Tag: Angie Lucas

Arm of person passing a fast-food drink from a drive-thru window and hand of person in vehicle accepting it.

Town council to focus on the bigger picture

Written by Dave Lueneberg on September 14, 2023. Posted in Dave Lueneberg, Local News, Town of Pincher Creek. No Comments on Town council to focus on the bigger picture

Pincher Creek town council has put the brakes on plans to include drive-thrus in its C4 transitional zoning designation.

In a vote of 6-1, with Coun. Sahra Nodge the lone dissenter, council defeated the second of three readings of an amendment that would have allowed businesses, like restaurants and financial institutions, to potentially have drive-thrus in the downtown core.

“The one thing, in my view, that makes it slightly incompatible, is you’re transitioning from residential to commercial and that whole area of transition has public sidewalks right in front of it,” said Coun. Wayne Oliver, referring to the Subway restaurant on Main Street, which had been hoping to open its existing drive-thru window.

“Having a drive-thru that has to cross (two) public sidewalks is not an ideal design,” he said. “And that’s a high-traffic area with a swimming pool and a skating rink.”

There was also concern across the board that an alleyway behind the restaurant might be impacted by a drive-thru lane.

While there’d been no direct dialogue with the owner of the Subway on the access route, the town’s CAO assured council that vehicles wouldn’t be able to line up in the alley.

“Private development isn’t able to use back alleys. Everything has to be done on their site,” confirmed Angie Lucas, when asked by Coun. David Green where the vehicles would enter the drive-thru.

Oliver, however, followed up on an earlier comment from Mayor Don Anderberg that any amendment changes need to be considered for all the businesses that might be affected, not just one.

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New direction for future development?

While in favour of seeing the amendment go through second reading, Nodge also accepted there might be a shift in what the community wants from its downtown, which includes Kettles Street, where a number of lots fall under the “transitional” designation.

The zoning “was primarily along the Kettles Street piece. It’s more than just Main Street,” she said. “It was meant to facilitate more commercial development on Kettles and also on the west end of Main Street, west of the Hewetson intersection, on that block, on both sides.”

But have the wants and needs of the community changed?

“I don’t think where our community is moving now is foreseeing Kettles as a commercial core, as it once did, and I think there’s a shift in how the downtown is viewed in terms of growth possibility and the desirability,” Nodge added.

Anderberg, meanwhile, would like to see any future discussion on land use include the stretch of Main Street west of Hewetson.

“The (original) intent was to intensify that section for commercial development. It hasn’t worked too well,” he said.

Anderberg hopes an updated land use bylaw, with new provisions for C4, will address that.

“I think the plan (for the C4 district) was put in place … 1998, 1990, so it’s been 25 years. It’s out of date,” said the mayor.

The first draft of the new land use bylaw could come across the council table as early as next month.

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Pincher Creek council to host housing developer

Written by Laurie Tritschler on April 24, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, Town of Pincher Creek. No Comments on Pincher Creek council to host housing developer

The Town of Pincher Creek will invite representatives from a company that manages small-town housing projects to council’s next community housing committee meeting.

Council unanimously voted to extend the invitation following a motion by Coun. Sahra Nodge, April 11.

Nodge, who sits on the housing committee with Couns. Gary Cleland and Wayne Oliver, had taken in a project pitch by AND Villages at a recent convention of AlbertaSouthwest, a regional economic development alliance of 15 area municipalities, including the town and neighbouring MD and Crowsnest Pass.

AND hopes to partner with 12 municipalities on an overarching project to put up manufactured homes in each participating community. The homes would be installed in identical 12-unit blocks.

The company’s pitch calls on municipalities to sign over one-acre land parcels serviced by underground utilities, while AND would manage the project. The company wants to hear from interested partners by the end of the month, Nodge said.

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Council’s resolution directs staff to invite AND to give a 20-minute presentation, likely via Zoom, when the housing committee meets April 27. It doesn’t amount to a commitment of any kind.

“I think we should at least listen to their presentation,” Mayor Don Anderberg said, drawing murmurs of agreement from councillors.

