In attendance: Councillors Zinck, Wall, Skehill, Damota and Wacko, and Mayor Ireland.

Presentation: 

Janet Jones, veterinarian at the Jasper Veterinarian Clinic and dog owner presented a letter to council expressing her concern for the future of the off-leash dog park after the recent public vote to swap parcel R11 with the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD) for the construction of a new school. 

Jones told council she was concerned about the discussion of a new park to be located across the railroad tracks near the industrial park. She said the area is an animal corridor and will not be central to the community. Currently the park is well used by families and other dog owners. Parents send their children with their animals to the park, parents meet there after dropping their kids off at school and even members of the public without dogs and tourists use the park.

“It’s not about the dogs, it’s about the people that own them,” Jones said. 

Further concerns presented in the letter were that the new park would not be wheelchair accessible, and wildlife may be able to dig under the fence, creating an insecure area for the off-leash dogs. 

Jones suggested that council consider the current location of the high school once it has been remediated back to a natural state.

Mayor Ireland said that council is trying to find a location where it can remain without having to move after three years, but Jones said the dog owners are flexible to when they can return to a central park. 

“[We’re] willing to have an inferior space for a short period of time,” she said. 

Councillor Damota said that no plans were set in stone yet, and that they were simply collecting ideas before they officially enter discussions about the location of the new park. 

Ireland said the dog park is a valued part of the community, and he had no doubt that it wasn’t being well-used, and that the need for an off-leash area wasn’t going away. 

“It is an absolute privilege in a national park to have a dog off leash anywhere,” he said. He went on to commend Jones for bringing her concerns to council to get the conversation on the new dog park started, but said the industrial park could be a convenient location because it is close to the new parking lot and the new pedestrian underpass. 

Members of the public in attendance suggested other temporary areas such as Robson Park, the baseball diamonds and the sliver of land behind the baseball diamonds in Centennial Park. 

In closing, Damota suggested that Jones and fellow pet owners get together to discuss what they want in a new park, and snowball some ideas for a new location to bring back to council. Jones said a “state-of-the-art” dog park would include lights, running water, a small shelter, trees, a smaller fenced area for training and picnic tables for the pet owners. 

Environmental Services report, by Ken Quackenbush:

Quackenbush reported that line painting had yet to begin in the municipality, due to the rainy weather, but it was expected to begin by the end of the week. The original date of the painting was set for before the May long weekend, but the recent forecast has prevented the line painting contractors from getting to Jasper. The rainy conditions throughout Western Canada has complicated their schedule and caused further delay. 

Landscaping at the pedestrian underpass has started after trees arrived on the morning of July 19. Councillor Wacko asked if drainage issues present in the spring had been cleared up. Quackenbush said the problem should be fixed once landscaping is complete, because the melting snow brought unplanted top soil down into the underpass. 

Councillor Skehill asked if it might be possible to install a mirror on the corner of the underpass so that cyclists can see around the blind corner to prevent crashes between them and other cyclists or pedestrians. Quackenbush said that once the landscaping is complete, there will be a spot to install a mirror on one of the trellises. 

Corporate and Legislative Services report, by Verne Balding:

Balding reported that Alberta’s Emergency Public Warning Services system has been revamped, and that he would be attending a conference in Edmonton to become informed on the new process. Before the alarm system would take over local television and radio stations to present a warning that was given by the community. Now the system is being changed so that a municipality experiencing an emergency will call a dispatch centre and the message will be given by that centre. 

The municipal census numbers are trickling in. Balding reported that so far the number is set at 3,371, however staff accommodation numbers have yet to be counted. Balding said there is a concern if the number goes over 5,000 because the municipality will have to take over the cost of policing at that number. Last year’s census number was 4,745. So far, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s population has come in at 700 people, and many other businesses have not yet reported their numbers. 

The census numbers are effective as of census day, Balding told council, even though Jasper’s population drops considerably in the winter after staff accommodations empty out. 

Balding mentioned the many municipality staff members that helped make the totem pole raising go so smoothly. He said the staff did a “bang-up job” re-directing traffic. He suggested that local advertising about the closure may have helped.

“They did a really good job on Saturday,” Balding said. 

Councillor Damota agreed, saying that the bylaw officers he encountered working were polite and handled people well. 

Bylaw:

Bylaw #147 appeared before council for a decision. Councillor Damota cited a conflict of interest and opted out of the vote. The bylaw is a loan guarantee for the Caribou Creek Non-Profit Housing Corporation (CCNPHC). All councillors in attendance voted in favour. 

In February, in response to a request from the CCNPHC, council agreed in principle to provide a loan guarantee to assist the corporation in financing the housing developments. No funds will be borrowed unless necessary and council anticipates no funds will be expended.

Request for decision:

All members of council voted in favour of a motion to appoint members to the Community and Family Services board and the Jasper Non-Profit Housing Corporation board. There was one position open on each board. Mallory Ayers was appointed to the CFS and Chad Gulevich to the JNPHC. 

A motion to approve sponsorship and/or associated naming rights was passed, with two councillors opposed. The policy says that the municipality can solicit corporate or individual sponsorships for municipal projects for the purpose of funding capital improvements, equipment or building supplies. 

Council approved the land exchange agreement between the municipality and the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD) that transfers Parcel R11 to the GYPSD in exchange for a plot of land roughly the same size where the current location of the Jasper Jr./Sr. High School is. Ireland said there had been no communication with the community following the announcement that Alberta Infrastructure would in fact be in charge of the project and funds, rather than the school board. Councillor Wall made a motion to approve the decision, all were in favour except for Councillor Damota. 

Council unanimously approved a request for a handicap parking spot in a residential zone to help assist a local resident with mobility issues. The spot will be placed by the person’s home, but will be a public parking spot, meaning anyone with a handicap sticker may park there. Balding said the request was being fast-tracked because the line painting crew was set to be in town and could complete the work immediately, rather than waiting for the next time they are in Jasper. Skehill raised concerns that if one person has a handicap stall, many others will come forward, but Balding said the spot is located on Connaught Dr., where significant public parking spaces are, making the circumstances slightly different to any other potential request. 

Council approved the motion, entered by Skehill. The spot will be temporary until the resident either moves away, or does not require a handicap parking permit any more. 

Proclamation:

Mayor Ireland proclaimed September as Muscular Dystrophy month, from a motion brought to council by Councillor Wall. All were in favour. 

Whereas people today have the opportunity to live longer lives because of breakthroughs in medical research;

and whereas Muscular Dystrophy is a neuromuscular disorder that effects many and has no known cure; 

and whereas only through the support of the community may a cure be found;

Now therefore the council of the Municipality of Jasper does hereby declare September 2011 as “Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month” in the Municipality of Jasper.