A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY MANAGER
The adoption of Council’s Strategic Plan sets a clear course for the organization and reinforces our commitment to thoughtful, responsible growth for the County of Grande Prairie.
The Corporate Business Plan translates that direction into focused administrative priorities and coordinated actions. It serves as a practical guide for our work, ensuring that resources, efforts and decisions remain aligned with Council’s vision. As a dynamic document, it will continue to evolve in response to changing needs, emerging opportunities and lessons learned through implementation.
Delivering on this Plan requires collaboration, accountability and dedication across the organization. I am confident in the expertise and commitment of our employees and leadership team, whose efforts ensure we continue to provide high-quality services and support a strong, resilient community.
Together, our team will continue to build on our successes and position the County for the opportunities ahead.
COUNTY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE SENIOR ADMINISTRATION
Introduction
Once Council has established its strategic direction, administration is responsible for aligning resources, planning initiatives and delivering services that advance Council’s priorities and achieve meaningful results for the community.
Nick Lapp General Manager, Planning and Development Services
Lee Brachmann General Manager, Community Services
Ryan Konowalyk General Manager, Transportation and Utilities
Rory Tarant General Manager, Corporate Services and Strategy
Rob Beaupertuis General Manager, Financial and Business Planning Services
Charlotte Bierman General Manager, People and Organizational Development
Joulia Whittleton
Strategic Theme 1 | QUALITY OF LIFE
Support safe, active, connected communities.
AREA OF FOCUS: RECREATION AND COMMUNITY
FACILITIES
Leverage our natural and built amenities to enhance opportunities.
Implement a strategic approach to facility development and natural attraction enhancement, including trail system support and long term planning.
Review access to low or no cost community programs to support participation and wellbeing.
AREA OF FOCUS: SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Protect residents through proactive safety.
Review community risk areas related to safety and natural disaster mitigation.
• At least 90% program participation • Resident satisfaction above 85%
Annual Hazard Identification Risk Assessment through GPREP
AREA OF FOCUS: COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND ENGAGEMENT
Strengthen participation, communication, and community pride.
Develop and implement a County wide engagement plan, including education on service levels, rural living, and community expectations. GM
Explore volunteer capacity through training, support, and neighbourhood associations.
Develop an event permit policy and communications plan to support consistent, high quality community events.
AREA OF FOCUS: HEALTH
Advocate for services that support our residents’ health and wellbeing.
Strengthen healthcare advocacy, including physician recruitment, retention strategies, and support for regional health initiatives (e.g., SPPARC).
• Engagement plan approved
• Guide to County living published
• 15% increase in engagement participation
• Report to Council on feasibility of neighbourhood associations developed
• Events policy approved
• 90% satisfaction with County supported programs/events
• Minimum of four advocacy engagements per year
• Increase in % of residents who have a family doctor as expressed in Citizen Satisfaction Survey
Strategic Theme 2 | ECONOMY
Capitalize on our economic strength to sustain long-term prosperity.
AREA OF FOCUS: ENABLEMENT
Provide clear, predictable conditions for growth.
Administrative Activities
Update the County’s Growth and Economic Development Plan (GEDP) to align with regional strategies, the MDP, and emerging economic trends.
Develop a County wide investment attraction strategy, including marketing, investor closing processes, and clarity on regulatory pathways.
Create a County marketing plan that promotes competitive advantages, tax benefits, and quality of life.
Improve clarity and predictability in development processes by balancing red tape reduction with regulatory certainty.
Integrate economic development considerations into land use decision frameworks, including servicing capacity and long term growth planning.
Project Lead
Timeline KPIs/Targets
GM Corporate Services & Strategy 2026
GM Corporate Services & Strategy 2027
GM Corporate Services & Strategy 2026-27
GM Planning & Development Ongoing
• Updated GEDP approved
• Annual reporting on alignment with regional strategies complete
• Investment attraction strategy approved by Council
• Marketing plan launched
• Average processing time for development applications reduced
• Annual investor satisfaction improvements
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
• Annual alignment review between land use decisions and economic development priorities
AREA OF FOCUS: EXISTING BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES
Support core industries and businesses.
Administrative Activities Project Lead
Strengthen business retention and expansion (BRE) efforts, including annual surveys, follow up actions, and targeted support for key sectors.
Enhance partnerships with Northwestern Polytechnic, Alberta colleges, and training providers to support workforce development and industry needs.
Maximize access to grants and funding opportunities for local businesses through coordinated support and promotion.
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
• 90% positive response on annual BRE survey
• 150 completed surveys annually
• 90% of businesses would recommend the County
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
AREA OF FOCUS: ATTRACT DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENT
Promote the County’s competitive advantages.
Administrative Activities
Formalize Invest Northwest partnership to support coordinated investment attraction.
Promote tax incentives and grant programs to businesses looking to relocate to the County or expand current operations.
GM Corporate Services & Strategy 2026
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
• Minimum of four joint initiatives per year through WorkNW
• Annual report on training alignment with industry needs
• Minimum 20 businesses supported annually
• Total grant dollars leveraged year over year
• Invest Northwest incorporation formalized
• Incentives policy reviewed
• Annual reporting on uptake and ROI completed
Strategic Theme 3 | TRANSPORTATION
Enable the movement of goods and people to and through our County.
