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Vol. 12, No. 3, Tuesday, November 8, 2016 www.LamontLeader.com
Lamont County hosts planning session in Andrew Michelle Pinon Editor
Terry Levicki is a man with a plan. And the Andrew area resident shared his vision for Mallard Lake Park during the strategic planning session at the Andrew Community Centre along with 15 other participants. On a side table Levicki had a large scale drawing of his plan that would encompass 69 acres just west of the community between Township Road 565 and Range Road 165. Mallard Lake Park would be a year round multi-use recreation area with summer and winter activities and events. Some of the activities included in his plan are: camping, fishing, walking and bike trails, community garden, racing oval, rodeo grounds, snowboarding and tobogganing, skating rink, etc. Reeve Wayne Woldanksi welcomed the crowd, and introduced special guest Ed Stelmach before participants broke out into groups to brainstorm ideas. He went on to say that it had been many years since Lamont County had updated its Strategic Plan, and would welcome their ideas and input. Ed Stelmach said it was nice to see lots of familiar faces, including former Mayor and current town councillor Eldon Feniak. Current
Mayor Heather Tait and Chief Administrative Officer Pat Skoreyko were also on hand to participate in the planning session. “It’s a very important process, and I commend the county on its strategic planning process,” said Stelmach. He stressed the importance of setting direction and strategies, and holding administration as well as council accountable for their decisions. Stelmach went on to say that the environment has changed economically and politically, “more than anyone ever thought” and that several new initiatives like the new Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
Ed Stelmach between Canada and the European Union would have far reaching impact and implications as well as the Carbon Tax. Stelmach expressed his concern about the federal and provincial government having no plan for future debt retirement and what affect that will have on families as well as businesses. He told
the crowd you have to examine what this all means to you as a county, a town, and as a resident. As a municipality, Lamont County will have to see what room is left after all the out of pocket expenses are paid, and what is left over to set budgets, mill rate and accomplish their goals. Stelmach cautioned then in regards to social programs as they are federal and provincial responsibilities and just stick to the basics. He encouraged participants to put everything on the table. “We don’t have answers…We want and need your help to move us forward,” stated Chief Administrative Officer Robyn Singleton. “We want and need your help to move us forward.” Karen Doyle, a Community Development Officer (Northern Region) with Alberta Culture, introduced her management team and briefly explained the facilitation process. “We want the ideas to come from you.” She encouraged participants to focus on the future so they would be able to flesh out their ideas, provide a framework, and marry the information together. The key question that was put to participants: “What kind of community would you like for yourself, for your children and your grandchildren in 2030? To that end, some of the ideas generated from partici-
MICHELLE PINON PHOTOS
Terry Levicki, right, explains the merits of his plan to local county councillor Roy Anaka, left, and Stephen Hill, middle, Director of Planning and Community Services for Lamont County. p a n t s included: a community bustling w i t h businesse s , including a doctor and dentist, to have educational a n d recreational opportun i t i e s outside of school, f u l l access to broadband, adequate number of first responders to support the county and citizens needs, shared recreational facilities, access to education from preschool to post secondary in the community, better utilization of the waste management facility with an emphasis on
reutilization and recycling, transportation availability and access to all services, more industry who are environmentally responsible, coordination of event throughout the year in the county, unnecessary duplication of services, aging in place facility with affordable housing
for young adults through to senior citizens, etc. The next Strategic Planning Session will be held on Nov. 17 in St. Michael. The other public consultation sessions will be held in Bruderheim on Nov. 30, in Mundare on Dec. 1, and in Chipman on Dec. 7.