Following three months of public consultation, Ponoka County is moving forward with a new Municipal Development Plan and Land Use By-Law.
The proposed plan and by-law are similar to the drafts made available early in April, but as a result of the open houses held earlier this month, two changes are proposed.
The first change is that 80-acre splits will no longer be allowed on Class 1 and 2 soils unless the land is first rezoned to Agricultural Smallholding. They will still be allowed on poorer soils. The exact wording can be found in Policies 1.7 to 1.9 of the proposed Municipal Development Plan and Section 702.4 of the proposed Land Use By-Law.
The second change is that a second residential subdivision may be allowed on a quarter section of land zoned agricultural, provided that a house has existed on the proposed parcel for at least 20 years. The exact wording can be found in Policy 3.9 of the proposed Municipal Development Plan.
Before legally adopting the new Municipal Development Plan and Land Use By-Law, Council will hold a public hearing at which any person may ask questions or request further changes. This hearing will be held at the County Office in Ponoka at 10:00 a.m. on May 13, 2008.
For a copy of the draft documents, click on "read more".
Covering 721,396 acres in central Alberta, Ponoka County embodies the essence of rural Alberta with strong agricultural roots, a commitment to fiscal responsibility and an independent spirit. Today, the County serves 8,640 residents, providing strong leadership and guiding the municipality through some difficult challenges. Indeed, the ability of the County to anticipate and adapt to change has contributed to its success in meeting the demands of ratepayers while maintaining one of the most attractive mill rates in Alberta. This, of course, would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of the individuals who serve the community as County Councillors and those who serve in the administration of the County under the direction of Charlie Cutforth, CAO.
Road construction and maintenance are among the top priorities for the County. A significant portion of the annual budget is dedicated to ensuring the transportation system is safe for the traveling public. In total, the County maintains approximately 1,400 miles of road under the direction of Herb Schwingel, Public Works Superintendent and Jerry Gartner, Assistant Superintendent. The County employs 8 regular grader operators, one floating grader operator, and four gravel truck operators. Upgrading of roads is done by two crews using a grader and a packer on each crew. Harvey Burton is the Road Construction Foreman and is responsible for the rebuilding of County roads using County and contract equipment/operators.