Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County council has several issues it wants to discuss with provincial cabinet ministers.
At its regular meeting Jan. 25, council passed a motion to request meetings with ministers at the 2023 Rural Municipalities of Alberta Spring Convention March 20-22 in Edmonton.
During its meeting Jan. 11, council passed a motion to request a meeting with Municipal Affairs Minster Rebecca Schulz to meet the deadline of Jan. 13. Council wants to discuss municipal funding from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) that ends in 2023 and will be replaced by the new Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) that starts in 2024.
As well, council wants to talk about and regulatory enforcement of unpaid industry taxes and legislated consultation with municipalities.
At the Jan. 25 meeting, council requested meetings with ministers to discuss local issues as follows:
-Forestry, Parks and Tourism Minister Todd Loewen – protecting good agricultural land from renewable energy farms, grazing leases and municipal input on public lands in Alberta.
-Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Minister Brian Jean – funding for regional economic development alliances.
-Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon – housing and grants-in-lieu of taxes for social housing.
-Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen – provincial bridge funding program, funding for rural water distribution systems and road upgrades for Hilliard’s Bay Provincial Park access road, Highway 747 between Highway 2A and Sunset House and Highway 749 between Highway 2 and Highway 679.
-Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides – proposed Registered Nurse training program in a partnership with Northern Lakes College and Athabasca University.
-Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson – recreation funding for municipal-owned facilities and duty-to-consult process.
-Infrastructure Minister Nathan Neudorf – future of Swan Hills Waste Treatment Centre.