MD of Taber moving along quickly with regional ICF and IDP agreements

By Stan Ashbee

Alberta Newspaper Group

According to M.D. of Taber Municipal Administrator Derrick Krizsan, the M.D. has completed the Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) agreement and Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework Agreement (ICF) with eight of the nine municipalities to which the M.D. is statutorily required to do so including the County of Warner, Cypress County, County of Newell, Vulcan County, Lethbridge County, Village of Barnwell and the Town of Vauxhall.
“We are currently engaged in work on the IDP with the Town of Taber to replace the current agreement. ICF negotiations will begin following the completion of the IDP,” Krizsan noted.
As the M.D.’s municipal boundary doesn’t touch the Town of Bow Island, Krizsan added, the M.D. is not required to undertake agreements with the town. “However, we have developed a number of agreements in the past with the town that have proved to be mutually beneficial including the Highway 3 Regional Water Services Commission — along with our third partner the County of Forty Mile — that provides water to the Town of Bow Island, the Hamlet of Burdett, and the Hamlet of Grassy Lake. Along with rural water users and our fire/emergency services mutual aid agreement,” Krizsan explained.
Town of Bow Island Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dave Matz, said the town will not be completing a formal ICF with the M.D. of Taber, as noted by Krizsan — but the two municipalities do work together on some areas of service delivery.
“The town is in the early stages of developing an ICF with the County of Forty Mile and Village of Foremost. We have had some early discussions and will be working together on the ICF starting this spring with a goal of having the framework in place well before the April 2020 deadline,” Matz explained.
According to Matz, the town looks forward to working with its neighbouring municipalities in developing a framework that addresses transportation, water and wastewater, solid waste, emergency services, recreation, and regional service delivery. “We currently have an excellent working relationship with both Foremost and the County of Forty Mile and the ICF will be beneficial in further improving that relationship and identifying areas where we can work together,” he said.
The County of Forty Mile is feeling confident that their end of the process is on track with their neighbouring municipalities.
“As indicated by our neighbors we are in the early stages of development with the Town of Bow Island/Village of Foremost/County of Forty Mile,” said county’s chief administrative officer Keith Bodin.
“ We are close to securing a company to complete the ICF’s for all parties. We feel we have a good working relationship amongst the three parties and we are positive we will complete the task by the deadline set out by the province. The County has completed its ICF and IDP with the M.D. of Taber and look forward to completing the remaining ones with the County of Warner and Cypress County this summer.”

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