
If you have a back alley, please place
your items neatly along the alley
outside of your fence line. If you don’t
have an alley, place your items neatly
on your front curb for pick up.
Residents who do not live in
the major hamlets can bring
large items free of charge
to local landfills or transfer
stations between May 8 and
18. Tipping fees apply for
residential waste over 500
kilograms during the rest of the
year. Note that, even during this
time, tipping fees will still apply
for industrial, commercial, and
institutional waste.
Hazardous chemicals like
paint, solvents, oil or cleaning
materials will not be accepted.
Instead, bring those to the
Household Hazardous Waste
Roundup at the Lakeland
Agricom (13412 Highway
881) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Saturday, June 10.
For a full list of items that
we will pick up from hamlet
residents, refer to the Large Item
Pick-Up postcard that County
employees delivered to hamlet
residents’ doors, or visit the
County’s website.
Landfills and transfer stations
switch to summer hours
As of May 1, local landfills and
transfer stations are open longer
and more frequently.
Craigend, Hylo, Owl River
and Rich Lake transfer stations
are each open from 10:15
a.m. to 6:45 p.m. on one more
weekday. Beaver Lake and
Plamondon landfills are now
both open from 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m. on Mondays, and the
Beaver Lake site is also open on
Sunday afternoons.
All of the changes are additions
to the sites’ scheduled hours of
operation. The sites continue
to serve the public at all of the
times they were open prior to
May 1.
Go to the County’s website and
see the “Waste Management”
page, under the “Our Services”
tab, to find a complete schedule
of landfill and transfer station
hours throughout the year.
Your County In Touch
Lac La Biche County
County hosting
“Reaching Out To
Seniors” conference
In a first for Lac La Biche County, the Bold
Center will be the venue for a “Reaching
Out To Seniors” conference on Thursday,
June 1. The event will include a Seniors’
Resource Fair, where interested individuals
can learn about available resources and
connect with agencies that serve people 55
and older.
For more information, or if you’re an
exhibitor interested in setting up a display,
contact Community Outreach Worker
Lise Rouleau at (780) 623-6726.
FCSS guidebook
coming soon
Did you know FCSS offers income tax
filing assistance for seniors? How about
babysitting courses and a team-building
and leadership camp for youth?
A new guide to all things FCSS is being
published. It covers everything from grant
application timelines to Paratransit service
fees and hours.
The guide also contains facts about elder
abuse, an issue that FCSS is striving to raise
awareness of. Readers will find tips on how
to prevent, identify and address abuse.
Keep an eye on Lac La Biche County FCSS’
new Facebook page to find out when and
where you can pick one up.
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Dates to
Remember
May 8-18, 2017
Large Item Pick-Up in the hamlets
of Lac La Biche and Plamondon.
See page 3 for more details.
May 19, 2017
Community garden plot
application deadline. Tree
seedling order deadline. Call
(780) 623-6739 for information.
May 22, 2017
Victoria Day. County offices closed
for statutory holiday.
June 1, 2017
“Reaching Out To Seniors”
conference at the Bold Center. Call
(780) 623-6726 for information.
June 10, 2017
Household Hazardous Waste
Round-Up and Community ShredIt at Lakeland Agricom.
Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday
with Lac La Biche County
Canada turns 150 on July 1 and Lac
La Biche County will mark the occasion with a free evening celebration in
McArthur Park.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the lakefront park
will come alive with music, activities
and food, including Canadian-themed
“eh!-ppetizers.” Later at 11 p.m., there
will be a fireworks display with music
from a live DJ.
July 1, 2017 is the 150th anniversary
Dive into work
at the pool
Portage Pool is actively seeking youth,
adults or older adults to work as
lifeguards or swimming instructors.
Additional staff members are needed
in order to provide more programs and
public swim times at the local facility.
June 30, 2017
Property tax payment deadline.
Your County in Touch is produced by
Lac La Biche County and is available to
every resident.
An electronic version of this newsletter
is available. All you need to do
is call (780) 623-1747 or provide
your e-mail address to intouch@
laclabichecounty.com.
Use the same contact information for any
address changes, additional copies or
to unsubscribe.
Canadian Publication Agreement #41492052
4
www.laclabichecounty.com
of the Dominion of Canada’s creation
in 1867, when three separate British
colonies in central and eastern North
America were combined. About 2,000
kilometres away, the settlement known
as Lac La Biche was already almost 70
years old at that time.
Lac La Biche County is a very historic
and multicultural community, and the
County is proud to help mark Canada’s
150th birthday. Stay tuned for updates
as Canada Day approaches.
The pool offers competitive salaries,
employee benefits and flexible
schedules. With approval of funding,
the County will cover the cost of
necessary training. This is a good
opportunity for past lifeguards or those
interested in becoming new lifeguards.
For more details, please call Aquatic
Services Coordinator Tegan Chislett at
(780) 623-6778 or e-mail
[email protected].