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Ponoka County council briefs

County council will help to keep the wheels on the Ponoka handicapped bus going round and round.

Ponoka County backs handicapped van society

County council will help to keep the wheels on the Ponoka handicapped bus going round and round.

The Ponoka Covered Wagon Handicapped Transport Society’s request for a $14,000 grant in 2010 was approved. That matches the grant provided to the society by the Town of Ponoka.

The society operates on a break-even budget of about $66,650.

“They provide a helluva good service,” said Coun. Gawney Hinkley.

County supports museum security project

Half of the cost to install a security system at the Fort Ostell Museum will be picked up by Ponoka County.

The museum society asked for $18,000 to recoup its cost to install the system, required because its collection of artifacts is not insured.

With the installation of the security system, this is the first time in the museum’s existence that its contents are protected from fire, theft or other threatening circumstances.

CAO Charlie Cutforth told council the $9,000 would be in line with a grant given to the Rimbey Historical Society.

Courthouse sought in Hobbema

The Samson Band’s plan to establish a provincial courthouse in Hobbema has the support of county council.

The courthouse would be located in county jurisdiction just north of the former Champions Restaurant site west of Highway 2A, Cutforth told council.

Councillors support the project and are not opposed to water and sewer services being extended to the site.

Cutforth said the county has tried to convince the band to extend the services to that parcel and neighbouring lots for more than 20 years.

Local bidder given pasture lease

The local bid, not necessarily the highest bid to lease the Bashaw gravel pit for pasture, was accepted by council.

Russell Schultz’s bid of $3,200 a year for the next three years was less than the $3,850 offered by Herbert Fox, who does not live in Ponoka County.

The first year’s lease must be paid up front before any cattle are let onto the 145 acres.

Recycle operation expanding

CuttingEdge Tire Recycling will lease another five acres of land from Ponoka County to accommodate a new business opportunity.

Council heard the operation northeast of Ponoka has an opportunity to accept for shredding old tires from oilsands equipment.

Located in a gravel pit, the company employs about half a dozen staff.

County staff will determine where the expansion will take place to ensure it doesn’t conflict with ongoing gravel extraction. There is an estimated 500,000 yards of gravel in the pit.

Council backs Ponoka’s arena renovations

Council has formally rescinded its motion to participate in a Municipal Sponsorship Program grant application to support Rimbey’s swimming pool renovation project.

Rimbey mistakenly believed it was entitled to the combined grants of Ponoka, Ponoka County and Rimbey this year, but it is actually Ponoka’s turn to access the grants pooled by the three municipalities.

The county’s new resolution supports Ponoka’s application to renovate the arena complex.