Strathmore council members assigned to their service boards

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Strathmore’s respective service boards and committees have been assigned their municipal representatives for the first year of the new term. 

Appointments were solidified during the Nov. 5 meeting following an in-camera discussion. Each council member was assigned at least two boards/committees to participate on for the next year.

Each appointment will be in place until Oct. 31, 2026, at which time the positions will next be adjusted. 

Generally, similar to bodies county council members serve on, at least two members of Strathmore’s council have been appointed to represent the town, unless otherwise necessary.

Claude Brown, newly elected to council, will serve on the Community Futures Wild Rose board, as well as the Wheatland and District Emergency Medical Services Association.

Jim Chisholm, also a new face to Strathmore’s town council, is to represent the town on the Wheatland Housing Management Board, as well as the Family and Community Support services Advisory Board.

Mayor Pat Fule will sit on the Regional Emergency Management Committee, as well as on the Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee. 

Matt Hyde, Strathmore’s third and final new member of council, has also been appointed to serve on the Community Futures Wild Rose board, as well as to the Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee. 

Returning to council for her second term, Melissa Langmaid will sit on the Marigold and Municipal Library boards, the Wheatland and District Emergency Medical Services Association, and the Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee. 

Also having been re-elected, Richard Wegener has been appointed to serve with the Wheatland and District Emergency Medical Services Association, the Wheatland Housing Management Board, and the Regional Emergency Management Committee. 

Wegener has previously served for four years as part of the Housing Management Board and will resume his activities. 

Brent Wiley, also returning for his second term, has been appointed to the Municipal Policing Committee, and to the Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee. 

During discussion, Wiley opposed the indicated appointments to the Wheatland Housing Management Board.

“We have two very eminently qualified individuals who put their names forward for the Wheatland Housing Management Board … currently, Coun. Wegener has spent four years on the board and I’m sure learned a ton of information and has a lot to offer,” he said. “I’m looking for two new councillors with new ideas; I think there are a lot of fresh challenges that are facing the board right now and I’m really hopeful that two new people could gather that information and have new ideas of ways to move forward that can serve our seniors the best in this community.”

Wegener countered that among other projects, the board is at a “pivotal” juncture in relation to the new lodge build currently attempting to see construction. He offered that his experience and expertise would be better utilized to continue furthering the project towards completion.