Meeting your Wheatland County Reeve

Times Reporter

 

The Reeve has many responsibilities, as he is the president of Wheatland County  and oversees the day-to-day operations of the area. 

Between Koester and his councilors, they want to make the area a better and safer place to live. 

Since being re-elected in 2011, Glenn Koester and his council members are very busy looking for ways to make the county a better place, and voices of community residents are a crucial part in determining those decisions.

Koester has lived in the county all his life, having grown up in the Rockyford area on a farm, and still holds the occupation of a farmer. 

He and Lois, his wife of 30 years, have raised their four children on G&L Koester Farm Limited and really enjoy the country lifestyle.  

“I am still involved in farming … my whole life is (dedicated to) farming,” said Koester. “We grow wheat, barley, canola and have a cattle operation and my son wants to continue the farming operation.” 

With all the drier weather that Alberta has seen so far this summer, the crop situation is stable for Koester’s farm, but some rain soon would make the situation more favorable.

“So far so good, if we get some moisture (it would be better),” said Koester. “Prices are down on crops and prices are up on the cattle, so that takes some of the sting off.”

The farm was passed down from Glenn’s uncle to his family. Lois’ parents also had a farm, so the couple gained a big portion of land that they look after.

Other than being occupied by the farm, Reeve Koester likes to take his holidays in the winter when it is a slow season around the acreage. 

“In the winter when we had more time (the family) went skiing up in the mountains to Fairmont and day trips to Sunshine or Lake Louise,” said Koester.

Going down south is always a popular trip, when the snow starts to fall, to various tropical destinations such as Mexico and areas in the Caribbean.

In the summer, “I like to go to the Okanagan or someplace down there that has very little rain and lots of sun. It’s nice to be by a lake in the summer time,” said Koester. “(As a Reeve) you get to chair the meetings, signing the papers (bylaws and cheques), preparing for meetings and coming in and look at documents.”

Koester had taken interest in the Reeve position for some time now and knowing the councilors personally really eased his decision to run.

“I thought I had more time but I really did not (because of farming) and an opportunity came to run in a by-election and I took it and got elected,” said Koester.

As a member of the county, you do not know what the job entails until the position has started and do not realize how much work is involved.

To make the transition easier in the office, Koester likes to gather as much information as possible by going to conferences. 

The residents of the towns and surrounding areas are heard and it can be very difficult at times to meet the demands of the citizens for issues such, as developments.

For a development to get the go-ahead, the Reeve has a say in where it goes, along with council because they have to listen to the citizens’ voices.

“I think it depends on the land and where it is and since I have been in, we have started more public hearings (which) are more accountable and open (where the public) can come in and voice their concerns,” said Koester, who has been a councilor for 11 years and for the last three has been Reeve.

He likes to see more people moving into the towns and villages as more growth will result in the schools and businesses staying open in the area, and in the future, more development.

For the future of Wheatland County, the Reeve would like to see more openness and transparency for residents in the area to voice their concerns.