Putting out financial fires

Calling for the fire department unnecessarily just got a little more expensive. The Municipality of Jasper voted in favour of updating the fire department bylaw last Tuesday (July 18), in the process approving higher incident charges for the use of trucks and the members of the volunteer fire brigade.

These cost recovery measures were proposed by fire chief Greg Van Tighem as a means of keeping Jasper’s fire-related charges in line with provincial norms. The cost for the use of rescue vehicles and crew, or the pump truck and crew, is now $400 per hour. Calls requiring the ladder truck will cost $550 per hour, reflecting the higher value of that piece of equipment, Van Tighem told council. Meanwhile, the use of a command vehicle will involve a $100 per hour charge.

Incident charges are assessed when the fire department responds to a call that does not involve a fire, but that does present a danger to life and equipment.

The updated bylaw clears the way for the levying of security charges, at a rate of $100 per hour for every crew member involved. Security charges will be assessed in situations where members of the fire brigade are obliged to monitor a fire site in order to prevent it from theft, vandalism or other illegal activity.

Van Tighem said that the department’s vehicles are typically called out to motor vehicle incidents that do not involve fire approximately 20 times per year. Situations that would now involve security charges are very seldom occurances, he added.

Top turnout at tax time

Director of Finance and Administration Keith Shepherd had good news to deliver to council on two fronts. First, Shepherd said that with the annual deadline for payment of property taxes passing earlier this month, only two per cent of taxes had not been collected.

“It’s been another good year,” he said.

Only three tax assessment appeals were filed before the June 30 deadline, Shepherd said, adding that it was likely that Rocky Mountain Skiing would withdraw their 2006 appeal after learning the negative outcome of last year’s tax appeal. That application and three separate appeals pursued by Mountain Parks Lodges were all denied by the Municipal Government Board, an impartial arbiter made up of former assessors and members of the business community.

Appeals filed by the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Decore Hotels for the 2005 tax year are still before the board.

Caught in a SuperNet

Shepherd also reported that despite some intermittent slow downs on some of the municipality’s local area networks, he found the option of using the Alberta SuperNet fibre optic system to be cost prohibitive. The SuperNet line, which was installed in Jasper more than one year ago, provides supersonic-speed internet to locations like libraries, museums and schools around the province for no charge. However, for the municipality to take advantage of the network running through this community, installation fees and annual administrative fees in excess of $32,000 would be charged. Considering that the municipality has offices in four separate buildings, each of which would be subject to the fees, the cost is simply too high to consider, Shepherd said.

“What a great deal then,” Councillor Mike Day said sarcastically. “Isn’t that why we agreed to install it, to help municipalities?”

The Alberta government has contracted out the provision of SuperNet services, and that company is attempting to recover the considerable capital costs of installation, Shepherd said.

“It wouldn’t be a substantial increase in capacity for the price,” he concluded.

At least one other councillor shared Day’s frustration with the costs involved.

“We ought to bring this up with AUMA,” said Councillor Andy Walker. “I’m sure other rural communities have been surprised by this.”