Happy Holidays
Hello and Happy Holidays!
Since the inaugural organisation meeting on October 27, the first few months on Council have been a whirlwind. Going forward I hope to provide these sorts of summaries on a quarterly basis, however if you would like to connect with me at any time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at awhiting@rockyview.ca.
Budget.
Most notably, Council approved the 2026 operating ($62 million) and capital budget ($280.4 million) December 5. While the council meeting in which we approved the budget may have seemed short, in reality it was the cumulation of a workshop, two Capital Committee meetings and two Special Council meetings where we dove into the details, reviewed each line item, asked questions, and made adjustments to ensure we are directing the money where it is needed while remaining fiscally responsible.
In the new year, Council will continue to meet in order to review additional capital project requests, set a 4-year budget, and finalise the 2026 tax rate.
Cochrane Lake Area.
Recently a partial conceptual scheme for the Neighbourhood A area in the Cochrane Lake Area Structure Plan came forward. This plan included a 20 acre parcel at the south west corner of Highway 22 and Cochrane Lake West Road, which proposed using the space for 92 homes and a small commercial area. While I appreciate the applicant came forward and understand the challenges of planning and development when an ASP area includes multiple land owners, I ultimately supported refusing this application for a few reasons. For one, it was a partial plan and did not include any of the institutional uses identified in the ASP (e.g., town square, civic building, etc). Additionally, the residential density was set between nearly 8 and 9.5 units per acre, making it significantly higher density than anything else in the area. There was also a lack of pedestrian access and limited vehicle access to the commercial space, and insufficient consultation with existing residents. Finally, there is currently no capacity to provide waste water services to that parcel of land. And so, for those reasons I felt it would be inappropriate to approve the conceptual scheme.
In addition, I made a motion to have Administration review the language in the Cochrane Lake Hamlet and Cochrane North ASPs regarding density. The Cochrane Lake Hamlet ASP is the only area structure plan in the County to use density minimums instead of density maximums. It also includes some conflicting and ambiguous language on density which makes it challenging to determine how that language should best be interpreted. My hope is that Administration can review this language and bring forward recommendations on how to address these issues and provide clarity on the vision for the area.
In other Cochrane Lake Area news, there was an open house at the end of November on the chip seal road in the old Hamlet. Thank you to all the residents who attended or shared their thoughts after. This was a very preliminary open house with the intention of connecting with residents in person to hear more about what level of upgrades they would most want to see for the road. Administration is reviewing the feedback and will circle back to Council on potential next steps.
Recreation in Division 3.
The Recreation Governance Committee met on Dec 10 to review the Community Grant Funding Requests. The applications include operational and capital funding requests from local community groups to help cover the costs of running recreation programming in our County.
I am happy to share that we were able to award grants to the following applicants in Division 3:
Friends of Spirit Winds Ranch Society - to support operating costs
Beaupre Community Association - to help fund new amenities under the 100th celebration of Beaupre Creek School Site Project
Dartique Community Association - to help fund hall enhancements including a ramp for improved accessibility
Watermark at Bearspaw Homeowners Association - to help fund repairs to Watermark Pathway System
Happy Holidays.
As the holidays approach, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support and engagement throughout this year. May this festive season bring you joy, warmth, and cherished moments with your loved ones.
Wishing you all a happy holiday and a fantastic New Year ahead!
