I am happy to report that Council continues to remain positive and is moving along respectfully and effectively.
In a unanimous decision, Council gave the direction to terminate our current Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Kevin Greig. His last day will be May 6th, 2018. This Council is looking to make change and we believe new leadership is the key to achieving this. We are committed to hiring the most qualified candidate and will take as long as it takes to get the right person. In the meantime, general manager Kent Robinson will act as the interim CAO.
The final 2018 budget was recently approved and Council will soon be reviewing the tax rates. As part of our fiscal management responsibilities, we also approved the Master Rates Bylaw. There was a request by some residents of Bragg Creek to have their water and sewer servicing costs remain at 2017 levels. However, the majority of council, including myself, believed it would be unfair when the rest of the county is experiencing rate increases and the system is still not at a position of full cost recovery.
On the Aggregate Resource Policy (ARP) front, Councillors who attended the County’s Open Houses provided the rest of Council and Administration with their feedback regarding how unhappy the public was with the current draft of the ARP and the process overall. As a result, Council has directed Administration to provide a report on the process to date and make recommendations as to how to best proceed. As it stands, this Council has had no input on the current process, rather it is an inherited initiative from the previous Council.
I recently joined the Board of the Cochrane Foothills Protective Association (CFPA). The CFPA has volunteer members from throughout west Rocky View and is working hard to reduce crime in the area. The CFPA works directly with the RCMP and Fish and Wildlife and is the local chapter of Rural Crime Watch. Crimes are typically those of opportunity.
Don’t leave vehicles running. Do not leave keys or garage door openers in your vehicles. Lock your doors. And, if you see something unusual, report it by calling the RCMP – 403-932-2211.