Chief administrative officer Angie Lucas meanwhile advised that AND’s pitch leaves “a lot of unanswered questions” for the town’s administration. Serviced land parcels might be hard to come by, and any land used for housing development would have to be properly zoned, she noted.

There were 70 units on Pincher Creek’s rental market as of 2017, down from 73 the year before, according to a 2018 housing-needs assessment by the Alberta Rural Development Network.

Most homes in the town of Pincher Creek and village of Cowley were 38 years or older, while the majority of homes in the MD were 28 and older, the assessment found.

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Curling rock with yellow handle sits in blue ring on the ice

Petition against borrowing bylaw submitted

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 30, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, Town of Pincher Creek. No Comments on Petition against borrowing bylaw submitted

The Town of Pincher Creek has received a petition against a contentious borrowing bylaw for a new curling rink, according to chief administrative officer Angie Lucas.

Lucas has 45 days to determine if the petition satisfies a host of conditions specified in the Municipal Government Act.

The petition, which calls on council to put the borrowing bylaw to a referendum, needs signatures from at least 10 per cent of town residents, which amounts to around 360 people, according to the 2021 census. Signatures must be witnessed and dated, with the names of petitioners clearly written out, among other MGA requirements.

If Lucas finds that the petition satisfies the Act, council must either drop the borrowing bylaw or put it to a referendum of town residents within 90 days.

If not, council could pass the bylaw, which would authorize council to take out a $4 million construction loan.

If the bylaw fails, council could finance the new rink through the town’s capital reserves, or through a combination of reserves and borrowed money according to a March 27 memo attached to council’s agenda.

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Elizabeth Dolman, who submitted the petition on Thursday, March 30, said it received 394 signatures. Lucas confirmed that number, but said she hadn’t reviewed the petition.

Opponents of the curling rink build say the project would unduly distract from the town’s affordable housing shortage, and that council hasn’t presented enough relevant information.

Supporters say the build’s estimated $4 million price tag wouldn’t overly burden municipal taxpayers because the town will likely qualify for federal grant funding for up to 60 per cent of construction costs. Council is meanwhile working on proposed housing solutions, supporters say.

Few on either side would say the town’s aging curling rink at 837 Main St. has much more life to give. The building is visibly unsound and various engineering studies, mounted at the town’s expense, have found the building is beyond repair.

Council narrowly approved the project on Feb 13, giving the borrowing bylaw the first of three readings on Feb. 27.

Finance director Wendy Catonio declined to speculate in an interview with Shootin’ the Breeze last week about how or if the build might affect town taxpayers.

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The town is carrying an unremarkable debt load (around $3.6 million as of the new year), she said. Passing the borrowing bylaw would not instantly dump any money onto that burden. Instead, Catonio explained that it would allow council to take out a loan of up to $4 million.

The town would be on the hook for whatever amount council draws on the loan, Catonio said.

The Pincher Creek Curling Club owns and operates the Main Street curling rink at the club’s expense. The town owns the land on which the rink sits.

The club’s membership is roughly evenly split between town and MD residents, according to outgoing president Glenda Kettles.

There is no plan for what to do with the Main Street lot after the curling rink inevitably comes down, according to an FAQ page on the town’s website.

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Liz Dolman, a middle-aged woman with long, straight, blonde hair, sits at a table collecting petition signatures

Borrowing bylaw for curling rink petitioned

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 24, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, MD of Pincher Creek, Town of Pincher Creek. No Comments on Borrowing bylaw for curling rink petitioned

A petition circulating in Pincher Creek could upset council’s plan to build a new curling rink, according to an administration report in council’s March 27 agenda.

The petition, launched by town resident Elizabeth Dolman on March 17, aims to block the passage of a borrowing bylaw for a multi-million-dollar construction loan, pending a referendum on the loan, Dolman told Shootin’ the Breeze.

“We don’t have enough information [about the curling rink project],” Dolman said, questioning the potential tax implications and calling for more attention to other civic priorities, namely housing.

“Curling is a wonderful thing, … but people can’t move here for jobs because there’s no place to live. The town’s known this for at least 20 years, and they’ve made plans here and there. But they haven’t done anything yet,” she continued.

