COUNTY OF NEWELL
Council Committees 2023-2024
(*Update - last week’s list was from 2022)

DAN SHORT (Division 1 – Rolling Hills):

• AirportCommission

• Councillor Compensation Review Committee

• Fire Area Committee – Bassano & Rural

• Fire Area Committee – Duchess & Rural

• Fire Area Committee – Rosemary & Rural

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Cypress County

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – MD of Taber

• Newell Regional Services Corporation

ADENA SKANDERUP (Division 2 – Tilley):

• Brooks Region Tourism Association

• CAO Performance Evaluation Committee

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Cypress County

• Newell Housing Foundation

LYNETTE KOPP (Division 3 – Patricia/Millicent):

• Councillor Compensation Review Committee

• County of Newell Library Board

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Duchess

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Special Areas

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Vulcan County

• Newell Recycling Association

• Recreation, Parks & Culture Board (Duchess & Division 8)

• Road Ban Committee

• Salary Negotiation Committee

• Shortgrass Library Board

HOLLY JOHNSON (Division 4 – Scandia, Rainier, & BowCity):

• Municipal Planning Commission Vice Chair

• Grasslands Regional FCSS

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – MD of Taber

• Palliser Economic Partnership

• Road Ban Committee

GREG SKRIVER (Division 5 – Cassils & Lake Newell Resort):

• CAO Performance Evaluation Committee

• City of Brooks Recreation & Parks Board

• Joint Services/Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee (Brooks)

• Recreation Board (Divisions 5 & 10)

• Safe Communities Committee

• Salary Negotiation Committee

KELLY CHRISTMAN ( Division 6 – Bassano):

• Deputy Reeve

• Municipal Planning Commission Chair

• CAO Performance Evaluation Committee

• Fire Area Committee – Bassano & Rural

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Bassano

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Vulcan County

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Wheatland County

• Joint Services/Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee (Brooks)

• Recreation Board (Division 6)

ELLEN UNRUH (Division 7 – Rosemary):

• Fire Area Committee – Rosemary & Rural

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Rosemary

• Newell Regional Services Corporation

• Salary Negotiation Committee

AMANDA PHILPOTT (Division 8 – Duchess):

• Councillor Compensation Review Committee

• Fire Area Committee – Duchess & Rural

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Duchess

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Rosemary

• Newell Housing Foundation

• Recreation, Parks & Culture Board (Duchess & Division 8)

• Regional Emergency Advisory Committee (alternate)

ARNO DOERKSEN ( Division 9 – Gem):

• Reeve

• Bow River Basin Council

• CAO Performance Evaluation Committee

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Bassano

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Special Areas

• Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee – Wheatland County

• Joint Services/Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee (Brooks)

• Mayors & Reeves Association of South East Alberta

• Recreation Board (Division 6)

• Regional Emergency Advisory Committee

• Road Ban Committee

NEIL JOHNSON (Division 10 – Brooks):

• City of Brooks Recreation & Parks Board

• Joint Services/Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee (Brooks)

• Newell 9-1-1 Dispatch Association

• Newell Regional Solid Waste Management Authority

• Recreation Board (Divisions 5 & 10)

• Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Association

The expense policy for the County of Newell Councillors aims to encourage community-minded individuals to run for public office by ensuring that compensation is transparent, cost-efficient, and comparable to that of other municipalities in Alberta.

Key compensation details are as follows:

• The Reeve receives a monthly honorarium of $1,953

• Councillors receive a monthly honorarium of $1,302

• Per diem hourly rate is $43

• Monthly communication allowance of $110 to cover phone and internet.

• Training and development allowance of $2,000 per year.

Brooks Minor Hockey Association faces challenges in getting out-of-town teams to register for tournaments due to limited space in local hotels. To attract out-of-town teams, BMHA has proposed offering incentives to encourage registrations. They have requested a donation of 420 youth drop-in passes valued at $2,625 for the JBS Canada Centre to be given out during six tournaments in the 2023/24 season.

Flags on City property should only be for Canada, our province, and our city suggested Councillor Goodnough at the last Council Committee meeting. Many groups ask to have their flags at City Hall it was suggested to have a special pole in the community for these flags, like at the Arts, Culture and Heritage Centre (The Medium). After discussion Council agreed to keep flying community flags at City Hall.

Sips drive-thru Cafe had permission for six months to operate as a temporary business, but that time is up. City Council discussed the impact of temporary businesses competing with permanent ones. They decided to give a one-year waiver to Sips Cafe.

New Skatepark Plan involves four key tasks.

1. Skateparks 101 Community Participatory Design Workshop

2. Internal Review of Preliminary Concept Direction

3. Presentation of Proposed Concept – Community Design Workshop 2

4. Submission of the Final Concept Design and Feedback Summary Report

Council Committee discussed strategies to reach the youth, including visiting schools on the same day as the evening workshop and sharing a digital survey link. They would also like to see a marketing campaign to inform the community, along with sending letters to nearby property owners. The first workshop is scheduled to take place in mid-November, with construction commencing in 2025.