County to rejoin regional collaboration with neighbouring municipalities

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wheatland County is looking to start rejoining regional collaboration meetings with municipalities throughout the local area. 

During the Nov. 4 meeting, council voted to rescind three previous motions which had barred participation in regional collaboration meetings. 

“When I went around campaigning, (this) probably hit the top of the charts. Get along with our neighbouring municipalities within Wheatland County borders,” said Coun. Glenn Koester. “I won’t use any of the expletive words I have been told, but it was very important to people in my area that we get along with everybody, and I said I would bring it up at the earliest opportunity I could.”

Koester explained his concern stemmed from previous interactions between municipalities taking place every three months to discuss the interests of every municipality, and how best to cooperate.

The idea was to explore mutual interests, share ideas and resources, and pass cost savings to each municipality within the local region. 

“Council made these motions and stopped going to partnership meetings … what I understood is if everybody does not go to partnership meetings, you can’t call it a partnership meeting,” said Koester. “I’m thinking as a region, we are suffering immensely from not talking to our neighbors in any sort of situation, formally or informally.”

While participation in partnership meetings had been barred, Coun. Rick Laursen had been noted to have attended such a meeting regardless, without professionally representing the county.

Instead, he was noted to have attended the meeting as an interested citizen. Despite this, he was subject by the previous county council to a code of conduct violation complaint.

“Collaborating with our neighbours is part of the government’s mandate on municipalities to share information, share infrastructure – there are regional collaboration grants that are easier to get than grants just for a municipality,” added Koester. “We are missing out on both money, but the important thing, we are missing out on collaborating with our neighbours.”

Coun. Keith Clayton supported the motion to rescind the previous council resolutions, citing several conversations with local ratepayers who had desired to see the county once again engaging in more active cooperation with its neighbours.

Coun. Donna Biggar added she would support going forward with returning to regional collaboration meetings, however reminded council that any decisions regarding what takes place at such times would have to happen in council and not at the collaboration meetings. 

Wheatland County will be writing a letter to neighbouring municipalities offering to host a regional collaboration meeting.