Hamilton remains reeve for Cypress County following organizational meeting

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on October 17, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Cypress County council held its annual organizational meeting Wednesday alongside its usual bi-weekly public meeting.

Dan Hamilton will be continuing in his role as the Reeve, taking both his oath and his usual spot in the Cypress County meeting room on Wednesday morning. He commented that he takes his job seriously and hopes to continue to do his best for the county.

Also returning to his role as Deputy Reeve is Richard Oster. Both parties were the sole nomination for their positions.

Cypress County accepted a delegation request from Meadowlands Development Corp., which sought out a change to present on a proposed subdivision in Desert Blume.

Part of the Capital Update was brought to council’s attention in regards to the Suffield Water Supply Line, Water Plant and Clear Well Storage project, which is in the planning and design stage. It was noted that the county has proceeded with getting water from the base, and explanation was offered as to why the project has taken time.

Reasons included seeking a new site for the project, which has been found on the north side of the area, and finding a good route for the water supply line.

The 2025-2029 Capital Budget Draft was also presented to council Wednesday, with the intention of bringing it back for the Nov. 19 meeting. Highlights included the IT replacements for 2025 coming up to roughly $241,000, including server replacement, as the current ones are reaching end of life, as well as eight priority road and bridge projects, one utilities project and six in structures and buildings.

Council approved the Shortgrass Library Budget with a municipal levy of $5.04 per capita in 2025 and $5.19 per capita in 2026, an increase of 1.4%.

An invitation was put forward by the RCMP “K” Division Command Group to request a meeting at the upcoming RMA Fall Convention. Council moved to request the meeting, selecting rural crime and how it is being handled, as well as the level of communication on the county website, as main areas of interest.

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