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Compost Days are back while supplies last!
Please take note of physical distancing measures put into place at the pick-up location, and bring your own shovel, containers, or bags.
To see the Transfer Station hours of operation, click here.
To read more on our policies, click here.
Cold Lake, AB – Black Knot is back this spring, and residents can help keep local trees safe.
Black Knot is a fungal disease that affects Prunus tree species, such as Maydays and choke cherries. The fungus causes brown and black knot-like swelling on the branches of the trees, which if left untreated, will eventually kill the tree and potentially spread to others.
Residents are asked to keep watch for Black Knot this spring and summer, and if spotted, to cut off infected branches.
Here are some tips on how to deal with Black Knot:
Cold Lake, AB – Council will offset the increase in the city’s 2020 Operational Budget with accumulated surplus from the previous year’s budget, bringing the average increase in municipal taxes paid to zero per cent this year.
The residential tax rate is set at 8.3149, the multi-family residential rate is 8.6439, and the non-residential rate is 12.5435. These rates will generate about $20.6 million from properties within the city, which will then be topped up with just over $254,000 from accumulated surplus to balance the city’s $53.5 million operational budget for 2020. This budget is inclusive of all municipal expenditures and transfers. In 2019, council used just over $555,000 in surplus to achieve an average zero per cent increase as well.
Accumulated surplus is the result of not spending money budgeted for the previous year – often in salaries not spent while positions are being filled, or better-than-expected revenue from investments, for example.
“Council is challenged with a difficult economy and an uncertain future because of the unprecedented situation due to COVID-19,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “Using accumulated surplus again means that we will need additional revenue, or we will have to look at reducing services in the city, to balance the next budget in 2021. With the uncertainty surrounding the economy and the COVID-19 situation, however, council felt the best target was a zero per cent increase.”
The tax rate is a factor used per $1,000 of property value to determine the amount of taxes a property is required to pay for municipal services. Taxes are based on the assessment, which means that a tax rate increase or decrease does not necessarily mean an increase or decrease in the amount of municipal tax a property owner will pay compared to previous years.
Outdoor courts are now open for public use, provided users follow recommended distancing guidelines.
Despite a tough economy and ongoing closures in both the public and private sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Cold Lake is seeing signs of confidence in its future.
NEWS RELEASE
May 22, 2020
For immediate release
Cold Lake, AB – The City of Cold Lake’s compost program has seen a significant uptick in use, with over 200 people visiting the transfer station to take compost in a single day.
“It’s amazing to see the success of this program grow over the years,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “We were thrilled at the response to the program when it started, and it’s grown beyond our expectations each year since.”
Outdoor parks and playgrounds in the City of Cold Lake, including the skatepark, are open for use by the public under the Government of Alberta’s COVID-19 restrictions.
