RMA Governance Committee seeks council’s feedback

By Justin Seward

Commentator/Courier

]The Rural Municipalities of Alberta have an open survey out for a couple more days, asking its member municipalities to fill out for feedback.
The RMA Governance Review committee will then take the feedback on governing topics into consideration.
“This is an integral part of what we’re doing right now,” said Cypress County Coun. Robin Kurpjuweit, who also sits on the Review Committee.
“We’re getting feedback from not only the members, but also from the current board and past board. We’re tackling issues everywhere from compensation to one of the things that we’ve spent a lot of time talking about is the role and the parameters that are formed around districts, and how districts interact and work with RMA. A lot of people probably already know that districts are not an actual, official extension of the RMA and it caused some confusion and chaos.”
RMA wants to hear everyone’s concerns.
“We want to make sure that everybody has the ability to bring forward those concerns and have those discussions—that’s some of the stuff that’s being tackled,” said Kurpjuweit.
“Some councils have sat down and actually gone through and done the survey as a council. I’m strongly recommending that individual councillors go through and do it because every single one of you have a separate vote at RMA.”
Kurpjuweit says the feedback will help form RMA’s recommendations at the virtual spring convention.
“(It) makes sense,” said Reeve Dan Hamilton.
“You just can’t change anything up there if you don’t have any opinions on what we complain about at every RMA.”
Council voted to receive the survey as information at their Jan. 12 meeting.
Deadline to fill out the survey is Jan. 21.
Jan.12 meeting briefs
Xplornet- Letter of Support
Council voted in favour of sending a letter of support to Xplornet Communications Inc. to include in their application process for Universal Broadband Fund to improve its service, which will include the rural and remote areas of Cypress County. It was back in November that the federal government announced a $750 million increase to the Universal Broadband Fund to support high-speed internet projects and improve broadband internet connectivity in rural and remote communities in Canada.
The Fund is a part of the Government of Canada’s plan to High Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy.
“After the announcement, administration promoted the Universal Broadband Fund to local internet service providers that deliver service within Cypress County. They were encouraged to apply for the funding to expand and enhance their service delivery to the rural, and remote areas of the County,” as read in the agenda package.
Pump tracks
Council voted for administration to reach out to various community associations and the 670 Collective Bike Club to gage support and or a partnership for a pump track in their respective communities.
“I think one of the questions the community associations are going to have is how much money is council prepared to put into each of the tracks or how much money in a pot, and then the pot can get divided up,” said Deputy Reeve Richard Oster.
“I think it’s something we should be discussing. We probably have a pretty good sum of money from our royalties.”
Hilda/Schuler Coun. Michelle McKenzie said if this concept is sent out, the county will get a level of interest in who is all interested in the pump track first and then talk a dollar value if the county needs one.
670 Collective’s director Andy Kirschenman presented the concept to council at the Dec. 1, 2020 meeting after the recent pump track was completed in Hilda and another one is in the works in Schuler.
A pump track is a dirt, asphalt, wood or concrete track with banked corners and rounded obstacle rollers.
The track would have smaller features than a BMX track and is built in a shape of loop for riders to ride continuously on.
Suffield playground
The county has decided to withdraw its CFEP (Community Facility Enhancement Program) grant application for the Suffield playground because the hamlet’s community association has submitted application that’s awaiting a decision.

Get More Bow Island Commentator →