A new cost-recovery utility rate, additional committees and enhanced public engagement are among the successes Turner Valley’s mayor is celebrating as 2019 comes to a close.
Mayor Barry Crane, who began his role as mayor earlier this year following the resignation of Garry Rowntree, said he’s proud of the many achievements of council and administration the past 12 months.
Earlier this year, Turner Valley partnered with Black Diamond to form the Intermunicipal Economic Development Committee, consisting of council members, administration and residents to look at ways to boost economic development in the two towns.
“That’s going to be a great success story once it gets fully integrated,” said Crane. “It will keep us moving forward with this tough climate.”
Turner Valley also put in place a finance committee - one of its priorities during the 2017 election campaign - as well as a governance and priorities committee, said Crane.
“The governance and priorities committee focuses on aligning our strategic plans into council’s direction,” he said. “It’s an area where we can really start to focus and have huge discussions on how we’re going to get the goals achieved and bringing it forward to council. It’s really an environment for extra debate and putting the nail on exactly what it is we need to do as a council to get the results we’re looking for.”
As for the finance committee, Crane said it’s about transparency and accountability.
“When we were on the election trail it was clear that people wanted to have more information and more transparency,” he said. “These two (committees) really add to that.”
Crane said one of council’s most recent accomplishments is approving a new utility rate bylaw with a focus on cost-recovery earlier this month.
“We really needed to get back to a ground understanding of are we being fair and are we covering our bases when it comes to the true cost of services,” said Crane. “It creates the environment for a full cost-recovery with a build-up of capital reserves for future expenses versus constantly pulling from a reserve to balance the budget.
“By having full cost recovery we know exactly what our costs are and we don’t have to worry about a question mark-able tax increase because of something that came up. This way we’re planned ahead and prepared for events as they arise.”
Crane said he’s proud of the level of public engagement over the past year, from three open houses hosted by the Parks, Paths and Recreation Committee to gauge the community’s recreation needs, to a public information session soliciting public input regarding the Town’s land use bylaw.
Fresh in the mayor’s seat, Crane said he’s enjoying his role and is delighted with the addition of Coun. Jamie Wilkie, who took Crane’s seat following a byelection after Crane resigned as councillor to run for mayor.
“Council has been great to work with and Coun. Wilkie has just embraced the role and is a fantastic asset and very knowledgeable,” he said. “I feel our council is extremely receptive and cognizant of our priorities and our responsibilities and we have had several decisive votes where it was 4-3 in either direction. I’m extremely happy to help lead this council and be part of it.”
Another change for 2019 was the addition of chief administrative officer (CAO) Todd Sharpe, after former CAO Barry Williamson retired in late 2018.
“Our new CAO is fantastic and doing a bang-up job,” Crane said. “He really has settled into the seat comfortably and continues to communicate and learn with council as we move forward. He’s great at focusing council to our priorities as we have set them.”
Going into 2020, Crane said council and administration will work together to create an asset management plan to determine the town’s infrastructure needs.
“The asset management plan is going to give us a priority list of infrastructure needs so we can then plan the next 10 years on, everything from pipes in the ground to trucks on the road to the condition of buildings right down to furnaces, windows and shingles,” he said.
Crane expects the land use bylaw will be complete in the new year, and expects positive changes out of that.
“Under our present land use bylaw conditions we have zero light commercial lots in Turner Valley,” he said. “Council will be looking into increasing our light commercial lots through various land purchases.”
The Town will also develop a full diagnostic on the needs for sewer and storm water line replacement on Sunset Blvd., with plans for construction to begin in 2021. The project is expected to cost $3 to $4 million, Crane said.
“We want to make sure that administration has ample time to get that study done because that will be a priority for 2021,” he said.
