Mountain View County council has come out in support of the Carstairs regional skate park project with a $25,000 contribution.
The move came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
“A location has been chosen in Carstairs, adjacent to existing recreational facilities which will allow for sharing of restroom and other community services. The Town of Carstairs have approved in principle to fund $150,000 towards the project, plus land, in its 2015 budget,” CAO Tony Martens said in a briefing note to council.
“The Carstairs regional skate park committee is anticipating construction to commence in 2016 and continues to raise funds. They recently have been awarded a community facility enhancement program grant in the amount of $125,000.”
The total anticipated cost of the project is $400,000, council heard.
In other news, council has approved updated terms of reference for the multi-stakeholder municipal area partnership committee (MAP).
The terms of reference deal with such things as purpose and goals, membership, decision-making, voting, meetings and the appointment of offices.
Made up of representatives from the county and from the towns and villages within the county, MAP is an advisory committee partnership.
The terms of reference state that the “aim of MAP is to provide feedback to all respective councils on regional issues and opportunities either from information or for consideration.
“The decision making and subsequent funding and administrative support which would be required to carry forward any municipal decisions by individual councils would be at the discretion of each approving council, either as a stand-alone project or a collaboration effort between multiple municipalities based on each municipality's decision to participate.”
The only decision-making authority that the MAP committee can assume is regarding the MAP budget.
Under the new terms of reference, committee members agree to generate key messages which will be shared with all councils to ensure that all MAP members are receiving consistent information.
“It is the responsibility of each MAP committee member to ensure that these key messages are reported back to their respective councils.
“In order to support the success of MAP and create inclusiveness of all municipal councils, all councils will be requested to add to their regular council agenda MAP items for discussion. The purpose of this is to give all councils the opportunity to have input into issues and opportunities that would be utilized to create the subsequent MAP agendas.”
The county has up to three representatives on MAP, with the other partners having one each.
“It think it's worth the time and the effort to be on the organization,” said Coun. Angela Aalbers.
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the new terms of reference.
Meanwhile, council has agreed to provide financial support for the Rootstock 2016 agriculture promotion event in the amount of $1,350 for a 10-seat table for councillors and staff.
The move came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
“The 2016 event will be held August 13 at Fallen Timber Meadery,” CAO Martens said in a briefing note to council. “Again, it will serve as an incubator for local food in Mountain View County and showcase those in our community committed to growing healthy food and environmental stewardship. The event brings people from Calgary, Red Deer and surrounding areas to enjoy the pristine vistas our county has to offer, and a field-to-table dinner prepared by chef David Cousineau of the Bison Restaurant and Terrace in Banff.”
All proceeds from Rootstock will go toward the development of the ecological agriculture portal by Food Water Wellness, which provides producers with tools for implementing profitable sustainable agriculture practices that are economically and environmentally viable, he said.
Council also approved the waiving of the events permit requirement for the event.
In other news, council approved a $40,000 contribution to the Legacy Land Trust Society.
The society works with landowners and other stakeholders to preserve wetlands and others environmental land projects.
“Mountain View County's support and funding has been instrumental in the formation of the Legacy Land Trust Society,” said Martens. “In 2012, after a number of meetings between the county and Mancroft Group, council approved contributing $30,000 to complete phase 1 of the project to determine whether a land trust was feasible for the county. Of the $30,000 budgeted only $15,958 of costs was invoiced.”
