The Mountain View County policies and priorities committee has been given an update on the work of the multi-stakeholder Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP).
The move came during the committee's recent regularly scheduled meeting.
CAEP promotes economic development through regional planning, cooperation, networking and advocacy, said executive director Kimberly Worthington, who appeared before the committee as a delegation.
"The past 18 months have been a year and a bit of change for CAEP," said Worthington. "We have a new chairman, a refreshed strategic plan, a new community liaison position, and new professional and fully accessible office space.
"We've done an organizational review and continue to look at our committee structure and the value they bring to the organization. And we've received additional funding from the government of Alberta."
CAEP member municipalities pay a 40-cent per capita levy.
"The conversation has been happening at the board level to ensure CAEP's viability for the long term," she said.
Upcoming CAEP projects include hosting broadband information sessions, she said.
Coun. Angela Aalbers told Worthington, "From my perspective, from sitting on the board for three years, my concern with CAEP's interaction with the municipalities is that tools are developed and then essentially handed off and they don't seem to be very well utilized.
"There's a disconnect for me with what CAEP is providing and with what the municipalities seem to want to utilize. Tools are created and they are put out there and then they seem to go nowhere.
"I'm interested to see how that can be strengthened and how the actual money that is being used to generate these tools are actually being utilized by the members."
CAEP includes Mountain View County, as well as Clearwater County, Kneehill County and Red Deer County.
"We've done an organizational review and continue to look at our committee structure and the value they bring to the organization."Kimberly Worthington
