Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County council members now have the option of going back to class for additional training.
At its regular meeting Jan. 24, council passed a motion to approve council members’ registration fees for various courses from the Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP).
CAO David Reynolds presented the recommendation that was approved without any council discussion or comments.
Council members have the option of seven courses – regional partnerships and collaboration, council’s role in strategic planning, council’s role in municipal service delivery, council’s role in land use and development approvals, council’s role in public engagement, municipal corporate planning and finance and Munis 101.
The EOEP is jointly owned and operated by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) and Alberta Municipalities. It was formed in 2007 to provide Alberta’s municipal elected officials with professional development opportunities and ensure they are well-positioned to serve their communities effectively, the EOEP website states.
The EOEP offers courses on topics that are most relevant to elected officials.
Each course has been developed by experts on the topics and adult learning specialists to ensure both course content and teaching methods reflect the fact that elected officials have limited time to dedicate to professional development.
“Serving your community is a big job,” states information from the EOEP website.
“A large part of why elected officials are successful comes from the knowledge of their communities, the people, the landscape, the opportunities and the challenges.
“However, for those serving in the smallest village or rural municipalities to the largest cities, having knowledge about relevant legislation, planning and development processes, service delivery, as well as the skills to serve ethically, collaborate with your colleagues and municipal neighbours and plan strategically is vital to leading your community.”