by Morinville News Staff
The Capital Region Board will be reduced from 24 members to 13, a drop of 11 municipalities in the Capital Region. Additionally, the Board heard Thursday at its regular meeting that some form of regional service delivery and regional economic development will be added to its mandate in 2017.
The Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Hon. Danielle Larivee made a presentation to the Board Thursday.
The proposed membership under the new structure will include
Leduc, Parkland, Strathcona and Sturgeon Counties, the four counties surrounding Edmonton, and the eight cities and towns with populations greater than 5000 residents within the border of the four counties. Joining Edmonton and the counties will be Beaumont, Devon, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Morinville, Spruce Grove, St. Albert and Stony Plain.
Larivee also told the Board the CRB’s success makes it the template for growth management boards, particularly in the Calgary Region, as the province renews the Municipal Government Act, expected to take effect in mid-2017.
“With continuing growth and limited resources, and the significant opportunities for regions to collaborate to compete, growth management boards are too important to leave to partnerships,” Larivee said.
The Minister pointed out the 11 municipalities, including Legal, Bon Accord, Gibbons, and Redwater, no longer part of the CRB would continue to be aligned and part of regional planning through the new proposed Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework agreements between adjacent municipalities.
Comments and suggestions will be accepted from member municipalities until Jan. 31, 207 before the revised CRB regulation is finalized. A discussion guide on the proposed changes has been distributed to all municipalities in the CRB.
