The Straight Talk blog provides County residents with the facts about County programs and initiatives, or programs and initiatives supported by Mountain View County. Where possible we will provide links to material on our website so that the reader can verify the information.

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From the desk of the Reeve

MDP Review, and your input, remain Council priority

In October of 2010 a new Council was elected in our County, a Council with a mandate to change direction together with a promise to be more transparent and accountable to the electorate.

Chief among those issues were the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and the Land Use Bylaw. Last week, a new Land Use Bylaw received third reading from Council, after a review by the Municipal Planning Commission and Councillors. The result is a bylaw we believe to be more reflective of ratepayers expectations and more easily understood. This is also a review process that Council will undertake on a yearly basis in an attempt to continually improve clarity.

At the same time, Council has been working toward a similar outcome for the Municipal Development Plan, legislation that is required by the Municipal Government Act, (MGA) for any Municipality in Alberta with a population over 3,500.

This process, as of the date of this publication, has been ongoing for exactly one year. It was on Jan. 25, 2011 that we held our first public open house on the MDP to garner ratepayer feedback into what was working and what was not working with the current plan.

Since that first step we saw the completion of the initial open house sessions across the County, a mail-out survey in which we received an unprecedented response from residents, and a statistically valid telephone survey that provided us more insight and direction. Councillors and Planning and Development Staff, with the help of McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., have reviewed the accumulated data and have taken the necessary time and care with the clear intention that the new MDP would be reflective of what you told us.

It's at this point that we brought the draft of proposed changes to Mountain View County's MDP to the public in a series of four more open houses over two weeks in late November and early December. We also published the draft revised MDP and a summary of amendments on our website for the public to review in advance of the open houses.

The attendance and feedback at all open houses was impressive and all that information was noted and is being reviewed and compiled for an upcoming public presentation to the Policies and Priorities Committee - comprised of all Council members - on February 8th. That public presentation will also include feedback from questionnaires gathered at the open houses as well as from those downloaded from our website, filled out and submitted.

All the presented information on February 8th will then be reviewed and debated by the P&P Committee to guide any potential revisions to the current draft of the MDP.

We have now created a draft document that Council believes reflects what we've been hearing in the community. While this part of the process took longer than originally expected we think that extra diligence will pay off in the long run with an MDP that mirrors the planning and development priorities of our residents. This draft will again be subject to further review, not only from our citizens, but also from the five municipalities that lie within our County boundaries.

It is important to note that this plan is not finalised. Until this council is confident that the revisions reflect what the majority of you have told us you want from your MDP it will not be approved by Council, and then only after the mandated public hearing and three readings of the plan

You may have read or heard the point of view that this process is being rushed. Given that first reading of the bylaw to amend the MDP likely will not be before council until early spring, and that we will continue to pursue public feedback right up until that point, we are looking at a possible 15 months of discussion and consultation prior to the adoption of the new Municipal Development Plan for our County.

We have adhered to the best planning practices and have been - and will remain committed to open discussion over the course of the entire review. As your Council, we remain committed to honest public engagement and transparency

- Bruce Beattie, Reeve

(Posted Jan. 26, 2012)

If you wish to comment on this topic, please email blog@mountainviewcounty.com

Interim budget approved; budget process to continue

At its Dec. 7 regular meeting Mountain View County Council approved an interim operating budget for the start of 2012, effective until the full budget is approved.

The adoption of the 2012 budget is expected in early spring after receipt of final property assessment information and the rate for the Alberta School Foundation Fund is established. The County levies and collects the ASFF on behalf of the provincial government.

In addition to passing the interim budget, MVC Council also approved $18.5 million in projects for 2012. By approving these projects it will allow for work to begin on January 1, even under an interim operating budget.

Projects includes:
- Burnt Timber Road Resurfacing (joint project between MVC, Bighorn, Shell and the Province) $5.4 million
- Local road projects (including Twp 334 - Netook Rd. and RR 12 - Olds Golf Course and subdivisions) $2.9 million
- Regraveling Program $1.8 million
- Rechipping Program $3 million
- Bridges (including the Big Prairie Bridge) $2.1 million

"Using an interim budget is not unusual," explained Greg Wiens, Director of Corporate Services for Mountain View County. "It's a way to remove some of the uncertainty from the budget process."

According to County Deputy Reeve Patricia McKean, who chaired the regular meeting when the interim budget was approved, council's decision allows the budget process to move forward in a careful and considered manner.

"With an interim budget approved it removes any need to rush the finalization of the full budget before the end of the year. Now we'll be able to continue budget deliberations with a focus on keeping the tax rates as low as possible but also allow County staff to proceed with providing our residents the programs and services they expect."

As part of the budget process there are a number of programs and initiatives proposed by administration and council. During budget deliberations funding sources are not always identified in the draft budget. This may be identified as a deficit during budget discussions, but that does not mean that there is a shortage of funding options.

According to Wiens the County is in a strong financial position, has adequate reserves and these reserves provide considerable flexibility when it comes to the budget process. In addition, maintaining and enhancing those reserves is part of the budgeting process that the County remains committed to on a yearly basis.

As Council finalizes the budget there will be tough choices, as there are every year during budget deliberations. It's unlikely that all proposed initiatives in the draft budget will make it into the final approved budget, but how Council handles these initiatives will depend on what priorities they establish in terms of expenditures and tax rates.

In the end a balanced budget will be achieved.

(Posted Dec. 13, 2011)

If you wish to comment on this topic, please email blog@mountainviewcounty.com

Snow removal a crucial function

A look outdoors has shown that winter is finally and fully here.

With over 3,000 kilometres of roads to maintain the County's Operational Services Department has to come up with a plan of action when it comes to keeping the road network passable in the winter. For the winter of 2011-12, don't expect major changes when it comes to how the roads are cleared in major snow events.

According to Pete Waycott, the County's Manager of Infrastructure Maintenance, the priority focus will remain on the County's Collector Network during snow events and then down the list as conditions allow to clear secondaries, industrial roads and subdivisions.

"As long as the collectors are in good condition ... we'll then move on to the secondaries," Waycott explained.

If snow events continue for an extended period of time, the crews will continue to ensure the collector network remains passable until the storm subsides. After that the crews then move on to post-storm clean-up which includes fully clearing the roads past the ditch-lines using graders with wings attached.

"That's in a perfect scenario," emphasized Waycott.

The County has 12 trucks and 8 graders dedicated to snow removal and Waycott says they try to be responsive to residents' concerns during major snow events, but ask that people remain patient during storms that are long in duration and bring significant amount of snow accumulations.

Operational Services also want to remind motorists to drive with care on winter roads and to slow down around the snow plows and other snow removal equipment. Waycott says this allows the drivers to turn down the sanding attachment in time to prevent potential vehicle damage from the sanding material. Slowing down also reduces the possibility of a collision between motorists and snow removal equipment.

For more information see our roads maintenance page.

(Posted Dec. 1, 2011)

• If you wish to comment on this topic, please email blog@mountainviewcounty.com

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