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The petition is the latest development in a long-running and hotly contentious debate about whether or not to build a new rink and where to build it.

Whatever might be said of the project, the town’s existing curling rink at 837 Main St. is at the end of its working life, according to structural studies dating back at least to 2008. The rink is run by the Pincher Creek Curling Club, at the club’s expense. The club has around 150 members, roughly evenly split between the town and MD of Pincher Creek, according to outgoing president Glenda Kettles.

Council on Feb. 13 narrowly passed a resolution to build a new rink at the Community Recreation Centre at 942 Hyde St., to be renamed the CRC and Events Centre if the build goes ahead. The borrowing bylaw, still before council, was given the first of three readings at chambers on Feb. 27.

Second and third readings are not listed on council’s March 27 agenda.

Pincher Creek holds approximately $3.5 million in debt as of the new year — roughly $1.85 million for the town’s early learning centres and around $1.65 million for Pincher Creek RCMP’s current headquarters at 1369 Hunter St., according to finance director Wendy Catonio.

That burden represents just under one quarter of the town’s approximately $15 million allowable debt limit, which the Municipal Government Act caps at 150 per cent of a municipality’s most recent annual revenue. For context, Catonio said the town’s current debt load is unremarkable compared to regional municipalities.

If passed, the borrowing bylaw would authorize council to take out a loan for up to $4 million in estimated construction costs for the curling rink build. The town would then be obligated to pay down whatever amount it draws on the loan.

The town has meanwhile applied for a federal grant that could cover up to 60 per cent of the build. Tristan Walker, the town and neighbouring MD’s energy project lead, said he hoped for a decision by the grant funder sometime this summer.

Town council in 2017 committed $1.25 million to match the curling club’s hoped-for grant through the province’s Community Facility Enhancement Program. The CFEP grant didn’t come through, and council has included the $1.25 million commitment in subsequent budgets.

The $1.25 million was always intended to be financed through a loan rather than the town’s capital reserves, Catonio explained.

Coun. Mark Barber, a longtime supporter of the build, told council last month that the curling club would contribute $200,000 through fundraising efforts, adding that the club would donate its ice plant, which Barber said was worth $500,000.

Barber also said the MD would probably kick in some money. Reeve Rick Lemire later told the Breeze that MD council discussed that possibility in a joint session with town council, but the MD hasn’t made any financial commitments.

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In order to be successful, Dolman’s petition would have to satisfy a number of conditions listed in the MGA.

Petitions to council need signatures from 10 per cent of municipal residents, which amounts to roughly 360 people in Pincher Creek, according to the 2021 census.

The petition would have to come to Angie Lucas, the town’s new chief administrative officer, no later than March 30. Lucas would then have 45 days to decide if the petition satisfies the Act’s requirements.

If the petition holds up, council would have to either scrap the curling rink build or put the borrowing bylaw to a town referendum. If the petition fails, council could pass the borrowing bylaw and move ahead with the project, according to Lucas’s latest report to council.

Lucas has recommended that council receive for information an explainer at chambers Monday evening about the petition process.

Few of the project’s vital details have been made public as of Friday afternoon, including a detailed cost estimate, according to an FAQ page on the town’s website.

The curling club owns the existing rink, while the town owns the land on which it sits. There is no plan for what happens at the old curling rink after the building comes down, nor information about the financial implications for the town and tax implications for residents, the FAQ page explains.

The curling club did not respond to a request for an interview before Shootin’ the Breeze published this story online on Friday afternoon.

Roughly 170 people had signed Dolman’s petition to that point. Dolman has said she will continue to collect signatures at Ranchland Mall over the weekend.

Kettles said Friday that the curling club has so far raised around $100,000 toward the new rink.

Two women sit at a town council meeting – Laurie Wilgosh has short grey hair and glasses, Angie Lucas has long reddish-brown hair

New CAO looks to Pincher Creek’s future

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 18, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, Town of Pincher Creek. No Comments on New CAO looks to Pincher Creek’s future

Pincher Creek’s new chief administrative officer has set her sights on long-term planning as mayor and council update the town’s policy framework.

Angie Lucas, who officially took the reins late last month, said last Friday that Pincher Creek is already a regional centre.

