Municipal Utilities

UTILITIES, PLANNING AND BYLAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES:

Utilities

·        Water:

The County provides an individual public water supply and distribution system to each of the following hamlets:

Each hamlet is serviced with a community well, except for Pickardville, which is serviced by a pipeline from the Town of Westlock.  A number of rural residents along the pipeline from Westlock also receive water servicing from the line.

Each system is operated independently and is expected to be self-sufficient.

·        Sewage:

The County provides an individual public sewage collection and disposal system for each of the following hamlets:

Each system has a modified low-pressure collection system.  Each resident has a two-compartment septic tank, the first one for solid waste, and the second one for liquid effluent.  The second compartment has a pump to push liquid effluent into the public collection system and ultimately, into the hamlet sewage lagoon. Vimy has a combination of a low pressure (in the original hamlet), and a gravity (in the new subdivision) collection system.  Dapp has only one client, the School.  The rest of the hamlet residents have chosen not to connect to or request a public collection system.

Each system is operated independently and is expected to be self-sufficient.

Planning Services

In accordance with Provincial legislation, the County has a Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB) which is used as a guide to control and regulate subdivision and development within the County.  Also in accordance with Provincial legislation, the County has established the following positions/structure:

·        Development Officer:

The Development Authority Officer (DAO) is an employee for the County.  He is responsible for the enforcement of the MDP and LUB for the County.  He also provides assistance to people who wish to make application for subdivision, with advice and help with application processing.  He also accepts and makes decisions on development permit applications for permitted uses, as outlined in the LUB.  Other development permit applications are referred to the Municipal Planing Commission (MPC).  The DAO is also a resource person for the MPC, and for the Council.

·        Municipal Planning Commission:

The MPC is a (5) person board comprised of individuals who are appointed from at large by the Council.  They’re responsible for dealing with development permit applications for discretionary uses as outlined in the LUB, and for recommending to Council the disapproval or approval with or without conditions, applications for subdivision.  They are also expected to make recommendations to Council on various planning and planning policy issues.

·        Subdivision Approving Authority:

The County is a Subdivision Approving Authority (SAA) in its own right, but has delegated its authority to a professional planner hired under contract to the County (and other jurisdictions) to either disapprove, approve or approve with conditions, applications for subdivision of land within the County in accordance with Provincial legislation, and the County’s Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw.

·        Development/Subdivision Appeal Board:

The Development/Subdivision Appeal Board (DAB) is a (5) person board established by the Council.  The board is comprised of (3) persons appointed from at large and (2) persons appointed from the Council.  The DAB hears appeals initiated by parties who feel they are being affected adversely by a proposed development/subdivision, or by a decision of the DAO, the MPC or the SAA.

Bylaw Enforcement 

The County’s Bylaw Enforcement Department enforces the general bylaws of the County, including:

·        Nuisance Abatement Bylaw

·        Dog Control Bylaw

·        Fire Permit Bylaw

·        Modified Sanitary Landfill Bylaw

·        Parks Bylaw

·        Road Protection and Traffic Control Bylaw  

All files are in Adobe PDF format.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free here.

Westlock County

10336 - 106 Street Westlock, AB  Canada  T7P 2G1

info@westlockcounty.com

Site Design By

A&G Design Services