Sturgeon County and St. Albert sign MOU to negotiate boundary adjustment

by Morinville News Staff

Sturgeon County Mayor Tom Flynn, St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, and with members of their respective Councils ended their February with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to start negotiations on an adjustment to their common boundary.

The two neighbouring municipalities say they have developed a strong working relationship to discuss regional initiatives through their Intermunicipal Affairs Committee (IAC). The committee consists of all Council members from both municipalities.

“This Memorandum of Agreement is the culmination of many months of collaborative work between our two municipalities,” said Mayor Tom Flynn in a joint press release. “We are committed to working together to build a strong region for our residents.”

The Sturgeon/St. Albert MOA allows the formal process for the two municipalities to begin negotiating terms for the future annexation of land from Sturgeon County to the City of St. Albert, setting out the potential maximum land area that can be annexed as well as the collaborative approach needed to move forward.

Mayor Nolan Crouse said boundary adjustments between municipalities do not have to be adversarial. “Over the past few years, we have discussed our needs, planned our future, and determined how we can best move forward in a mutually beneficial manner,” Crouse said.