Future of First Avenue

Beiseker village council has been pondering over what to do about the "back road" into the village.   The back road is an extension of First Avenue, south past the Public Works yard, and connecting with Range Road 261 after leaving the Village limits and entering Rocky View County.  The county's section of the road connects with Highway 9 south of the Village.

This road is a pothole breeding ground!  We've spent lots of money patching and re-patching that short stretch of road, running from the bridge to the CN rail tracks.  The County paved their portion of the road south of the railway tracks, but the village can't afford to do that.

It has been suggested that we remove the battered and pothole-ridden pavement and return the road to a gravel road.  I'm concerned about the dust blowing into town from a graveled road, but this may be our only option going forward.  Environmental concerns and rules prevent us from using many dust proofing products that we may have in the past.

We already have a dust problem along the extension of the Beacon Heights Road, south past the Grasslands entry.  Almost half of the complaints I receive are about the potholes on the back road and the dust along Beacon Heights Road.  It has been a hot topic at Town Hall meetings, too!

Quite frankly, I don't have a solution to the problem.  The back road is one of many entrances to the village.  Maybe we can live with one dusty one!

Pothole Victory and Stampede Breakfast!

On behalf of the Village of Beiseker, I declare at least a partial victory over our potholes!  A shout-out goes to Public Works foreman Dave and his crew for their work!

I know some of you will say, "what about that one in front of my place?"  Please report any wayward potholes to the village office (403 947 3774) so Public Works can check it out. 

I hope I'll see all of you at Beiseker's first annual Stampede Breakfast!  It goes this Thursday on Main Street between First and Second Avenues, in front of the Arcadia Cafe!  Pancakes will be served from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.  Come on down and meet your neighbors and members of our business community!

To "Pho Chu Yeung"

I am answering "Pho Chu Yeung," who criticized the Village of Beiseker quite severely through the Village's Facebook page.

I was hurt by the accusations made by this (supposed) Beiseker resident, whom I have yet to meet.

• "[Beiseker] has no full time fire department."  I think we've addressed this first concern in my blog post a few days ago.   One anonymous commenter and I have discussed that a little further on that blog post, too - please scroll down to get those comments.
• "[Beiseker] has no ambulance service."  Beiseker is in the same situation here as every other Alberta municipality.  The ambulance services right across Alberta have been taken over by the province!  The service which we joined (The Kneehill Ambulance Service in Three Hills) was disbanded and is now part of the huge mega system run by Alberta Health Services.  We have little or no say on how this new entity operates.  Please refer this concern to the provincial government.
• "We haven't fixed a "hole" in the middle of town for a year."  Over the past few days I have driven every street and laneway in Beiseker, and I have yet to find the hole to which you refer.  Please give us an address of the nearest property so we may check out your concern.
• "The Town should be audited."  Actually, the Village of Beiseker is audited every spring by an independent auditor.  Those findings are published in a report presented to council usually in April.  The provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs is also informed of the results of that audit.  More information about the annual audit is available to all rate payers at the Village Office.

I hope this clarifies a few of the issues brought forward by Mr. or Ms. "Yeung."   Remember, every council meeting is open to the public.  They are held every second and fourth Mondays of each month in Council Chambers.  The meetings begin at 7:15 p.m.  If you wish to address council at one of those meetings, you must register as a delegation a few business days before the meeting.

Potholes!

The streets of our village have been plagued with potholes and frost boils every spring, but this year it's particularly bad!  Thank you to those who have informed me and the Village Office about many of the problem areas. 

Frost boils are caused by too much water under the roadway, making the surface layers very soft.  We can either barricade them off and let them firm up as the water table goes down, or we can dig up the area, put in new material and pack it well.  Obviously the first choice is the cheapest.  Each soft frost boil area will be assessed and dealt with over the next few weeks.

Potholes are caused by somewhat similar circumstances but usually affect the top layers in a small area.  I think I've been informed about every pothole within the village limits.  Some have been filled with a sand, gravel and tar mix called "cold mix," while others will have to wait until our streets are swept clean during the first week of June. 

After the streets are swept the remaining potholes will be repaired.  One of the areas of big concern is at the corner of North Road and First Avenue.  That area will be attended to during that first week of June. 

If you see another pothole or frost boil which seems to have missed our scrutiny, please report it to the Village of Beiseker Office, by calling 403-947-3774!

Thank you very much for you patience.

Great Town Hall Meeting

We held our usual fall Town Hall Meeting at the Beiseker Community Centre.  It gives a chance for ratepayers to sit through an abbreviated council meeting then participate in a question and answer session with members of Village Council.

The main topics:

• The Bassano Station issue was the first up.  Although village council has very little control over the Centennial Railway Museum's project, residents were most concerned the building would soon become abandoned.   With part of the roof missing and it not being closed in around the foundation,  residents were wondering of its future.  We on council could give them few answers.
• One resident was concerned that issues brought to the attention of council were not being followed up.   Was the village office writing a note to the person who brought the issue to council's attention, outlining actions taken?  We were able to indicate that, in most cases, the follow-up was done by either phone call or letter.
• We were asked why we lengthened the time residents have to clear their sidewalks of snow from 48 hours to 72 hours.  We explained that it gives the residents a bit longer to remove the snow in case they can't get on the shovel right away.
• Another resident was wondering if there was a bylaw preventing parked vehicles from blocking laneways.  We indicated to them that this was a part of the province's Traffic Safety Act.  I've taken a  couple of quick tours around the area mentioned, but found no vehicles blocking laneways.  Vehicles can be parked between the garage and the lane if there is room.  The laneways should remain clear at all times.
• Residents wondered why we weren't collecting tie-down fees at the Beiseker Airport.  I was able to tell them it was a clerical error, which would be corrected in the next few days.
• Also discussed during or right after the meeting were the removal of some of the village's aging poplar trees, water drainage flows, potholes, and recycling fees.

Overall, I was pleased with the meeting.  I like to have residents attend our regular council meetings, but I know that for many that just isn't possible.  Town Hall Meetings make it a little easier. I think it is important that all village residents to stay in touch with their village council throughout the year. 

Weeds and Potholes!

A number of residents have asked me when Public Works going to mow down the weeds in the back lanes throughout Beiseker.  I know we have done this in the past, but it is actually the responsibility of the home owners to keep the weeds down both on the public reserve in front of their homes, and the area behind their back fence next to the lane. 

We have completely discontinued the weed-whacking services in those areas to save some money.  We are asking everyone to take care of those areas themselves.

We have been working on filling the over abundance of potholes this summer - experts are telling us the brutal winter caused most of them.  If you spot a pothole which has been missed by our Public Works, please report its location to the Village Office (403-947-3774) and they'll put it on their list!