Mountain View County (MVC) Deputy Reeve Angela Aalbers has been appointed as the county's representative on the Sundre Forest Products Public Involvement Round Table (SPIRT) advisory group.
The move came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
SPIRT was set up 25 years ago to provide advice to Sundre Forest Products on issues related to forest management, council heard.
In a letter to council, company spokesperson Tom Daniels said having county representation on the group would be helpful.
"We have found there is value in having municipal government representatives on SPIRT since it is often ratepayers that might approach the county about concerns over what they see from forest management," said Daniels.
"I believe that there is value in MVC having some understanding of our operations. We have valued the input received from MVC and other municipalities in the past as those public concerns being brought forward during the discussion in meetings can result in activities designed specifically to try and address those concerns."
At the county's 2017 organizational meeting, councillors voted not to reappoint a representative to SPIRT due to council's workload.
The motion passed at the Feb. 14 council meeting reverses that decision.
During the recent council meeting, councillors also passed a motion accepting Sundre Forest Products' invitation for councillors to take part in a tour of the company's forestry operations.
"We are very proud of our activities and there are many positive reasons about why forests should be managed and not left to Mother Nature," he said.
"We would need a full day to provide such a tour as there is time required to travel to active logging sites."
In other council news, councillors have nominated councillor Dwayne Fulton to sit on a new Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) committee on charitable gambling.
"The association is currently advertising for membership on its newly created committee," administration said in a briefing note to council.
"This committee is tasked with reviewing the charitable gaming model in Alberta and making recommendations on ways to ensure that the system is equitable for rural based organizations.
"Councillor Fulton has expressed an interest to join the committee and an application has been prepared. The association has committed to fund each committee member's travel, accommodations and meal expenses but Mountain View County would be responsible for any remuneration paid to the member for their attendance."
The committee will meet once every two months, unless requested by the association to meet more frequently, council heard.
In a letter received by council, the association said the committee's purpose is to "provide a rural municipal perspective on the charitable gaming model and how it impacts rural communities and organizations."
The committee will serve as an advisory group on charitable gaming issues identified by the AAMDC board of directors.
It will bring recommendations forward to the AAMDC but will have not resolution making powers.
The AAMDC represents 69 rural municipalities, including Mountain View and Red Deer counties.
