Clearwater County and Village of Caroline continue to hammer out the details for a proposed amalgamation.
Last week, the Amalgamation Negotiation Committee met to discuss more than half a dozen operational issues to iron out as the communities edge closer to joining as one municipality.
In February 2023, councils from both municipalities agreed to look into amalgamation and agreed to begin negotiations late last year. Since, an amalgamation committee has been meeting regularly to iron out the two dozen items that must be included in the final report that would go to the provincial government seeking permission to amalgamate.
If amalgamation happens, Caroline will become a hamlet within Clearwater County.
Committee members agreed at last Thursday’s meeting to accept a report that calls for the county’s 26 buildings and three recreation areas and the village’s eight buildings and four recreation areas to be transferred to the newly amalgamated municipality.
Likewise, the two municipalities’ preliminary capital budgets will go to the new municipality. Should amalgamation go ahead, an infrastructure and asset management study will be completed that will identify priorities for spending and any budget adjustments required.
A service level review of solid waste collection and landfills is also planned to ensure there is no change in residents’ garbage pickup. They also agreed to keep the water treatment and distribution system unchanged pending a review of those services. There are also plans to seek grants to modernize Caroline’s wastewater system.
To keep amalgamation running smoothly, the committee agreed to maintain the status quo for the municipalities’ fleets and equipment, utility services and rates, and public works operations.
Caroline’s administration was also asked to send the committee a list of current grant applications to the federal and provincial governments.