Council agrees to fulltime agricultural fieldman

A former member of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Agricultural Service Board urged council Feb. 24 to reinstate a full time, year-round agricultural fieldman position and pursue provincial grant funding they said could bring $160,000 annually into the municipality.

Megan Evans told council she was speaking on behalf of herself, Cathy Dale and other former board members after the municipal Agricultural Service Board dissolved when the fieldman position shifted from full time to seasonal.

“The municipality, we have to run these programmes regardless of whether we participate in this grant programme,” Evans said.

Evans said the provincial Agricultural Service Board program is administered through Alberta Agriculture and supports municipalities in enforcing legislation including the Alberta Weed Control Act, the Soil Conservation Act and the Agricultural Pests Act. She told council municipalities are responsible for enforcement whether or not they participate in the provincial program.

Evans said the provincial grant operates on a five-year cycle and currently provides $160,000 per year to municipalities to operate eligible programs, up from a former base of $105,000. She said municipalities can also apply for additional funding for environmental initiatives.

The program has two primary eligibility requirements, Evans said. A municipality must have an active agricultural service board and must employ a full time, year-round qualified program manager, often referred to as an agricultural fieldman.

Evans said Crowsnest Pass previously participated in the program after joining in 2010 and remained compliant for about a decade with a full time fieldman, even when that staff member carried additional duties outside the core role. She said the position became seasonal in 2022, which she said placed the municipality out of compliance, leading to termination of the grant agreement.

Evans challenged the idea that agriculture is not present locally, arguing that grazing land and taxation categories show otherwise.

“Nearly half of the municipal land is taxed as farmland,” she said.

Evans also outlined what she described as gaps created by seasonal staffing, including off season program planning, professional development, strategic planning, vegetation management strategies, community outreach and the ability to provide input on policy and legislative changes. She cited changes to the province’s regulated weeds list as one example where local input can matter.

Evans argued that shifting from full time to seasonal staffing did not reduce costs in a meaningful way when revenue losses are considered. She referenced municipal budget figures indicating about $100,000 in revenue in 2023 and “essentially no revenue” in later years, while net program costs increased despite a reduced service level. Evans said seasonal staffing saved about four months of salary and benefits but eliminated eligibility for the larger grant.

“This is the easiest money you can get,” she said, describing the requirements as straightforward compared with many grant programs.

Councillors asked what the program covers beyond weed control and whether a full-time position would allow participation in additional initiatives. Evans said enforcement under the legislation is the core function tied to provincial funding, but she said many municipalities run broader environmental programming under the same umbrella, including riparian planting and restoration initiatives.

Mayor Pat Rypien asked how the grant would cover a program manager role and what happens if costs exceed funding. Evans said the intent is to convert the existing eight-month fieldman role into a full year position and that the $160,000 could cover the staff salary, noting the municipality currently receives none of that funding.

Councillor Doreen Glavin said she supported bringing the matter back to council for discussion, noting the grant has increased. Evans said there is no standard deadline to apply in this case because it would require a special case mid cycle and suggested the municipality could aim for a future fiscal year.

Councillors indicated the need for further discussion. Residents with views on agricultural and environmental service levels can raise them through council or future town hall sessions.