After a busy 2015, the coming year will bring changes for the MD of Foothills, including a change of title for its chief elected official from “reeve” to “mayor.”
Council passed a bylaw Jan. 6 to make the name change official. It’s something MD Mayor Larry Spilak advocated for in 2015.
Looking back at the past year, he said a major project was the construction of traffic lights at Dunbow Road and Highway 2A. Prior to their installation, the intersection was the site of many vehicle collisions and some fatalities.
“We had been working on that for the past two years, so it was good to see it come into play,” said Spilak.
Another project in the works for the past few years is the building of a second school in the Heritage Heights area. CTR Catholic’s St. Francis of Assisi Academy is set to open in September 2017.
“We’ll have two schools and an indoor arena between them,” said Spilak. “It’s a good area to locate recreation and education infrastructure, so we’re happy about that success.”
He said the MD of Foothills is also proud of the success of its partnership with the Town of Okotoks in the operation of the Crescent Point Regional Field House.
Usage is hovering around 75 per cent and he said the MD is pleased to see how well-used the facility was in its first year.
Water infrastructure agreements and flood mitigation efforts were both great accomplishments, Spilak said. A pipeline paid for with government MSI funding will carry water from Turner Valley to Millarville, to supply those who do not have access to good water, he said.
“That’s a big one for the Millarville area, because water in some areas is not as good as it could be,” said Spilak.
Flood mitigation continued to be a top priority in 2015, he said, and the MD managed to complete reconstruction on 32 sites, mainly west of High River. The progress brings the MD closer to finishing their flood mitigation efforts, which began in 2014.
“Now we’re focusing on the east side, and we have two studies to be completed to give us a sense of what we need to do to alleviate and prevent future flooding,” he said.
The ongoing work will carry into 2016, along with further annexation discussion with the Town of Okotoks and the City of Calgary.
Spilak said 2016 will be a very “interesting and difficult year,” mainly due to impending requests for development and uncertainty over mandatory membership in the Calgary Regional Partnership.
As the MD continues to grow, the number of requests coming from large developers increases, he said, posing challenges for council and administration.
“Many residents don’t support large developments because they have moved to the MD for the quiet sustainable lifestyle,” he said. “Most residents in the MD would rather see no development than see a city next door.”
He said council will have a challenge deciding whether to permit larger developments into its jurisdiction and how they will fit in.
A certain amount of development to create a broader tax base is necessary to offset the rising cost of infrastructure and services, he said.
“But generally speaking it’s all good, it’s all positive,” said Spilak. “The good news is people want to live in the MD of Foothills and it’s a great place to live.”
