The County has finalized Intermunicipal Collaborative Framework with both the towns of Beaverlodge and Wembley. The documents are meant to outline how the communities will work together to share municipal services and lay out how the costs will be split.
Nearly $675,000 will be put into recreation services in Beaverlodge in 2020. That includes $24,000 to maintain green space and playing fields, $350,000 towards the indoor pool and gymnasium, and $125,000 for the indoor ice arena. The County will also pay a maximum of $175,000, or up to half, of the repair costs for the indoor arena when the work takes place.
Reeve Leanne Beaupre says while some of the funding isn’t new, it represents a top-up based on the amount of usage of the space.
“The agreement really drives forward the County’s strategic priorities and highlights the commitment of the County and Beaverlodge to work together to best manage growth and plan for our futures,” she adds. “This type of collaboration recognizes our interconnectedness as neighbours while supporting our autonomy as separate municipalities.”
Beaverlodge Mayor Gary Rycroft says the ICF lays the foundation for a continued partnership between the municipalities, which is especially essential during unpredictable economic times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
A similar agreement has been reached with the Town of Wembley. It acknowledges agreements for shared services already in place, and how they are funded and delivered.
“Wembley Council is pleased to have the ICF process finally completed and signed off,” says Mayor Chris Turnmire. “It is beneficial to have the existing agreements that we had with the County under one framework.”
The document also lays out plans for a committee that will meet regularly to come up with recommendations on how they can work together on issues affecting residents.
Intermunicipal Collaborative Frameworks were provincially mandated after changes were made to the Municipal Government Act. The County is still working on ICFs with the City of Grande Prairie and the Town of Sexsmith.