Sundre's council has added the broadband feasibility study to the municipality's list of strategic priorities.
The decision followed a discussion during the regular meeting on Jan. 16.
"It's important for us to have consistent strategies" so council can demonstrate to the public what the municipality's doing, said Mayor Terry Leslie.
"From a council point of view, we haven't had a presentation (on broadband proposals), so in my mind it is still a priority because we haven't dealt with it."
Administration staff updates the strategic priorities chart every six months in January and June, said Angie Lucas, acting administrator and director of planning and operational services.
The only reason broadband was not already on the list was because administrative staff had already received approval from council last summer to include the project on the business plan, she said.
Council also agreed to prioritize pursuing obtaining from the province a regional status to qualify for a greater level of funding for the impending upgrades to the municipality's wastewater treatment facility, as well as to lobby the federal and provincial governments for infrastructure grants to help with necessary upgrades.
The mayor later suggested council consider anything that might have been overlooked.
"Is there a priority that has been emerging that we haven't necessarily addressed yet?" he put to his colleagues, adding that discussion could take place at a coming workshop.
Coun. Chris Vardas pointed out that a facility review would be required sooner rather than later. But since the strategic priorities chart is reviewed every six months, that matter will eventually come back before council, he said.
"We're going to have to start looking at our facilities," he said, adding recreational venues like the arena are among the major incentives for young families who are considering setting roots in Sundre.
The mayor agreed and said a facility review could be temporarily added to the priorities for further discussion and consideration.
Recapping the updated list to confirm council's directives, Lucas outlined the following priorities in the following order: tourism and economic development strategies, broadband feasibility study, disaster readiness review, work with Mountain View County to create a new inter-collaborative framework document, pursue regional status for water and wastewater servicing opportunities as well as lobbying government for infrastructure upgrades, and finally to begin a facility review.
"Does that work?" she asked, receiving no opposition from council.
Lucas told council the requested changes would be reflected in the priorities list and brought back during the Jan. 23 workshop.
