A decision on new funding for the Pincher Creek Curling Club was put on hold, two properties were set for public auction and the town’s electricity franchise agreement was renewed for five years at town council’s May 25 regular meeting.

Mayor Wayne Oliver and Couns. Mark Barber, Bernice Cyr, Brian McGillivray, Sahra Nodge and Valerie Wynder were present. Coun. Gordon McMullen was absent.

Curling club funding request deferred

Council’s longest discussion centred on the curling club’s request for additional municipal support. The project is roughly $1.8 million short of the amount needed to complete construction of a new rink.

Oliver said administration did not provide a recommendation. Instead, council received several possible funding approaches and supporting documents for consideration.

McGillivray said a complete record of council motions on the rink project, dating back to 2018, was missing from the agenda package.

“I went through it twice yesterday and I could not find it,” McGillivray said, adding he was not prepared to vote on a funding question of that magnitude without that historical record.

He made the motion to postpone further discussion until June 8 and several councillors also identified information they would like before making a decision.

Cyr requested updated projections on fundraising, year-round building use and future revenue generation.

Wynder asked what would happen to provincial grant funding if the project is not completed. She also questioned whether council had received a formal request outlining exactly how much additional funding the club is seeking from the town.

“I just don’t feel like we’ve had a really formal ask there,” she said.

Oliver said residents had also raised questions about whether the project’s reported shortfall includes demolition costs for the old curling rink and expenses related to relocating the ice plant.

Council voted 5-1, with Nodge opposed, to postpone any vote on additional municipal support until June 8.

Two properties headed for public auction

Council approved terms and conditions for the town’s 2026 tax arrears recovery public auction. Two properties could be offered for sale if outstanding taxes remain unpaid.

The auction is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. in council chambers.

Property owners can redeem their land by paying all arrears, penalties and costs until the property is officially declared sold.

The town established reserve bids based on assessed market values. This includes $355,100 for a property listed as Plan 8089JK, Lot 274 and $28,600 for a property listed as Plan 850IB, MHPK, Lot 21.

Administration noted the properties would be sold on an “as is, where is” basis and purchasers would be responsible for taxes, utilities, registration fees and obtaining vacant possession.

Fortis electricity franchise renewed

Council directed administration to proceed with a five-year renewal of the town’s franchise agreement with FortisAlberta for the provision of electricity. The current intermediate term expires at the end of December.

The original agreement began in 2017 with a 20-year overall term, including scheduled renewal periods.

Discussion focused on whether alternative models for electricity service could exist in the future.

“You’d have to come up with the capital to purchase all of the poles and wire, the infrastructure,” chief administrative officer Konrad Dunbar said. “It’s quite the process.”

McGillivray suggested the town could explore acting as a local electricity retailer, essentially as a middleman between the distributor and residents, instead of residents relying on outside retailers.

Nodge said the issue generated community interest during the previous term of council. Some residents explored whether profits from such a venture could fund a local granting program for non-profit groups.

Dunbar said he would research the idea further.

Cyr raised concerns about deteriorating electrical hookups in some of the town’s mobile-home parks.

Dunbar said infrastructure on private property is the responsibility of the property owner, not FortisAlberta, once it crosses the property line. Oliver suggested complaints in those cases would need to originate from residents themselves.

Financial reports show strong revenues in 2025

Council accepted several quarterly financial reports as information, including year-end 2025 operating summaries and first-quarter 2026 financial statements.

The fourth-quarter operating reports for 2025 show the town ended the year with total revenue of just over $15.1 million against total expenses of about $15.2 million, leaving an operating shortfall of roughly $55,800 before other items.

User fees and sales of goods reached about $3.46 million in 2025, well above budgeted amounts, while licence and permit revenues finished at more than double projections.

On the expense side, total spending of $15.17 million came in about $1.13 million under budget, as several departments underspent their allocations. Administration and legislative costs both came in well below budget.

Recreation and culture remained the town’s largest spending category at about $5.59 million against a budget of $4.25 million .

The largest expense overage was salaries, wages and benefits, which came in at $6.76 million, roughly $1.72 million over the budgeted $5.04 million.

Transfers to organizations came in well under budget at $1.70 million against a budgeted $3.79 million.

After accounting for capital transfers and other items, the town recorded a net surplus of about $14,700 for the year, compared to a surplus of $213,700 in 2024.

The first-quarter operating statements for 2026, covering the three months ending March 31, were also accepted as information. The figures reflect expected seasonal patterns, with most revenue and expense lines tracking well below their annual budgets.

Total expenses for the first quarter stand at about $3.42 million, or about 25 per cent of the annual budget of $13.4 million.

Transfers to organizations tracked at nearly 100 per cent of their first-quarter budget at just over $1.01 million, reflecting timing of scheduled grant and transfer payments early in the year.

On the revenue side, the first-quarter total showed a negative figure due to the timing of property tax billing, which administration said is standard practice and not a cause for concern.

User fees, franchise fees and licences and permits were all tracking in the range of 17 to 70 per cent of annual budgets for the period.

Seniors Week and community events

Dunbar advised council that the Fred Huddleston Senior Centre board is hosting events to mark Alberta Seniors Week, running June 1 to 8. This included a Coffee With Council event on June 2, which Cyr and Barber agreed to attend.

Council also received invitations to the Pincher Creek Rodeo Parade on Aug. 15 and Elkford’s Wildcat Days Parade on June 27.

Barber expressed interest in attending the Elkford parade again this year.

Councillors also discussed a provincial Built Together grant opportunity offering five $50,000 community grants across Alberta. Oliver suggested administration pass the information to the curling club.

Council also noted Creating Inclusive Community Spaces, a free bystander intervention workshop scheduled for June 9 at 1 p.m. at Lebel Mansion.

Wynder encouraged community members, organizations and businesses to take part, describing it as practical training on how to safely support people who feel threatened without escalating a situation.