From its retail shops and parks to its hospital, Lucas said the town and its roughly 3,400 residents are a steady draw for about 35,000 people across southwestern Alberta.

The region is still emerging from an economic downturn that hit before the Covid-19 pandemic, but, “It’s 2023 now, and people want to do business here,” Lucas told Shootin’ the Breeze.

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The town is facing a number of challenges, though, especially its lack of affordable housing.

“If people want to come here and work, there’s nowhere for them to live. And if businesses can’t get staff, they can’t grow,” Lucas said, noting that mayor and council are on top of the situation.

“There’s plenty of long-range capital planning to do,” which already has Lucas’s staff taking stock of municipal facilities.

“Are we looking after them correctly? What’s our operating budget saying?” she pondered.

More immediately, the town’s municipal development plan — a living document that broadly envisions Pincher Creek’s future — is now 10 years out of date.

“There’s lots of work to be done internally before we can make changes in the community,” she said.

To that end, Lucas brings years of experience in Alberta and neighbouring British Columbia, having served in top administrative positions with Calgary’s Tsuut’ina First Nation and nearby Wheatland County.

Born in England and raised in Australia (Lucas joked that she’ll never outgrow her “Aussie twang”), she holds a master’s degree in environmental design and planning from the University of Calgary.

Credentials aside, Lucas was the last candidate standing after a tough selection and interview process that started back in September.

Lucas has been working alongside outgoing CAO Laurie Wilgosh since January.

Wilgosh will step down for good in March, having held the position for 14 years.

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Local Stories Obituaries

Laurie Wilgosh, CAO of the Town of Pincher Creek. Woman with short, grey hair and glasses sits at her desk.

Town CAO to retire after storied career

Written by Shannon Peace on January 11, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News. No Comments on Town CAO to retire after storied career

Pincher Creek’s top civic administrator will retire this spring, marking the end of an era at town hall.

Laurie Wilgosh, chief administrative officer for the last 14 years, informed mayor and council in September that she planned to step down after lining up a suitable replacement.

“It’s time to spend more time with my family,” she told Shootin’ the Breeze from behind her desk last Thursday.

Wilgosh will stay on until the end of the month, when she’ll be succeeded by the town’s new CAO, Angie Lucas.

Wilgosh started with the Town of Pincher Creek in 2008, when she was hired as director of corporate services. Within six months, she’d replaced outgoing CAO Fran Kornfeld.

Wilgosh had served as neighbouring Cowley’s CAO for 20 years, but experience is no guarantee of longevity in her line of work.

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It’s the CAO’s job to manage the town’s administration while advising council on the complex legislative requirements and industry best practices that define local government. It’s not easy squaring civic priorities with the people who craft them, and Wilgosh noted that CAOs don’t always get to plan their exits.

“If the residents are not satisfied with their service delivery, they’ll take that to council and, sometimes, councils decide that the best way to meet those needs is to start fresh with somebody new.”

As Mayor Don Anderberg wryly observed, “There’s politics and council members, but administrators have to be great politicians without showing it.”

That Wilgosh thrived in her position for so long “speaks a lot to her abilities and the type of person she is,” he said Monday.

But Wilgosh was slow to tout her accomplishments, speaking instead in the calm, clipped statements of a veteran administrator.

“Things were rather fragmented when I started,” she noted, adding that she was proud to leave behind a strong, cohesive team.

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She’d presided over successful contract negotiations with CUPE 927, the union local that represents town hall’s roughly 25 staff. She was at the helm throughout the pandemic, as her team managed not just to keep Pincher Creek running, but to open two brand new child-care facilities in the summer of 2020.

Wilgosh highlighted the town’s working relationship with the municipal district, remembering fondly that both councils partnered on the opening of Pincher Creek’s new humane society on Kettles Street.

The only time she seemed to speak without thinking was when she was asked what she’d miss the most about her job.

“The people,” she said. “I have a fantastic team.”

Angie Lucas started as interim CAO on Tuesday, making her first public appearance at that morning’s committee of the whole meeting. Lucas will assume her full duties Feb. 1, with Wilgosh staying on in an advisory role until her last day on March 31.