Magrath passes Cemetery Bylaw update

Westwind Weekly photo by Allison Billings Magrath town council updated its Cemetery Bylaw at its March 13 meeting to bring it in line with the Alberta Cemetary Act.

Jeremy Appel
Westwind Weekly News

Magrath town council at its March 13 meeting passed all three readings of an amendment to its Cemetery Bylaw to bring it in line with the relevant provincial legislation.
Previously, if someone wanted to sell a plot at the cemetery, the town only had to reimburse them its full value from the time of purchase.
But under Alberta’s Cemetery Act, a municipality must pay 85 per cent of its current market value.
“It was just an alignment to make the two the same,” Mayor Russ Barnett said of the update.
“Many years ago, you could buy a plot in the Town of Magrath for $4. If today’s value is $450, you have to pay 85 per cent of that.”
Under the original bylaw, the town would only have to reimburse them $4, as opposed to the $382.50 required under the provincial legislation.

Intern selected from 32 applicants

The town has selected an intern to begin working with CAO Wade Alston on April 1 for a duration of two years.
Magrath received a $48,000 grant from the province for the position, which is the first time it’s hired an intern.
There were 32 applicants for the position, according to Barnett.
Alston now must submit a work plan to the provincial government for the new hire, outlining their various responsibilities.
“It’s about recreation. It’s about administration. It’s about accounting,” Barnett said.
“It’s about all those experiences with council meetings, all those things that are required for a CAO.”