AREA OF FOCUS: ROAD STANDARDS AND SERVICE LEVELS
Set clear road service expectations aligned with resources.
Administrative Activities
Modernize road engineering and construction specifications and standards.
Update and modernize the Transportation Master Plan (TMP).
Define and communicate clear service levels for road maintenance and construction.
GM Transportation & Utilities
GM Planning & Development 2026
GM Transportation & Utilities 2026-27
AREA OF FOCUS: TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Sustainably invest in long-term transportation infrastructure.
Administrative Activities
Advance the County’s asset management program, including lifecycle planning, long term maintenance strategies, and fleet replacement optimization.
Lead
GM Transportation & Utilities 2026-28
AREA OF FOCUS: REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
Advocate for improvements and maintenance on highways, air and rail priorities.
• Updated specifications and standards
• Updated TMP presented to Council
• Service level framework approved by Council
Administrative
Strengthen collaboration with regional partners (municipal, industry, provincial agencies) to advance local transportation priorities.
Advocate for improvements across all transportation modes, including highway upgrades, air access enhancements, and rail capacity improvements.
GM Transportation & Utilities Ongoing
GM Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
• Asset management system implemented
• Minimum of 10 meetings per year
• Advocacy priorities approved
• Annual advocacy plan published
Strategic Theme 4 | LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT
Make disciplined land decisions reflecting County priorities.
AREA OF FOCUS: COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT
Balance development and agriculture in alignment with the County’s land use framework.
Administrative
Update Municipal Development Plan
Update Land Use Bylaw
GM Planning & Development Complete
GM Planning & Development 2027
GM Planning & Development 2026
• New MDP adopted by Council
• New LUB adopted by Council Policy supporting hierarchy of Planning documents and technical report standards
Revamp Planning and Development webpage / online portal
Revamp presentation and background materials for Council and MPC files
Continue to review and update Development and Subdivision Processes
GM Planning & Development 2026
GM Planning & Development 2026
GM Planning & Development Ongoing
AREA OF FOCUS: GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE ALIGNMENT
Align land decisions with servicing capacity.
Administrative
Review and update Minimum Design Standards
Establish infrastructure master plans (water, sewer, transportation, recreation, stormwater, fire, police)
Review and update funding strategies for developer driven/contributed municipal infrastructure
GM Planning & Development 2026
GM Planning & Development
2027-28
GM Planning & Development
2027-28
• New policy adopted by Council
• Number of page views from external IP addresses increased
• Presentation and background materials updated
• Annual reporting of process timelines
• Design Standards policy approved by Council
• New and updated master plans adopted
• New and updated offsite levies adopted and implemented
Strategic Theme 5 | GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Lead responsibly to maintain trust and stability.
AREA OF FOCUS: ORGANIZATIONAL
PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Deliver efficient and responsive services within our region.
Administrative Activities
Refine County wide customer service strategy, including standardized service best practices, staff training, and process documentation.
Lead
GM People & Organizational Development
AREA OF FOCUS: EVIDENCE BASED GOVERNANCE
Ground decisions in policy and evidence.
Administrative Activities
Modernize the County’s policy, procedure, bylaw, and RFD framework to support consistent, evidence based governance.
Establish a centralized data governance and analytics approach to support decision making and performance measurement.
GM of Corporate Services & Strategy Ongoing
GM Financial & Business Planning Services
• Customer service strategy approved
• 90% of staff trained
• Maintain and/or improve citizen satisfaction as measured by bi-annual survey.
• Updated policy/RFD/procedure framework approved
• Provincial legislation compliance
• Data governance model implemented
• Annual data quality audit completed
AREA OF FOCUS: ADVOCACY
Promote County priorities with other governments and entities.
Activities
Develop and implement a County advocacy plan aligned with Council priorities, including transportation, health, economic development, and infrastructure.
GM Corporate Services & Strategy
Coordinate advocacy efforts with regional partners to strengthen shared positions and improve outcomes. GM Corporate Services & Strategy
AREA OF FOCUS: FISCAL DISCIPLINE AND ASSET SUSTAINABILITY
Protect long-term stability through financial discipline.
Implement a comprehensive asset management system, including training, lifecycle planning, and proactive maintenance strategies.
Develop service delivery standards and level of service equity tables to ensure consistent, costeffective service across the County.
AREA OF FOCUS: RELATIONSHIPS
Planning Services
Advance shared priorities with partners.
Support County relationship-building efforts with Indigenous communities, regional partners, and key stakeholders through structured engagement and shared priority setting.
Continue to develop a consistent approach to strategic partnerships, including criteria, evaluation, and reporting.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
TMP Transportation Master Plan
GEDP Growth and Economic Development Plan
MPC Municipal Planning Commission
MDP Municipal Development Plan
LUB Land Use Bylaw
RFD Request for Decision
• Advocacy plan approved
• Annual advocacy report to Council presented
• Minimum of four joint advocacy initiatives per year
• Measurable progress on priority files
• Asset management system operational
• Annual lifecycle investment plan produced
• Level of service standards approved
• Annual level of service performance reporting
• Minimum of six formal engagement sessions per year
• Shared priorities documented
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• Annual partnership report developed