Tuesday’s regular bi-weekly Council meeting heard the final Wood Buffalo Recovery Committees recommendation on the Waterways Slope Stability Assessment and saw the latest news on acceptable contaminated soil.
The meeting was nearly five hours long and had many residents acting as delegates throughout the night as they voiced their concerns to Council.
Waterways Slope Stability Assessment
At the meeting a recommendation from the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee (WBRC) was given via the Recovery Task Force (RTF).
The WBRC recommendation calls for an amendment to the 2017 Capital Budget to acquire 14 lots at their pre-fire value in ‘Zone 3’ of Waterways slope stability assessment.
Council previously voted to acquire lots in ‘Zone 3A’ of Waterways slope stability assessment.
The pre-fire acquisition price for the 14 properties is $3.5 million.
Many residents of the 14 properties voiced their concerns at the meeting, most saying that they were for the buyout but four saying they were against.
If the residents were to build on the land, the cost alone of the much needed geotechnical surveys would rack up the rebuild bill.
On the other side, some residents still wish to make the lots their homes as they have been in families for generations and have great views of the Clearwater River.
After much deliberation in attempts to make all residents happy and accommodate them council passed a motion 8-3 to buyout 10 properties with a voluntary buyout for 4 properties who don’t want expropriation.
Acceptable contaminated soil
In April of 2017 Council passed a bylaw to temporarily waive fees of acceptable contaminated soil at the landfill to help ease financial burdens on those rebuilding.
Now there is no longer a need to waive the fees associated as a soil stockpiling site has been secured and is operational.
Council passed the first reading of a bylaw to amend the Utility Rates Bylaw or the free dumping of the soil at our landfill.
